Watsonia fourcadei flower

The Watsonia fourcadei inflorescence is a long, spirally twisted and two-sided spike. The floral bracts are short and leathery, the inner one deeply forked at the tip.

The long, narrow flower tube is down-curved, widening at the mouth where the six pointed tepal tips form a trumpet-shape. The tube is about 45 mm long, the corolla mouth about 50 mm wide. Flower colour is pink, purple, red or orange, including some pale shades on corolla parts. The filaments in picture are pinkish, the oblong anthers dark grey. The longer style is white, forking above and in front of the anthers.

Flowering happens from late spring to after midsummer, often better after fire. The photo was taken in October (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Manning, 2007; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist).