Watsonia borbonica.
A naturalised species that is now a weed in some areas but not often seen in gardens.
It was one of the parents used to create many cultivars in the early 1900’s.
It is a deciduous, clumping plant growing from grey-brown corms up to 4 cm across.
Up to 9 sword-shaped leaves, up to 4 cm wide, form a basal fan.
The leaf edges are thickened and colourless.
Branched inflorescence spikes up to 2 m high hold the flowers above the leaves.
There are 2 bracts under each flower.
Flowers are a pale to deep pink, reddish or magenta.
There is also a white form.
The 6 tepal bases form a curved perianth tube with flaring lobes.
The lobes have a darker midline.
The stamens are unilateral and lie close together near the centre of the flower.
The anthers are purple.
The style is slightly longer then the stamens but lies within the perianth.
Its 3 branches each fork so there are 6 stigmas.
The fruit are hard oblong capsules.
There are no bulbils.
J.F.
