Iphigenia stellata - Star Grass Lily

Star Grass Lily is a perennial herb, upto 13 cm tall. Corms are ovate or nearly-spherical varying in size, narrowing to a short neck. Stem is rigid to floppy. Leaves are alternate, 4-6, similar to grass blades, stalkless, 8-14 x 0.4-1.0 cm, the lower larger and upper smaller, iinear or linear-lanceshaped, tip pointed. Flowers are bright pink to pinkish mauve, creamy white in bud, generally 2-4, sometimes 4-6 in a short branch-end raceme. Bracts are leafy, smaller. Flower-stalks are 2.5-4.0 cm long, reaching 5.5 cm in fruit. Tepals are 6, broadly elliptic or elliptic-ovate, pointed or tapering, 6-10 x 3-4 mm, spreading and rising up, 7-9 nervd. Stamens are 3.5-4.0 mrn long; anther nearly-spherical, 1.25 x 1.0 mm, purple, pollen yellow ; filaments 3 mm long, straight, light pinkish, tapering towards the tip. Capsules are 8-12 mm long, obovate or nearly spherical. Star Grass Lily is commonly found in Western Ghats.