Watsonia borbonica subsp. ardernei flowers

The flowers of Watsonia borbonica subsp. ardernei, the Cape bugle-lily, grow in two-sided spirally twisted spikes. The main spike may carry 20 flowers, its branches up to ten.

The flowers are stalkless, emerging from bracts that are often sticky within and not stem-clasping. The funnel-shaped corolla tube is between 2 cm and 4 cm long. Tepal shape is broadly elliptic with mucronate tips. Blooming happens late in spring, sometimes into summer (Bean and Johns, 2005; Manning, 2007; www.plantzafrica.com).