70 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Gladiolus continued. 



Except where otherwise stated, the species enumerated 



below are natives of the Cape of Good Hope. 



G. blandus (fair).* /. white, with red markings, large; tube 

 yellow, shorter than the spathe. June. 1. ensiform, nerved. 

 Stem 6in. to 2ft. high, three to ten-flowered. 1774. (B. M. 625.) 



G. b. campanulatus (bell-shaped). A large and strong variety, 

 with whitish-purple flowers. (B. M. 645.) 



G. brachyandrns (short-stamened).* ft., perianth bright pale 

 scarlet, 2m. to 2iin. long ; tube iin. long ; segments oblong, acute ; 

 spike nearly 1ft. long, eight to ten-flowered. July. I. four or five, 

 near the base of the stem, strongly ribbed and margined, not 

 more than Sin. long, about iin. broad, h. 2ft. Tropical 

 Africa, 1879. (B. M. 6463.) 



G. byzantinns (Byzantine).* /!. red ; corolla adscendent, nod- 

 ding ; spikes many-flowered. ' June. I. narrow, deep green. 

 h. 2ft. Turkey, 1629. (B. M. 874.) 



FIG. 109. GLADIOLUS CARDINALIS, showing Habit and detached 

 Single Flower. 



G. cardinalis (cardinal).* fl. fine scarlet ; corolla with large 

 white rhomboidal spots, erect; limb campanulate. July and 

 August. I. ensiform, many-nerved. Stem 3ft. to 4ft. high. 1789. 

 See Fig. 109. (B. M. 135.) 



G. ColviUel (Colville's).* fl., perianth tubular; limb bright 

 red, with pale purple markings, spreading. July. I. linearly- 

 ensiform, acute, strongly nerved in the middle on both sides. 

 Stem slightly flexuose, lift, high, leafy, slightly angular, glau- 

 cous. A garden hybrid between G. cardinalis and 6. tristis. 

 (S. B. F. G. 155.) 



G. C. alba (white) is a charming white-flowered form ; it is very 

 largely cultivated for decorative purposes by some of the plant 

 growers who supply Covent Garden under the name of The 



G. communis (common), fl. bright rose, sometimes white; 

 tube short ; upper segments approaching, larger than the lower 

 ones, the three internal ones almost equal ; spike unilateral, six 

 to eight-flowered. Summer, h. lift, to 2ft. South Europe, 

 1596. (B. M. 86 and 1575.) 



G. Cooper! (Cooper's), fl., perianth tube yellowish-green, funnel- 

 shaped ; limb yellow, closely lined with purplish-red ; expanded 

 spike 1ft. long, eight to twelve-flowered. September. I. radical, 

 about six, erect, ensiform, glabrous, acuminate, 1ft. to lift, long, 

 Iin. broad, strongly ribbed, h. 2ft. 1862. (B. M. 6202.) 



G. cruentus (bloody).* /. brilliant scarlet, yellow-white and 

 speckled with red at base of limb, broadly campanulate, 4in. in 

 diameter ; two lower lateral segments of perianth marked with 

 white ; spike 6in. to lOin. long, dense-flowered. September. I. 

 1ft. to lift, long, linear-ensiform. h. 2ft. to 3ft. Natal, 1868. 

 (B. M. 5810.) 



G. cuspidatus (abruptly-pointed).* /. varying much in colour, 

 usually beautifully marked with purple and red in the lower 

 segments ; tube filiform, straight. May and June. I. ensiform, 

 generally shorter than the stem. Stem 2ft. to 3ft. high. 1795. 

 A magnificent plant. (B. M. 582.) 



G. C. ventricosus (swelling). A variety with reddish flowers, 

 which are not so upright, and with a shorter tube and less inflated 

 spathe than the type. May and June. (B. M. 591, under name of 

 G. carneus.) 



G. dracocephalus (dragon's head). /., perianth yellowish, 

 closely striated with dull red-purple, about 2in. long and 

 broad ; lower segments bright green, spotted purple ; spikes 

 erect, five to seven-flowered. August. I. 6in. to 12in. long, Iin. 

 to liin. broad, pale green. Stem 16in. to 18in. high, stout, terete. 

 1871. (B.M. 5&4.) 



G. floribundus (bundle-flowered).* fl. four to six, large and 

 upright ; limb segments varying from dirty-white with a broad 

 HvieT purple longitudinal fillet, to bright flesh-colour with a 



Gladiolus contiw tied. 



lively red fillet; anthers dark violet. May. I. strongly and 

 many-nerved. Stem about 1ft. high, flower-bearing nearly to its 

 basef 1788. (B. M. 610.) 



FIG. 110. HYBRIDS FROM GLADIOLUS OANDAVENSIS. 



G. gandavensis (Ghent), fl. rich crimson, marked with yellow. 

 Summer. According to Van Houtte, this is a hybrid between 

 G. psittacinus and G. cardinalis ; whilst Herbert believes it to 

 have originated between G. psittacinus and G. oppositiflorus. SYN. 

 G. gandiensis. See Fig. 110. (P. M. B. xi., p. 27.) 



G. gandiensis (Ghent). A synonym of G. gandavensis. 



G. gracilis (slender). /. white, variable, similar to those of 

 G. recurvus. March and April. I. thick and flat, with a deop 

 square groove on both sides. Stem 1ft. to 3ft. high. 1800. (B. M. 

 562.) 



G. grandis (large). fl. reddish-brown to whitish ; segments of 

 flower longer than the throat. May and June. I. linear-ensiform, 

 three-ribbed on each side. h. lift. 1794. (B. M. 1042, under 

 name of G. versicolor.) 



G. hastatus (halbert-shaped). fl. , perianth pinkish-white, reddish 

 on the outside, 2Jin. high. April and May. I. radical, h. 1ft. 

 1816. This species is nearly allied to G. blandus. (B. M. 1564.) 



G. Papilio (butterfly-flowered).* fl. very pale purple, marked with 

 rich dark purple and golden-yellow ; spike slender, 1ft. or more 

 long. I. narrow-ensiform, 2ft. to 3ft. long ; apex acuminate. 

 h. 3ft. 1866. (B. M. 5565.) 



G. plicatus (folded). A synonym of Babiana stricta sulphurca. 



FIG. 111. GLADIOLUS vsrrr ACINUS, showing Habit and 

 detached Single Flower. 



G. psittacinus (parrot-like).* /., corolla tube greenish, with 

 purple streaks ; limb campanulate, spreading, rich scarlet (in bud 

 purplish-blood colour), lined and spotted with yellow ; spikes 1ft. 

 or more long, ten to twelve-flowered. Summer and autumn. 

 1. distichous; lower ones 1ft. or more long. Stem 3ft. high. 

 South-eastern Africa, &c. See Fig. 111. (B. M. 3032.) 

 G. pudibundus (modest), fl. brilliant rose, large, about ten in 

 number, in a distichous spike ; spathes two-valved ; anthers 

 purple. I. broadly ensiform, acuminate, ribbed, pale green. 

 Stem 2ft. to 3ft. high. A garden hybrid between G. llandus 

 and G. cardinalis. (S. B. F. G. ser. ii. 176.) 



/. almost bifarious ; 

 tch on the 

 ng, jin. broad, 

 (B. M. 5944.) 



. . . . . . . . . 



G. purpureo-auratus (purple-and-golden).* /. almost b 

 perianth limb golden-yellow, with a large purple blotc 

 two lower segments. August. 1. bin. to 9in. long, ji 

 acuminate, erect, h. 3ft. to 4ft. 1872. (B. M. 5944.) 



