Watsonia galpinii L.Bolus

Plants 1200-2000 mm high. Corm depressed-globose, 20-30 mm diam.; tunics coarsely netted. Stem slender, erect to inclined, usually with 1 or 2 short, suberect branches. Leaves 5 to 7, ± basal but upper partly sheathing stem, much shorter than spike, lanceolate, up to 300 mm long, 16-30 mm wide, midrib and margins narrowly hyaline but not noticeably thickened; bract-like cauline leaves 1 or more, tightly sheathing. Spike moderately densely 30-to 40-flowered; bracts green below, dry and brownish apically, 6-12 mm long, inner slightly shorter to slightly longer, acute. Flowers zygomorphic, reddish orange or sometimes mauve-pink; perianth tube with lower part 10-13 mm long, emerging 6-7 mm from bracts, upper part nearly horizontal, subcylindric to flared, 4-8 mm long, 5 mm diam. at mouth; tepals obovate, 15-20 mm long, outer 7-8 mm wide, inner ± 13 mm wide, all widely spreading. Filaments unilateral and arcuate, 12-15 mm long, exserted 7-10 mm from tube; anthers 7-9 mm long, yellow. Style arching over stamens, dividing near anther apices, branches ± 4 mm long. Capsules obovoid, 10-12 mm long. Seeds elongate-angular to shortly winged with flattened distal ridge, 4-5 mm long.