Kniphofia laxiflora

Kniphofia laxiflora, commonly the slender poker and previously scientifically K. decaphlebia and K. natalensis respectively at different times, is a tufted perennial growing annually from a rhizome to heights around 1 m. The plant occurs solitary or in small groups. The grass-like leaves are up to 50 cm long and 1,2 cm wide.

The inflorescence is a loose raceme of nodding, tubular flowers in yellow, salmon and orange to nearly red. Flower colour may vary much in the same colony. Each short-stalked flower has a slight bulge followed by a constriction at the perianth base. The perianths are from 24 mm to 35 mm long, the stamens barely exserted. The floral bracts are broad and blunt-tipped or rounded. Flowering happens from late summer to autumn. 

The species distribution is in the northeast of the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and the far south of Mpumalanga, also in Lesotho. The photo was taken near the Sani Pass.

The habitat is moist, rocky grassland from coast to mountain. The plants sometimes prefer south-facing slopes, up to altitudes around 2450 m. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century.

The rhizomes are used in traditional medicine (Manning, 2009; Pooley, 1998; Trauseld, 1969; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).