GLADIOLUS 



THE BULB BOOK 



GLADIOLUS 



smooth, strongly ribbed. Flowers 

 white, flushed with red on the out- 

 side. (Bot. Reg. t. 1016.) G. Brit- 

 teniana, with pure white flowers, may 

 be an extreme form of this species. 



Q-. ciliaris. Bulbs 1J ins. through, 

 with cylindrical necks sometimes 4 

 to 5 ins. long. Leaves linear, spir- 

 ally twisted, conspicuously ciliated. 

 Flowers whitish. (Jacq. Hort. Schoen. 

 i. 41, t. 79.) 



G. lanceolata. This has been 

 referred to Apodolirion lanceolatum, 

 by Mr J. G. Baker. It has small 

 round bulbs, with necks 1 to 1J ins. 

 long, and solitary lance-shaped leaves 

 borne at the same time as the whitish 

 flowers. 



G. spiralls. The round bulbs are 

 1 to 1 % ins. in diameter, with necks 

 1 to 2 ins. long. Leaves more or less 

 oval-shaped, spirally twisted, smooth. 

 Flowers appear in December, white, 

 tinged with red outside. G. rosea is 

 a red - tinted form with smaller 

 flowers. (Bot. Mag. t. 1088.) 



G. villosa. Bulbs small, ovoid, 

 with necks 1 to 1^ ins. long. 

 Leaves linear, densely covered with 

 stiff hairs. Flowers with hairy tube, 

 white, tinged with pink outside. 



GLADIOLUS (gladius, a sword ; 

 referring to the shape of the leaves), 

 CORN FLAG. Nat. Ord. Irideae. A 

 genus containing about 140 species 

 of beautiful herbaceous plants having 

 fibrous - coated corms, sword - like 

 plaited leaves, and tall spikes of 

 incurved or obliquely funnel-shaped 

 flowers, all turned one way. The 

 three upper segments of the perianth 

 are usually larger than the three 

 lower ones, but the latter are often 

 beautifully spotted and blotched with 

 distinct colours. Stamens three, 

 with free filaments. 



With the exception of the European 

 G. byzantinus and G. communis, most 



of the species described below are 

 natives of S. Africa, extending from 

 Cape Colony to the Transvaal, Natal, 

 and the Zanzibar region. In point 

 of beauty the natural species cannot 

 compare with such fine garden races 

 of Gladioli as brenchleyensis, Childsi, 

 Colvillei, gandavensis, Lemoinei, Nan- 

 ceianus, and nanus, but it must be 

 remembered that their blood has 

 been utilised by the hybridist to 

 develop such fine plants. The follow- 

 ing are the most important natural 

 species and hybrid groups of Gladioli 

 to be met with in cultivation. 



G. Adlaml. This species from the 

 Transvaal grows H to 3 ft. high, and 

 has greenish - yellow flowers, finely 

 dotted with red, about half a dozen 

 blossoms to each spike (Gard. Chron. 

 1889, i. 233). 



G. alatus. A dwarf species with 

 crowded linear leaves 6 to 12 ins. 

 long, and bright red flowers (Bot. 

 Mag. t. 586). 



G. angustus. This species grows 

 from 1 to li ft. high, having narrow 

 leaves, and bearing white narrowly 

 funnel-shaped flowers having a purple 

 blotch on the lower segments (Bot. 

 Mag. t. 602 ; Jacq. Ic. t. 252). 



G. armeniacus. A handsome 

 dwarf - growing Armenian species, 

 with numerous small deep purplish 

 flowers in July. 



G. blandus. A fine species li to 

 2 ft. high, with large white flowers 

 in June, having red markings and a 

 yellow tube. There is a white form 

 called albidus, and another pale 

 purple, campamdatus. (Bot. Mag. tt. 

 625, 648, 1665.) The variety Mor- 

 tonius has suberect white flowers 

 streaked with pink (Bot. Mag. t. 

 3680.) 



G. brachyandrus. A native of 

 Tropical Africa, about 2 ft. high, 

 which flowers in July. The blooms 

 are bright clear scarlet, about a 



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