Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden, South Africa

Common name: rooipypie, waspypie

Family: Iridaceae (Iris)

Distribution: Western Cape

Habitat: Clay, sandstone or granite flats that are wet in the rainy winter season

IUCN Red list: Not evaluated

National red list: Critically Endangered

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

Comments: Watsonia humilis is a critically endangered geophyte from the Cape Floristic Region in South Africa. Less than 10% of its natural habitat remains intact and only one subpopulation with less than 50 mature plants are known of. Threats such as urban expansion and agricultural endeavours has led to this habitat loss, and further urban expansion, pollution and alien invasion continues this loss. Despite being critically endangered, this plant can be cultivated quite successfully under the right conditions. In its natural habitat, it often squeezes its corms between rocks, which protects it from being eaten by baboons.