Perennial herb 80-130 cm tall, dormant in spring. Leaves to 60 cm long, 10-40 mm wide. Spike straight with 3-10 flowers. Spathe closely sheathing, 3-6 cm long. Perianth yellow, orange or red with large yellow blotches on the 3 lower segments; tube 3.5-5 cm long; upper segments 3-5 cm long, lower segments much shorter; late summer to autumn. Anthers cream. Syn. G. psittacinus uf. Hook. f.; G. natalensis Hook. f.
S Africa to Arabia.
A pure yellow form, formerly called G. primulinus J.G. Baker, has been much used in hybridisation.
Source: (2005). Iridaceae. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5. Flowering plants. Monocotyledons. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.
The commonest cultivar; 1-2 m tall, flowers bright red with large yellow patches on lower 3 lobes. It is a pentaploid, multiplying by seed and stolons; autumn. Recorded as a garden escape in nsw.
