Watsonia confusa Goldblatt

Plants 500-1500 mm high, growing singly or in small clumps. Corm subglobose, 30-50 mm diam.; tunics coarsely netted. Stem erect, simple. Leaves 3 or 4, lower 2 or 3 ± basal, usually reaching to base of spike or higher, lanceolate, (6-)15-25 mm wide, midrib and margins moderately to strongly thickened and hyaline, pale to glaucous green, upper leaf partly or entirely sheathing; bract-like cauline leaves 3 or more, overlapping and often slightly inflated. Spike 15-to 30-flowered, internodes (7-)9-12(-15) mm long; bracts initially herbaceous below but later dry and pale to medium brown, usually darker below, (18-)22-30(-35) mm long, clasping stem in lower 1/2-2/3, strongly overlapping, 2 or 3 internodes long, often apiculate to attenuate, inner shorter and concealed, deeply forked apically for 2 mm or more. Flowers zygomorphic, pink to purple, often with darker median streak in basal half of lower tepals; perianth tube with lower part 22-25 mm long, shortly exserted from bracts, upper part ascending to horizontal and funnel-shaped, 12-18 mm long, 6-8 mm diam. at mouth; tepals curving outward, lanceolate, (22-)25-32 x 8-11 mm. Filaments unilateral and arcuate, 10-12 mm long, reaching to mouth of tube; anthers 9-11 mm long, whitish to mauve. Style arching over stamens, dividing near anther apices, branches ± 6 mm long. Capsules narrowly ovoid, 8-10 mm long. Seeds elongate-angular, with rudimentary terminal wings, 4-5 x 2 mm.