|
Description:
Plants 500–600 mm high, with green cataphylls. Corm 18–22 mm diam.; tunics membranous or breaking into vertical fibers. Leaves 3, only the lowermost basal, this longest, upper 2 leaves inserted above ground level and shorter than basal, blades narrowly lanceolate to linear, initially short and none reaching spike base, at end of flowering often longer and basal leaf sometimes as long as spike, margins and main veins thickened. Stem erect, unbranched, 2–3 mm in diameter at spike base. Spike 5- to 9-flowered, straight and erect; bracts initially green, sometimes becoming membranous and dry above, 20–27(–40) mm long, inner only slightly shorter than outer. Flowers white, usually pink in midline of upper lateral tepals and flushed pink on fading, lower lateral tepals each with a yellow median streak outlined distally in light pink to purple; perianth tube 18–20 mm long, expanded in upper 5 mm; tepals unequal, dorsal longest and arched over stamens, broadly lanceolate, c. 22 x 15 mm, upper laterals slightly smaller, lower 3 tepals c. 24 mm long, lower laterals 6–7 mm wide, lower median c. 10 mm wide. Filaments c. 14 mm long, exserted 4–5 mm from tube; anthers 8–10 mm long, yellow. Ovary c. 4 mm long; style dividing just beyond anther apices, branches extending well past anthers, 3–4 mm long. Capsules and seeds unknown. Flowering time May and early June.
|