648 



GLADIOLUS 



GLADIOLUS 



all, they are prized chiefly as oddities, or because of 

 their botanical interest. The following species are 

 either offered at the present time in American trade 

 or are parents of modern garden forms : 



A. Fl. with a long , slender , cylindrical curved tube, 



which is enlarged in the middle : segments nearly 

 equal. 



1. Watsdnius, Thunb. Corm small, globose : stem 

 slender, 18 in. or less, with 1 long, narrow-linear and 

 stiff leaf and 2-3 short, sheathing Ivs. : fls. 2-4, in a lax 

 1-sided spike, 2 in. or less long, bright red, the wide- 

 spreading segments oblong and acute. B.M. 450. 

 Little known in this country, but offered by the Dutch 

 growers. 



AA. Fl. short and open, the tube short or scarcely any; 

 segments very prominently clawed, usually 

 unequal. 



2. alatus, Linn. Small, the stem only 4-8 in. high, 

 and slender : Ivs. 3-4, linear and rigid: fls. 3-4 in a lax 

 spike, the curved tube % in. long, the perianth bright 

 red and often strongly veined; segments very unequal, 

 the 3 lower tongue-like and protruded, the others obo- 

 vate or nearly orbicular, all of them differently colored 

 toward the base. B.M. 586 ; 592 (the var. Nama- 

 quensis}. 



A A A. Fls. of medium length, with a funnel-shaped 

 tube, which is flaring at the top: segments nar- 

 rowed below, but not distinctly clawed. ( Gladio- 

 lus proper. ) 



B. Lvs. linear (%in. or less wide) except sometimes 



in Ifos. 9, 10. 

 c. Perianth-segments acute. 



3. grandis, Thunb. (G. versicolor, Andre"). Stem 

 .slender, 2 ft. or less : Ivs. about 3, linear or nearly 

 terete, strongly ribbed : fls. 6 or less, 3 in. long, with a 

 curved tube ; segments nearly equal, oblong-lanceolate 

 and cuspidate, as long as the tube and twice longer 

 than the stamens, recurved and often wavy, yellowish 

 -or creamy, tinged and striped with purple-brown : 

 seeds winged. B.M. 1042. 



4. trlstis, Linn. Very like the last: fls. 2-4, somewhat 

 smaller ; segments shorter than the tube and not twice 

 longer than the stamens, acute, yellowish white with 

 purple or brown pencilings, or (in G. concolor, Salisb.), 

 almost white or uniform yellow. B.M. 272, 1098. G.F. 

 8:75. 



5. angustus, Linn. (G. trimaculatus, Lam.). Small 

 and slender species (10-20 in. tall) : Ivs. 3-4, very nar- 

 row : fls. 2-6, long-tubed, white, the oblong segments 

 shorter than the tube and the 3 lower ones with a char- 

 acteristic purple median line ending in a heart-shaped 

 mark. B.M. 602. 



CO. Perianth-segments obtuse. 

 D. Color purple or violet. 



6. crispifldrus, Herb. (G. imbricatus, Linn., var. 

 crispiflbrus , Baker). Stem 1-2 ft., rather slender: Ivs. 

 2-3, sometimes % in. broad : fls. 4-10, the tube % in. 

 long and curved, the segments obovate (1 in. long), 

 crisped or wavy on the edge, dark purple, more or less 

 marked with white and red: seeds winged. E. Eu. and 

 W. Asia. Hardy or nearly so. 



7. atroyiolaceus, Boiss. Stem 1-2 ft. high: Ivs. 3, 

 closel} ribbed, firm: fls. few, the tube Y z in. long and 

 curved, the obovate segments 1 in. long and dark purple 

 or violet-blue : seeds globose. W. Asia. Hardy or 

 nearly so. 



8. Mfldrus, Klatt. Dwarf (1 ft. or less): If. single, 

 very narrow: fls. 2-3, the tube nearly straight, the ob- 

 long segments twice as long as the tube, lilac. 



DD. Color essentially yellow or orange. 



