Watsonia borbonica (Pourr.) Goldblatt

Plants 1200-2000 mm high. Corm depressed-globose, 30-50 mm diam.; tunics coarsely netted. Stem erect or inclined below, usually with several short, ascending branches. Leaves 5 to 8, mostly basal, upper basal leaf sheathing stem below or entirely, 1/3-2/3 as long as spike, lanceolate to linear, 20-40 mm wide, bright apple-green, midrib lightly and margins lightly to moderately thickened; bract-like cauline leaves 2 or more, overlapping. Spike up to 20-flowered; bracts green below and dry and brownish above or entirely, often ± sticky, 10-18 mm long, inner ± as long or 2-3 mm shorter, acute or forked apically for 1-2 mm. Flowers zygomorphic, pale to deep pink or pale purple, darker in midline of lower 3 or all tepals and with white streak at base, rarely entirely white, faintly scented; perianth tube funnel-shaped, lower part 12-15(-20) long, emerging 3-8 mm from bracts, upper part flaring, ± horizontal to slightly pendulous, 8-20 mm long, 7-10 mm diam. at mouth; tepals spreading, oblanceolate to obovate, (26-)30-36 x 13-18 mm. Filaments unilateral, either arcuate-horizontal and somewhat spreading or decumbent, 13-18(-25) mm long; anthers 10-13 mm long, purple (yellowish when flowers white). Style arching above or below stamens, dividing at or below anther apices, branches up to 7 mm long. Capsules ovoid to obovoid-truncate, 20-25(-30) x 7-10 mm. Seeds unequally 2-winged, 8-12 mm long, distal wing 2-3 mm long, proximal smaller or vestigial.

Recorded growing in damp, disturbed areas, on riverbanks, lake edges, roadsides and in dry sclerophyll forest.

Can be grown by divisions or seedlings.