154 1RIDEZ (Baker). [ Gladiolus. 
broad; stem 11-2 ft. long including the inflorescence, simple ; 
flowers 6-8 in a lax spike } ft. long; spathe-valves boat-shaped, 
oblong-lanceolate, firm in texture, 14-2 in. long; perianth pinkish- 
white; tube curved, 1-1} in. long; segments obovate-spathulate, 
obtuse, 1-1 in. broad ; stamens reaching halfway up the limb. 
Coast Recion: Flats near Cape Town, MacOwan, 2553! Swellendam Div. ; 
Sparrbosch, under 1000 ft., Drége, 8427! Voormans Bosch, Pappe ! 
52. G. floribundus (Jacq. Ic. t. 254), corm globose; tunics of 
matted fibres; produced leaves 3-4, ensiform, 1-2 ft. long; stems 
1_2 ft. or more long including the inflorescence, branched when at 
all luxuriant ; flowers white with a pink tinge, 4-12 in a very lax. 
distichous spike, all ascending ; outer spathe-valve oblong-lanceolate, 
14-2 in. long; perianth-tube nearly straight, 13-2 in. long, funnel- 
shaped in the upper third; segments as long as the tube, obovate- 
spathulate, deltoid at the tip, the upper #-1 in. broad; stamens 
reaching } or 3-way up the limb. Ker in Bot. Mag. t. 610; Gen. 
Irid. 143; Baker, Handb. Irid. 218. G. grandiflorus, Andr. Bot. 
Rep. t. 118. 
Coast Reeion: Uitenhage Div.; near Van Stadens River, Bolus, 1633! 
MacOwan, 2062! near Uitenhage, Burchell, 4261. 
Searcely more than a variety of G. blandus, differing mainly from G. excelsus 
by its more obovate perianth-segments, 
53. G. oppositifiorus (Herb. in Bot. Reg. 1842, Mise. 86); corm 
large, globose ; tunics of matted fibres; produced basal leaves about 
4, ensiform, firm in texture, 1-1} ft. long, #-1 in. broad; stem 3-4 
ft. long including the inflorescence, often branched ; flowers up to 
30 or 40, arranged in a distichous spike often a foot long; spathe- 
valves green, lanceolate, acute, thin in texture, 1-14 in. long; 
perianth white ; tube curved, 1-1} in. long, slender up to the top; 
limb horizontal, 13 in. long, with oblong-spathulate acute segments 
not more than 4-3 in. broad at the middle; stamens half as long as 
the limb. Baker, Handb. Irid. 218; Bot. Mag. t. 7292. 
Eastern Recion: Transkei, MacOwan, 2254! Not uncommon about the Kei 
river, Flanagan. 
Said to ve a native of Madagascar, but not received thence in any of the recent 
collections. It is often wrongly called G. fortbundus in gardens. 
54. G. blandus (Ait. Hort. Kew i. 64); corm globose, middle- 
sized ; tunics of parallel strands of matted fibres; produced sub- 
basal leaves 4, ensiform, firm in texture, glabrous, the outer 3-1 ft. 
long, }-$ in. broad; stem 1-2 ft. long including inflorescence, 
sometimes branched ; flowers white with a tinge of red, 4-8 in a lax 
distichous spike, all ascending; outer spathe-valves green, lanceolate, 
14-2 in. long ; perianth-tube about 1} in. long, much dilated and 
curved at the top; limb rather longer than the tube, segments 
oblong-spathulate, narrowed toa point, the top one about $ in. and 
the others about } in. broad at the middle; stamens reaching more 
