Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden, South Africa

Common name: Suurkanolpypie, Two-colour cobra lily

Family: Iridaceae (Iris)

Distribution: Western Cape

Habitat: Sheltered ravines and open woodlands near streams

IUCN Red list: Not evaluated

National red list: Vulnerable

Life form: Geophyte (bulb, corm or tuber - seasonally dormant)

Comments: There are only three species in the genus Chasmanthe, of which this species is arguably the most ornamental. Its flowers are unmistakable: the upper tepals are orange while the lower tepals are green. Chasmanthe bicolor is a vulnerable endemic Cape bulb and has lost a lot of its habitat to crop cultivation, dam construction and alien invasion. It is distributed only from McGregor to Swellendam, where it occurs in sheltered ravines and open woodlands near streams. Despite being threatened in its natural habitat, this plant is a rewarding horticultural subject as it is easily propagated and grown. It flowers late winter to early spring.