LEAF 8-15 mm wide, to 1 m long, hairless, persisting through summer. STEM 60-100 cm tall, usually unbranched. FLOWERS pale yellow to golden yellow, scented; late spring. OUTER segments 4-7 cm long, reflexed, with deeper yellow signals. INNER segments erect, elliptic, 3-6 cm long. Style branches about 2 cm long. Syn. M. spathacea (Thunb.) Ker Gawl.

Eastern S Africa, extending to Zimbabwe.

M. bellendenii (Sweet) N.E. Br. from Coastal Cape has leaves 6-9 mm wide, hairless. Stem to 1 m long, arching, few-branched. Flowers 2, yellow; late spring. Outer segments ovate, 20-33 mm long, 14-18 mm wide, with dark-speckled hairy bases. Inner segments 8-10 mm long, brown, lateral lobes oblong, the inner slender, 4 mm long and curved obliquely inward. Style branches 6 mm long with triangular crests. Syn. M. pavonia var. lutea (Ker Gawl.) Baker.

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.