Plants solitary at first, dividing and becoming branched. The rosettes are pendent, up to 150 mm in diameter, 250 mm long, characteristically curving upwards at the branch ends. Stems pendent, up to 700 × 15 mm, characteristically orange-brown when cut, covered with persistent leaf bases, weathering to form a fibrous network; basal part often becoming hairless (glabrous), grey-brown, smooth, with aerial roots. Roots grey-brown, fleshy, rounded, about 1.5–2.0 mm in diameter. The leaves, 6–10 per rosette, ascending to ascending-spreading, linear-lanceolate, 70–170 × 12–18 mm, ending in a sharp but soft point. The upper surface is flat and rounded below, becoming channelled during drought, soft-textured, pale green, smooth, with faint lines; the margin entire.

The inflorescence is 110–350 mm long, sparsely flowered, bearing 20–30 flowers in upper third, the raceme up to 100–153 mm long. The stalk of the inflorescence up to 5 mm in diameter at base, biconvex, green; the bracts triangular, up to 3 × 0.5 mm, drawn to a sharp point, clasping the stem. The flower stalks 8–10 mm long. The flowers (perianth) are star-shaped (stellate), about 13 mm in diameter. The floral segments (tepals) bright yellow with a greenish yellow central stripe, the tips rounded to notched (emarginate). The outer segments (tepals) narrowly oblanceolate, up to 7–9 × 1.5–2.0 mm, inner tepals elliptic to elliptic-oblanceolate, up to 7–8 × 2.5–3.0 mm. The stamens (male parts) up to 7 mm long, bearded in central part, with hairs 1–2 mm long. The ovary (female portion), obovoid, up to 1 mm in diameter; the style erect, up to 4.5 mm long. The fruiting capsule obovate, up to 3.0 × 2.5 mm, ascending. Seeds 3.0 × 1.5 mm, black.

Flowering time is in winter, spring and early summer, from August to November.

Fig. 2. Bulbine suurbergensis as drawn by botanical artist Vicki Thomas.