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Description:
Plants 45–50 cm high; corm probably globose, ca. 15 mm in diam., tunics of dark brown, fairly fine, netted fibers; stem branched, enclosed by leaf sheaths to the base of the spike. Leaves 5 or 6, the lower 2 with well developed sublinear blades about as long as the stem, 2–6 mm wide in the middle, the margins and central vein heavily thickened and 2 or 3 secondary veins present between them, hyaline when dry, upper 3 or 4 leaves largely to entirely sheathing, the sheaths with membranous or dry, light brown margins. Spike secund, with 10 to 15 flowers, slightly flexuose; bracts soft-textured, pale green, becoming dry and light brown in the upper half, the outer ovate, (9–)10–12 mm, the inner 1–2 mm shorter, rounded apically or notched at the tip. Flowers pale blue-lilac, the tepals marked dark red in the midline; perianth tube obliquely funnel-shaped, ca. 10 mm; tepals unequal, the dorsal largest, ca. 16 mm long, widest in the upper third, narrowed and claw-like in the lower third, arching forward over the stamens and style, upper lateral and lower tepals joined together for 2–3 mm forming a lower lip, ca. 10 mm, tapering below to a narrow grooved claw ca. 3 mm; filaments arching beneath the dorsal tepal, ca. 10 mm; anthers 4–5 mm, evidently purple. Ovary ovoid, ca. 3 mm long; style arching over the filaments, dividing between the base and middle of the anthers, the branches spreading, ca. 2 mm. Capsules and seeds unknown. Flowering time: March and April.
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