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Description:
Plants 350–500 mm high, with cataphylls usually pubescent, often dry at flowering time. Corm ± globose, 18–30 mm diam.; tunics coarsely fibrous, often accumulating in a mass. Stem flexed outward above sheath of second leaf and inclined, unbranched, 1–1.5 mm diam. below base of spike. Leaves 3(4), lower 2 basal, second leaf sheathing lower 1/2 of stem, pubescent throughout or only on sheaths, blades relatively short, lowermost reaching upper 1/2 of stem or sometimes top of spike, lanceolate, 3–8(–13) mm wide, main vein and margins lightly thickened, secondary veins also evident, uppermost leaf inserted on upper 1/3 of stem, pubescent or not, margins united around stem. Spike inclined, lightly flexuose, 3–6(8)-flowered; bracts green or flushed greyish or purple, outer 18–26 mm long, inner shorter, acute. Flowers pale to deep pink or mauve, occasionally almost white, lower 3 tepals cream to pale yellow below with nectar guides irregularly spotted or streaked lines in lower 2/3, lines decurrent on tube, occasionally lightly scented; perianth tube obliquely funnel-shaped, 15–26(–40) mm long, cylindric lower part enclosed in tube; tepals obovate to broadly lanceolate, dorsal largest, arching over stamens, 19–27(–35) × 13–20 mm, spreading distally, upper laterals 17–23(–34) × 10–15 mm, lower 3 tepals joined to upper laterals for 2–5 mm and together for up to 3 mm, narrowly lanceolate, not clearly clawed below, subequal, 15–20(–23) × 7–12 mm. Filaments 11–13 mm long, exserted 4–6 mm from tube; anthers 6–9 mm long, pink; pollen white. Style arching over stamens, dividing opposite anther tips, branches 2–4 mm long. Capsules ovoid to ± ellipsoid, 20–24 mm long, ± as long as bracts. Seeds broadly oval, 6–7.5 × ± 5 mm, evenly winged or wing lacking on one side. Flowering time: Mostly mid July to September, sometimes as early as June and rarely in March or April.
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