Watsonia hysterantha Mathews & L.Bolus

Plants 500-800 mm high. Corm subglobose, 40-55 mm diam.; tunics coarsely netted. Stem simple. Leaves 3 or 4, basal, dry and withered at flowering, ± as long as spike, linear, 4-10 mm wide, midrib and margins lightly thickened; bract-like cauline leaves several, sheathing, dry at flowering. Spike laxly up to 10-flowered; bracts herbaceous and green, becoming dry and brownish apically, attenuate, 15-24 mm long, inner ± 2/3 to as long, deeply forked ± halfway. Flowers zygomorphic, red; perianth tube with lower part 14-20 mm long, exserted 5-7 mm from bracts, upper part horizontal, subcylindric, ± 25 mm long, ± 6 mm diam. at mouth; tepals oblanceolate, 25-30 x 8-12 mm, all widely spreading or dorsal hooded. Filaments unilateral, arcuate, 30-35 mm long, well exserted from tube; anthers 9-12 mm long, violet. Style dividing near middle of anthers, branches 6-7 mm long. Capsules narrowly obovoid, (18-)25-30 x 10-15 mm. Seeds 8-10 x 4-5 mm, with broad distal wing.