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Description:
Plants 50–90(–140) mm high. Corm ± bell-shaped (to ± obconic), 9–15 mm diam., 20–40 mm below ground; tunics blackish, often glossy, basal rim with prominent horizontal spines. Stem ± erect, sometimes branched at base, somewhat compressed but not often angled; without cormlets at nodes below ground. Leaves 3 or 4 (or more if plants branched), lowermost usually longest, usually shortly exceeding stem, linear to narrowly lanceolate, ascending or falcate, 2–4 mm wide, strongly corrugately ribbed; remaining leaves shorter and progressively more bract-like above, ribs weakly or not developed. Inflorescences spikes of (3–)5–9 flowers, usually moderately crowded; outer bract green or flushed reddish below, firm, 12–20(–35) mm long, enclosing slender part of tube, veins transparent, margins narrowly hyaline; channelled below, lightly keeled in upper 1/2, keels minutely serrated or crisped; inner bract up to 1/2 as long as outer, 2-keeled, with broad transparent margins. Flowers zygomorphic, white or flushed pink to lilac (more so with age and when dry), lower tepals yellow below and each with one or two purple median marks near limb base, bearing basal tooth-like ridge ± 2 mm long, lightly sweet scented; perianth tube 9–12 mm long (shorter in dried material), narrow below, curved and widening above; tepals unequal, lanceolate, acute, dorsal largest, 18–23 × 7–8 mm, erect, held apart from others, lower margins undulate or lightly crisped, upper lateral tepals united with lower 3 for ± 5 mm, directed forward below, reflexed distally, lower 3 tepals horizontal below, limbs 12–14 × 7–8 mm, flexed sharply downward at ± 45°, margins undulate. Stamens unilateral and arcuate; filaments 9–12 mm long, exserted 7–9 mm from tube; anthers parallel, 4–6 mm long, white; pollen white. Style arching over stamens, dividing between base and middle of anthers; branches 4–5 mm long, forked for slightly more than 1/2 their length, recurved. Capsules ovoid, 6–7 mm long, with auricular lobes above locules. Seeds globose, ± 1.2 mm diam., flattened at chalazal end, smooth, brown. Chromosome number 2n = 16. Flowering time: mid August to mid September.
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