Tas. 6202. 
GLADIOLUS CooPeRI. 
Native of Natal and the Cape. 
Nat. Ord. Irntpacez.—Tribe GLADIOLEZ. 
Genus GLapIoLus, Linn, (Klatt in Linnea, vol. 32, p. 689). 
GLaDIoLus Cooperi; bulbo globoso membranaceo-tunicato, foliis ensiformibus 
glabris acuminatis subcoriaceis valide nervatis, radicalibus sesquipedali- 
bus, scapo robusto bipedali crebre bracteato, spica pedali laxe 8-12-flora, 
bracteis lanceolatis acuminatis, exterioribus 3-4 poll. longis, floribus arcuato- 
ascendentibus, tubo flavido anguste infundibulari 23-3 poll. longo, limbi 
rubro-lutei segmentis tribus superioribus sub conformibus obovato-spathu- 
latis acutis 1}-2 poll longis, tribus inferioribus multo minoribus lanceolatis 
acutis, genitalibus arcuatis perianthio triente brevioribus, 
When Mr. Thomas Cooper was travelling in South Africa 
on behalf of Mr. Wilson Saunders, he paid special attention 
to these ensiform-leaved Gladioli, of the group of which @. 
cardinalis and G. psittacinus are the familiar garden repre- 
sentatives. He discovered, or at any rate brought into 
notice in Europe, no less than three very striking new species, 
of all of which bulbs were sent home and duly and success- 
fully cultivated at Reigate, so that they all are now esta- 
blished as inhabitants of our gardens, enlarging materially 
the groundwork upon which hybridisers can carry forward 
their experiments. Of these we have already figured G. 
Saunders, Tab. 5873, and G. dracocephalus, Tab. 5884, and 
this is the third. It has now been spread about in gardens 
for several years, but has never been botanically named or 
described. The plate was drawn from a specimen that 
flowered at Kew in September 1872. We have dried 
specimens in the Kew Herbarium from Natal, from Krauss 
and Gueinzius, and from Somerset, from Mrs. Barber. In 
the very decided inequality of the three upper as compared 
with the three lower perianth-lobes, it is most like G. 
_ psittacinus, Bot. Mag., Tab. 3032, from which it differs by its 
longer tube and spathe-valves, and decidedly acute perianth- 
lobes. 
DeceMBeER Ist, 1875, 
