Watsonia vanderspuyae

Watsonia vanderspuyae is a robust, cormous perennial reaching heights ranging from 1 m to 2 m.

The sword-shaped leaves form a fan well below the inflorescence. The leaves are comparatively short and broad, tapering to acutely pointed tips. The tough-textured leaf has a prominent midrib and thickened margins. Leaf colour is dull green, sometimes flushed red or purplish red.

The species distribution is from Vanrhynsdorp to Ceres and Piketberg in the Western Cape. The habitat is arid fynbos on rocky sandstone in mountainous areas receiving winter rain. The photo was taken in the Gifberg. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).