Watsonia meriana var. bulbillifera

Watsonia bulbillifera.<br>Photographer: John Smith-Dodsworth, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.

Flowering Watsonia bulbillifera.<br>Photographer: John Smith-Dodsworth, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.

Cormils. Wellsford.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 16/07/2006, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>

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Common name

bulbil watsonia

Family

Iridaceae

Authority

Watsonia meriana var. bulbillifera (J.W.Mathews & L.Bolus) D.A.Cooke

Flora category

Vascular – Exotic

Structural class

Herbs - Monocots

Conservation status

Not applicable

Features

Gladiolus-like, clump-forming, summer-green perennial to 2 m tall. Stout corms, 5-7 cm diam, with thick fibrous coat, multiply at ground level. Stem stiffly erect, 2 cm diam. Leaves sword-shaped, 2-5 x 30-60 cm, arising from base, folded, tough, fibrous, light green. Flowers curved, brick-red to salmon pink and 6-8cm long - numerous in a terminal spike. Petals 6, fused. Produces numerous brown cormils in clusters of up to 16 at nodes on the upper stem.

Similar taxa

Formerly known as Watsonia bulbillifera

Flower colours

Red/Pink

Life cycle

Seed is not produced. Corms and cormils are spread by machinery, and in dumped garden waste.

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