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Description:
Plants (80–)120–200(–300) mm high. Corm depressed-globose, 12–20 mm diam.; tunics papery to dry-membranous. Stem erect or inclined, flexed outward above sheath of penultimate leaf, flexuouse, usually simple or with a short branch. Leaves 5 or 6, lower 4 or 5 basal, reaching ± base of spike, narrowly lanceolate to falcate, 5–10(–12) mm wide, sheaths pubescent to velvety, main vein lightly thickened but and margins not raised, margins and main vein pubescent, uppermost cauline leaf fairly short, diverging sharply from stem. Spike inclined, 4–7(9)-flowered; bracts pale green, outer (20–)25–35 mm long, inner slightly shorter but much narrower, minutely forked. Flowers dull greyish purple, brownish or dark purple, lower 3 tepals yellow in lower 2/3, papillose below and in throat, distal third dark purple fading to light grey-purple toward apices, tepals often partly yellowish on reverse but at least lower 1/2 of dorsal purple, with sweet fruity-herbal scent; perianth tube obliquely funnel-shaped, 10–15(–19) mm long; tepals with dorsal largest, arching forward, horizontal in upper 1/2, narrowed and ± claw-like in lower part, 26–32 mm long, claw ± 4.5 mm wide, limb ± 18 × 12–15 mm, upper laterals lanceolate, 25–26 × 10–12 mm, narrow and almost claw-like below, spreading in upper 1/3, windowed between bases of dorsal and upper laterals, lower tepals joined to upper laterals for 3–5 mm and together for 2–3 mm, free parts narrowed below into channeled claws 8–10 mm long, limbs lightly channeled, gently curving downward, ± 12–15 × 8–12 mm. Filaments 14–15 mm long, exserted ± 10 mm from tube; anthers 7–10 mm long, pale grey; pollen cream. Style arching over stamens, dividing opposite upper 1/3 of anthers, branches 3.5–5 mm long. Capsules broadly ellipsoid, 18–25 mm long. Seeds 8–9 × 7 mm, obliquely saucer-shaped, usually asymmetric with seed body closer to one side. Flowering time: late June to early August at low elevations, late August and September at higher elevations.
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