Tufted, perennial herb up to 70 cm tall, with short rhizome up to 1.5 cm × 1.5 cm. Leaves in a rosette, simple, erect to spreading, without stipules and petiole, terete or slightly flattened, up to 55 cm × 4 mm, fleshy, at base extending into a tubular sheath, old leaf bases persistent. Inflorescence a terminal raceme 3–18 cm long; peduncle up to 65 cm long; bracts 5–20 mm long, with a sharp point, persistent. Flowers bisexual, regular, 3-merous; pedicel c. 3 mm long at apex of inflorescence, c. 20 mm at basis of inflorescence; tepals 6, oblong, c. 6 mm × 2 mm, 1-veined, yellow; stamens 6, 3–4 mm long, densely bearded in upper third; ovary superior, 3-celled, style terete, stigma head-shaped. Fruit a globose to obovoid capsule c. 5 mm long, dehiscing loculicidally, brown to black, many-seeded. Seeds pyramidal, c. 3 mm in diameter, grey-black.

Antiseptic and disinfectant (leaf sap)

PROTAbase: Bulbine abyssinica
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The fresh leaf sap is applied to the skin to cure ringworm and rash. The sap is applied to wounds as a disinfectant and to promote healing. The crushed leaves are used as a dressing for burns and leaf sap is applied to cracked lips. It is also used in traditional medicine to treat dysentery and bilharzia.