GLADIOLUS 



THE BULB BOOK 



GLADIOLUS 



dozen being borne on a spike a foot 

 long. (Sot. Mag. t. 6463.) 



G. brenchleyensis. This brilliant 

 scarlet Gladiolus was raised about 

 the year 1848, at Brenchley, by Mr 

 Hooker, and is practically a form of 

 G. gandavensis. It, however, retains 

 its character so well and is so unlike 

 the usual types of G. gandavensis, 

 which have the blood of more than 

 two species in them, that it may well 

 receive separate mention. The 

 flower - spikes, which appear before 

 those of G. gandavensis, are not 

 nearly so heavy, and support ithem- 

 selves naturally very well without 

 stakes. 



G. byzantinus. A native of Turkey 

 and Asia Minor, about 2 ft. high. 

 The beautiful red flowers are freely 

 produced in June and July, and are 

 often shaded with a tinge of purple 

 or reddish-violet. It flourishes in 

 any well-drained garden soil. (Hot. 

 Mag. t. 874.) 



G. cardinalis. A fine but rather 

 tender species, 3 to 4 ft. high, with 

 large scarlet blooms in July and 

 August, the three lower segments 

 having a large white blotch in the 

 centre (Bot. Mag. t. 135; Red. Lil. 

 t. 122 ; Garden, 1885, ii. 520). 



G. carmineus. This somewhat 

 tender species grows about l ft. 

 high, and has narrow tapering leaves 

 about 8 ins. long. The funnel-shaped 

 flowers are about 3 ins. across, 

 carmine, two of the inner perianth 

 lobes having a paler blotch at the 

 base with a darker border. (Bot. 

 Mag. t. 8068.) 



G. Chlldsi. A vigorous - growing 

 hybrid, raised in 1882 by Herr Max 

 Leichtlin of Baden-Baden, by crossing 

 the best forms of another hybrid, G. 

 gandavensis, with G. Saundersi. A 

 similar hybrid was raised in Zurich 

 by Herr Froebel, under the name of 

 turicensis, which has never become 



established. Max Leichtlin's hybrid 

 (at first called LeidMini after him- 

 self), found its way to America, and 

 in due course came into the hands of 

 John Lewis Childs, who rechristened 

 it under the now accepted name 

 of Childsi. The plants attain a 

 height of 4 to 5 ft., and produce 

 branching flower-stems often over 2 

 ft. long. The individual blossoms 

 are 6 to 9 ins. across, the petals 

 being of great substance, and shaded 

 with various colours such as purple, 

 scarlet, blue-grey, salmon, crimson, 

 blush, rose, pink, yellow, etc., often 

 beautifully blotched, speckled, and 

 mottled in the throat. As there are 

 almost innumerable variations, it is 

 unnecessary to give a list of names, 

 and the reader is advised to consult 

 current catalogues. 



G. Colvillei. A popular hybrid 

 between G. cardinalis and G. tristis. 



Fio. 168. Gladiolus Colvillei. 



It grows about 2 ft. high, and has 

 showy crimson -purple flowers flaked 

 with white. There are two fine 



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