Leaf 3-5 mm wide, finely hairy. Stem 30-60 cm tall, finely hairy, usually unbranched. Flowers 5-8 cm wide, pale to deep orange, the narrowed bases speckled deep blue. Outer segments 22-40 mm long, horizontal, ovate, 12-18 mm wide with navy blue signals; inner segments narrowly lance-shaped. Style branches 5-8 mm long, crests 1-2 mm long, broadly triangular, hidden by the anthers. Syn. M. pavonia (L. f.) Ker Gawl.

W Cape lowlands.

M. villosa (Ker Gawl.) Ker Gawl. has purple flowers with yellow signals. M. atropunctata Goldblatt from the SW Cape has leaves 4-8 mm wide with hairy edges. Stem 15-20 cm tall, usually unbranched. Flowers 2-3, cream; early spring. Outer segments 20-24 mm long, 17-25 mm wide, horizontal, with yellow signals, red brown on the reverse, densely spotted dark brown at the base. Inner segments 9-15 mm long, 3 lobed, acute, lateral lobes short, obtuse, yellow, speckled brown, and darker below. Style branches 5 mm long, crests to 4 mm long.

Source: Cooke, D. (2005). Iridaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5. Flowering plants. Monocotyledons. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.