Tas. 8626. 
GLADIOLUS MEeEttert. 
Tropical Africa. 
Intpacgak. Tribe Ixrgak. 
Guapiouvus, Linn.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. iii. p. 709. 
Gladiolus Melleri, Baker in Journ. Bot. 1876, p. 334; Rolfe in Oates, 
Matabele Land, ed. 2, p. 409; Baker, Handb, Irid, p. 212, et in Dyer, Fl.” 
Trop. Afr. vol. vii. p. 362; Rendle in Trans, Linn. Bon, ser. 2, Bot. vol. iv. 
p. 49; species G. Buchanani, Baker, affinis; foliis rigidioribus staminibusque 
quam perianthii segmenta superiora distincte brevioribus differt. 
Herba. Cormus depresso-globosus, 2 cm. diametro. Folia pauca, linearia, 
acuta, rigida, valde costata, 30 cm. longa, 1°4 cm. lata, glabra. Sca 
65 cm. altus, gracilis, rigidus; flores inter se 3 cm. distantes; spathae 
valvae oblongo-lanceolatae, acuminatae, rubro-tinctae, exterior 4 cm. longa, 
7 mm. lata, interior 1°5 em. longa. Perianthiwm rubrum; tubus 2 cm. 
longus, anguste infundibuliformis, leviter curvatus; limbus obliquus, tubo 
longior ; segmenta oblongo-cuneata, obtusa vel subacuta, superiora 4 cm. 
longa, 1:2 cm. lata, inferiora 2°5 cm. longa, } cm. lata. Stamina quam 
perianthium dimidio breviora; antherae oblongae, luteae. Stylus stamini- 
bus longior, ramis papillosis, 7 mm. longis. Capsula oblonga, obtusa, 
2 cm. longa, 8 mm. diametro, Semina obovata, compressa, 8 mm. longa, 
5 mm. lata, ala membranacea circumdata.—C. H. WRIGHT. 
The Gladiolus here depicted was discovered by Mr. C. J. 
Meller in 1861 on the Manganja Hills, Nyasaland, during 
the Zambesi Expedition led by Dr. Livingstone. Since 
then G. Melleri has been found to occupy a considerable 
area in Eastern Tropical Africa, for it has been collected 
at various localities in British Central Africa, in Portuguese 
East Africa, in the Matabele country and in Mashonaland. 
The plant which has formed the subject of our plate 
flowered at Kew in October, 1913, the corm having been 
received in June from Mr. A. Hislop who had obtained 
it at Makoni Kop, Rusape, Rhodesia. The nearest ally 
of G. Melleri is G. Buchanani, Baker, another Nyasa- 
land species, in which, however, we find several well- 
developed leaves about as long as and produced along 
with the inflorescence, instead of only one rigid far- 
produced leaf with several much shorter sheathing leaves 
as in our plant. Grown in a greenhouse with other 
SepremMBer, 1915. 
