Watsonia marginata Ker Gawl.

Plants 700-2000 mm high. Corm subglobose, 20-50 mm diam.; tunics coarsely netted. Stem erect or inclined, simple or with several short, ascending branches. Leaves 3 or 4, lower 2 basal, others sheathing stem below or entirely, lanceolate to linear, (20-)30-50 mm wide, glaucous, midrib moderately and margins heavily thickened and yellowish hyaline or becoming purple; bract-like cauline leaves 1 or more. Spike 10-to 20-flowered; bracts entirely dry and pale straw-coloured, or green or reddish below, attenuate, becoming lacerate, 10-18 mm long, inner usually 1-2 mm longer, barely forked apically. Flowers actinomorphic, rotate with upper part of tube flexed outward, usually pale pink or mauve (rarely magenta or white), each tepal with white streak at base edged in darker colour; perianth tube funnel-shaped, lower part 7-9(-12) long, included or shortly emerging from bracts, upper part flaring and ± horizontal, 6-7 mm long, 4-5 mm diam. at mouth; tepals spreading, obovate, (14-)20-22 x (7-)11-13 mm, with short peg-like callus at base. Filaments ± 10 mm long, contiguous below and surrounding style, diverging above; anthers 7-9 mm long, incurved apically, yellow or bluish. Style erect, usually dividing shortly below to opposite middle of anthers, branches 4-5 mm long. Capsules subglobose, up to 8 mm long. Seeds angular and prominently ridged, more so distally, 4-6 x 2 mm.

Recorded growing in disturbed areas, in woodland, heath and weedy areas, on a wet flat, creek bank, in a church yard and cemetery, along roadsides, track edges and a railway line.

Cultivated ornamental.