Habranthus robustus Herb.

Habranthus robustus is a vivacious herbaceous plant, geophytic with bulb. It has simple alternate leaves, all emerging from the base and forming a small loose tuft. The lamina is sessile, linear, 15 to 35 cm long and 0.5 to 1.5 cm wide, with obtuse apex, entire margin, glabrous on both sides and murky green in color. The leaves usually develop after the flowers. The inflorescence consist of one or more large flowers atop a cylindrical, hollow and thick stem which is as long as the leaves. The two bracts form a spathe fused in a tube on the lower 2/3. The floral stalk is longer than the top of the bracts. The flowers are pink to pinkish white, with green tube. Perianth consists of 6 narrow lanceolate tepals, 4.5 to 7.5 cm long, fused in a very short tube at the base, then more or less spread. The stamens with yellow anthers are inserted in the throat of the floral tube and are of different lengths. The stigma of the pistil is trifid. The fruit is a globular trigonal capsule, with three loculus opening at maturing and releasing compressed black seeds.
 
General habit

Bulbous plant, forming a tuft of linear leaves, 15 to 35 cm high.
 
Underground system

The underground system constitutes of a bulb at the base, from which fibrous roots are developed.
 
Stem

This plant has no aerial stem.
 
Leaf

The leaves are simple, alternate, growing in clumps from the bulb. The blade is sessile, 15 to 35 cm long and 0.5 to 1.5 cm wide. The apex is obtuse to subacute, margin is entire. Both sides are smooth, glabrous and waxy, glaucous green in color, covered with fine parallel veins.
 
Inflorescence

The inflorescence is supported by a cylindrical and hollow peduncle, thick, smooth and glabrous, as long as the leaves. At the top is 1 to 3 flowers. The two bracts form a papery spathe, 4 to 5 cm long, murky green in colour, fused in tube on the lower 2/3 and terminating in narrow lobes.
 
Flower

The flowersare held by a hollow cylindrical pedicel, 5 to 8 cm long and are slightly bent. The perianth is slightly asymmetric, with 6 lanceolate oblong tepals, fused in a short tube (5 mm) at the base then free or more or less spread, 4.5 to 7.5 cm long and 1.2 to 3 cm wide. The inner tepals are wider than the outer tepals. The base is attenuated, and the top is rounded or in more or less acute corner. The tepals are pink to white, streaked in pink, with green tube. The 6 stamens, with linear long yellow anthers, have free filaments of different lengths. The pistil ends in a trifid stigma.
 
Fruit

The fruit is a globular trigonal capsule with three brownish loculus. At maturity, it opens in three fully expanded loculus, containing several seeds.
 
Seed

The seeds are compressed, black in color.