Noltie in The New Plantsman, vol. 2, part 3, pages 131-140. illustrated in color.
Noltie describes it as "Clump-forming (7-11 flowers per clump open per day). Rootstock a minute growing point, producing a fascicle of swollen, tuberous roots. Shoots tufted, subtended at base by dense fibrous remains of old leaves; vegetative shoots (fans) 3-4 leaved. Leaves; immature at flowering, longest to 25 x 1 cm at maturity, the outer curved, apex finely acuminate, slightly curved, both faces dull, very stiff, 2 veins thickened on one face, one thickened on other, so slightly W-shaped in section. Inflorescence stemless, or on a short stem to 4 cm, 2-4 flowered. Spathe valves lanceolate, acute, sharply keeled, longest to 2-6 cm, tightly appressed, concealing ovary and lower part of tube, green, margins narrowly hyaline. Flowers lasting up to 6 hours (about 10 am to 4 pm), 3-7 cm diameter, ground colour dark violet (HCC 85A-86A). Perianth tube slender, 3-10 cm, pale green. Falls central crest reaching 1/3 way down blade, white at apex, densely fimbriate, hairs dark golden yellow, to 2 mm, not swollen at apex; blade 1,5-2,7 x 1-1,5 cm, held horizontally, oblong, blunt, dark violet with white streaks radiating from crest; claw 1,5-2,5 cm, oblong, concave, marked with oblique white streaks. Standards; spreading horizontally, same colour as falls, unmarked or with white streaks near base of blade, blade 1,5-2,5 x 0,7-1,3 cm, oblong-elliptic, plus or minus blunt to retuse; claw 1,2-2,4 cm. Style branches arching, oblong, 2-2,5 cm; style lobes erect, 1,1-1,6 x 0,6-0,7 cm, half-lanceolate, acuminate, margins irregularly serrate; free part of stigma narrow, blunt, 2-lobed. Capsule 2-2,5 cm, sharply trigonous, faces concave, narrowly elliptic, tapered to base and apex, apiculate; immature seeds 3,5 mm with apical white aril about 2**** |