Watsonia knysnana L.Bolus

Plants (500-)1200-1600 mm high. Corm depressed-globose, 35-70 mm diam.; tunics coarsely netted. Stem usually simple, or with 1 to 3 branches. Leaves 3 to several, lower ± basal but uppermost partly sheathing stem, ± half as long as spike, lanceolate, 8-24 mm wide, midrib and margins lightly to moderately thickened and hyaline; bract-like cauline leaves 2 or more, long and tightly sheathing. Spike 10-to 30-flowered; bracts green below, drying above and reddish to brown, (12-)14-20(-24) mm long, inner 2/3 to ± as long, acute to bifid for 1 mm. Flowers zygomorphic, pale pink to purple or rarely scarlet, sometimes faintly scented; perianth tube with lower part 12-20 mm long, usually exserted 2.5 mm from bracts, upper part ascending to nearly horizontal, subcylindric, 17-20(-24) mm long, ± 6 mm diam. at mouth; tepals obovate, 19-22(-25) x 8-12(-15) mm, widely spreading. Filaments unilateral, arcuate, 16-28 mm long, usually well exserted from tube; anthers 7-11 mm long, violet. Style dividing near middle of anthers, branches 5-6 mm long. Capsules narrowly obovoid, 12-15 mm long. Seeds elongate, 8-10 mm long, unequally winged.

Recorded growing in loam over clay or granitic soils, in grassland, open woodland, edges of drains and near granite outcrops.