Skip to main content

Service Notice

The Western Australian Herbarium’s collections management system and census were set to read-only mode on 1 October 2025. Taxonomic updates published since this time are not being reflected in Florabase, herbarium collections, or Western Australia’s taxonomic names census (Nomos). Conservation listings displayed on Florabase may also be out of date. Please refer to DBCA’s Threatened species and communities webpage for the most recent Threatened and Priority Flora List, noting that recent taxonomic updates are similarly not included. Our database migration is moving to a staging phase. We thank you for your patience as we ensure the integrity of our biodiversity data, develop new workflows, and train staff to use the new systems. Please reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.

The notice period started at 12:00 pm on Wednesday, 1 October 2025 +08:00 and will end at 12:00 pm on Friday, 1 January 2027 +08:00.

Advanced Search

Watsonia versfeldii J.W.Mathews & L.Bolus

Reference
Ann.Bolus Herb. 3:139-140 (1922)
Conservation Code
Not threatened
Naturalised Status
Alien to Western Australia
Name Status
Current

Cormous, perennial, herb, 1-1.8 m high. Fl. white/pink, Sep to Nov. Brown clay loam, grey sand over clay, ironstone gravel,. Seasonally wet areas, hillslopes, road verges, vacant land.

Amanda Spooner, Descriptive Catalogue, 7 October 2002
Image

Distribution

IBRA Regions
Jarrah Forest, Swan Coastal Plain, Warren.
IBRA Subregions
Northern Jarrah Forest, Perth, Southern Jarrah Forest, Warren.
Local Government Areas (LGAs)
Augusta Margaret River, Chittering, Dardanup, Donnybrook-Balingup, Gosnells, Kalamunda, Manjimup, Victoria Park, Wandering.

Management Notes (for the Swan NRM Region)

General Biology. Growth form. Geophyte. Life form. Annually renewed corm, some dormancy between fire. Reproduction. Offsets, seed. Dispersal. Water, soil, wind. Time to first flowering. 2-3 years. Seedbank persistence. Medium, 1-5 years. Fire response. Generally survives fire. Prolific flowering and seed set follow summer fire.

Additional information. Origin. Southern Africa. History of use/introduction. Garden escape.

Suggested method of management and control. Wipe individual leaves with glyphosate 10% or spray dense infestations 2,2-DPA 10 g/L + Pulse®. Apply just as flower spikes emerge at corm exhaustion. Read the manufacturers' labels and material safety data sheets before using herbicides. For further information consult the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority to determine the status of permits for your situation or state.

Management Calendar

Calendar Type Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Comments
Dormant Y Y Y                 Y  
Active Growth       Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y    
Flowering                 Y Y Y    
Germination         Y Y Y            
Optimum Treatment                 Y        

Legend: Y = Yes, regularly, O = Occasionally, U = Uncertain, referred by others but not confirmed.

 

References

  • Brown, K. (2006) Control of Bulbil Watsonia (Watsonia meriana var. meriana) invading a Banksia Woodland: Effectiveness of 2,2-DPA and its impacts on native flora. Ecological Management and Restoration, 7 (1): 68-70.
  • Brown, K. & Bourke, C. (2014) Wild Native Rose: Untangling the causes of population decline. Australasian Plant Conservation: Journal of the Australian Network for Plant Conservation, 23 (2): 9-11.
  • Brown, K. & Brooks, K. (2002) Bushland Weeds: A Practical Guide to their Management. Environmental Weeds Action Network, Greenwood.
  • Brown, K. & Paczkowska, G. (2013) Plant communities of seasonal clay-based wetlands of south-west Australia: weeds, fire and regeneration. Ecological Management & Restoration, URL: http://site.emrprojectsummaries.org (EMR Project Summaries).
  • Brown, K., Paczkowska, G., Huston, B. & Withnell, N. (2008) Managing Watsonia invasion in the threatened plant communities of south-west Australia’s clay-based wetlands. Australasian Plant Conservation: Journal of the Australian Network for Plant Conservation, 17 (1): 8-10.
  • Du Plessis, N. & Duncan G. (1989) Bulbous plants of Southern Africa. Tafelberg Publishers Ltd, Cape Town, South Africa.
  • Goldblatt, P. (1989) The genus Watsonia. A systematic monograph. Annals of Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens, 19.
  • Hussey, B.M.J., Keighery, G.J., Dodd, J., Lloyd, S.G. & Cousens, R.D. (2007) Western Weeds. A guide to the weeds of Western Australia. 2nd Edition. The Plant Protection Society of Western Australia, Victoria Park.
  • Manning, J., Goldblatt, P. & Snijman, D. (2002) The color encyclopedia of Cape bulbs. Timber Press (Inc.), Portland, USA.