Cormous geophyte up to 35cm with a wiry kinked stem. Leaves linear, margins and midrib slightly thickened, 1-3.5mm wide. Spike of 2-8 very short-tubed flowers, salmon to pale-orange, faintly scented.

The flower is more like an Ixia and very atypical of the Gladiolus genus. No nectar is produced but bees collect the yellow pollen.