Lachenalia mutabilis inflorescence

The flowers of Lachenalia mutabilis, in Afrikaans known as the bontviooltjie (little multicoloured violin), are borne in a short or long, erect spike, its stem sturdy and fleshy.

The flower is stalkless or nearly so and urn-shaped or cylindrical. Flower colour is blue and white with yellow tips, or yellow-green. There are always a few smaller, sometimes sterile flowers at the top of the spike or raceme, lilac to bright purple or blue in colour. The anthers are hidden inside the flower tube or protruding only slightly. The flowers fade to brown. Flower length is about 1 cm.

Flowering happens late in winter and early in spring (Manning, 2009; Manning and Goldblatt, 1997).