Perennial herb from a bulb. Leaves 2, broadly linear, spotted with purple or dark green. Inflorescence a raceme to 30 cm, generally spotted. Flowers few to numerous, nodding, tubular, to 3.5 cm long; spring. Outer tepals much shorter, yellow to white or cream, basally red, swellings green; inner tepals yellow to green with red tips. Stamens as long as the inner tepals. Widely grown as a spring bulb in full sun to light shade.
Cape Province, South Africa
var. aurea Perianth bright orange yellow, outer tepals tipped lemon yellow to lime green.
var. quadricolor Inner tepals red basally, green-yellow in the middle and tipped green. Outer tepals tipped red.
Source: (2005). Lachenalia. 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.
Leaves dull green, not purple spotted. Outer tepals bright red in bud, bright golden yellow in flower, tipped green. Inner tepals greenish-yellow, tipped maroon.
Lachenalia aloides 'Pearsonii'
Leaves spotted reddish-brown. Outer tepals apricot, tipped green. Inner tepals apricot to gold and tipped red or maroon.