Cyrtanthus obliquus has a large, fleshy, onion-like bulb. The leaves are twisted, strap-like and deciduous. The leafless flower stem or scape is strong, hollow and erect, reaching about 60 cm in height.

The flowers are pendulous and funnel-shaped on bent pedicels. They are red or orange-red in colour, rarely yellow. The corolla is yellow close to the tip, green right on the edge. Blooming happens in spring and summer, although the season may extend into autumn (Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; Gledhill, 1981; www.plantzafrica.com).