Bulbous geophyte up to 60cm, bulb 10-15cm in diameter. Leaves appear after flowering, 4-8 tongue-shaped, semi-prostrate, 7-19cm wide, upper surface usually velvety. Flowers 20-40 in large spherical umbel, bright to light red, lobes turning back in the upper half, on long red flower stalks; fruits are 3-winged and heavily ribbed. The umbels of fruiting heads dislodge themselves from the plant and roll about in the wind, scattering the seeds as they rotate.

Common name 'Perdespookbossie', is probably derived from horses becoming "spooked' or frightened by the tumbling dried heads

After: Carl Wilhelm Ferdinand (1713-1780), Duke of Brunswick-Lunenburg..