9. Quartinianus, Rich. Strong, 2-4 ft. : Ivs. 3-4, rigid, 

 sometimes nearly ensiform : fls. 4-9, in an open spike, 

 large, the narrow curved tube \% in. long; upper seg- 

 ments hooded, the others smaller and more or less re- 

 flexed, bright yellow or yellow flushed and feathered 

 with scarlet. B.M. 6739. . G.C. III. 24:467, and Gn. 

 55 : 1225 (var. superbus ) Mts. of Trop. Afr. Not known 



to be in the Amer. trade, but attracting attention in 

 Europe. One of the best of the genus. 



10. sulphureus, Baker. Stout, but low: Ivs. 3-4 the 

 blade short and somewhat ensiform: tts. 6-8, large, the 

 curved tube 1% in. long, soft bright yellow; upper seg- 

 ments cucullate, the 3 lower ones small. Mt. Kiliman- 

 jaro. Gn. 38:762(?) 



DDD. Color (tmder color) white or nearly so. 



11. vittatus, Hornem. (G. vinulus, Klatt). Low: Ivs. 

 3-4, very narrow: fls. 3-6, nearly erect, the slightly 

 curved tube nearly or quite an inch long, whitish, 

 the 3 lower segments with a purple central blotch. 



BE. Leaves ensiform (%in. or more broad, and flat 



or flattish). 

 C. Under- or body-color essentially purple. 



12. commtinis, Linn. Stem 1K-2X ft. : ITS. 3-4, 1 

 ft. or less long: fls. 4-8, small (1% in. long), 

 with a curved tube ; segments bright purple 

 (flesh-colored in the var. carneus), nearly equal 



in length, all connivent or touching (making 

 a narrow fl.), the 3 lower ones long-clawed 

 and with a median line : seeds broad-winged. 

 France, Germany. B.M. 86, 1575. Hardy. Lit- 

 tle known in cult, in this country. 



13. Byzantinus, Miller. Fls. more and larger, 

 plant more robust, segments more spreading at 

 maturity, although the 3 upper ones are contig- 

 uous, dark purple, the 3 lower 



ones with a prominent white 

 median line : seeds winged. 

 Mediterranean region. B. M. 

 874. -Hardy. Little known in 

 gardens. 



14. s e get urn, Ker. Differs 

 from G. Byzantinus in having 

 globular (not winged) seeds, 

 and in the flaring or spreading 

 segments of the bright purple, 

 obovate-obtuse sepals. Cana- 

 ries and Mediterranean region. 

 B.M.719. -Hardy. Little grown. 

 Early. 



13. Papilio, Hook. Stem 2 ft. 

 or often more : Ivs. about 4, 

 rigid, 1 ft. or more long: fls. 6- 

 12, with a curved tube, pale pur- 

 ple or lilac, yellow in the throat; 

 upper segments obovate and 

 hooded, 1% in. long, the lower 

 ones very narrow below and 

 marked with large red-brown 

 blotches. B.M. 5565. Handsome. Va- 

 ries to white in cult. 



CC. Under- or body-color essentially 

 red (No. 20 may be sought here). 



16. Leichtlini, Baker. Stem about 

 2 ft. tall, terete : Ivs. about 4, 1 ft. 

 long : fls. 6-8, large, with a curved 

 tube 1)^ in. long, crimson and yellow; 

 upper segments obovate and conni- 

 vent, 3 lower ones much smaller and 

 acute, spreading, red at tip but yellow 

 and minutely red dotted below. 



17. cardinalis, Curt. Tall: fls. many, 

 nearly erect, bright scarlet, the tube 

 1% in. long and nearly straight; upper 

 segments long-spatulate (2 in. long), 

 scarlet, the 3 lower ones shorter and 

 narrower, with a large white blotch. 

 B.M. 135. 



18. Saundersii, Hook, f . About 2 ft. : 

 Ivs. 4-6, strongly ribbed and stiff: fls. 

 6-8, large, bright scarlet, the tube 1 in. 



to 1% in. long and curved ; 3 upper Tv. 



segments long-spatulate, uniform scar- 

 let, connivent (2 in. long), 3 lower smaller, white- 

 blotched and spotted. B.M. 5873. Gn. 12:83. Hand- 



