Leaves 50-120 cm long, 2-4 cm wide. Spike 100-180 cm tall with 10-20 flowers plus several branches; spring. Spathes 10-18 mm long, green at base, dry at tip. Perianth white to pink; upper tube 15-20 mm long, funnel-shaped, about 10 mm wide at mouth; segments obovate, obtuse, widely flared, 30-40 mm long, 15-20 mm wide. Stamens arched in centre of flower. Syn. W. pyramidata (Andrews) Klatt; W. rosea Ker Gawl.; W. obrienii (N.E. Br.) Tubergen.

SW Cape of Good Hope.

Several cultivars are hybrids of this species with W. meriana.

The subspecies borbonica has a shorter perianth tube and stamens lying below the style; it is rare in cultivation.

W. versfeldii J. Mathews &L. Bolus from the W Cape of Good Hope has leaves 70-120 cm long, 2.5-4.5 cm wide. Spike 100-190 cm tall with 12-24 flowers plus several branches; spring. Spathes 15-26 mm long, narrowly acute, dry and papery. Perianth mauve-pink or white; upper tube 22-28 mm long, narrowly funnel-shaped, drooping, 8-10 mm wide at mouth; segments oblong to lanceolate, apiculate, flared, 29-45 mm long, 11-17 mm wide. Stamens arched above the style. This species is very rare in cultivation; it was formerly confused with W. borbonica, and has contributed to some of the hybrid cultivars.

Source: Cooke, D. (2005). Iridaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5. Flowering plants. Monocotyledons. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.