Botanical name

Watsonia borbonica

Family

Iridaceae

Common Name

Suurkanol
Watsonia borbonica
Watsonia borbonica
Watsonia borbonica
Watsonia borbonica
Watsonia borbonica
Watsonia borbonica

Description

Robust cormous geophyte up to 2m tall. Stems sturdy, usually several-branched, often lightly purple. Leaves firm, sword-shaped, glossy, apple-green in colour, 500-700mm long and 20-40mm wide. Flowers faintly scented, pink to purple, rarely white, flower tube widens conspicuously to the throat and bears wide lobes equal in length to the tube or flower; flowers emerge from bracts which are often sticky within but do not clasp the stem.

Capsules ovoid-oblong.

Latin: borbonia = of or from Reunion Island; -icus = indicates 'belonging to'; plant was mistakenly thought to originate from Reunion (Ille de Bourbon).

Habitat

Mainly rocky mountain slopes

Flower Date

October to January, flowering more profusely after fire