182 THE GLADIOLUS. 



G. recurvus. A very ornamental species, with violet 

 flowers tinged with yellow, and very fragrant. The stem 

 produces two to five flowers, " which, when they first 

 expand, are yellow, so dotted over with very small violet- 

 blue spots, that they look quite blue at a distance. In 

 this state, the flowers are very beautiful. In the course 

 of two or three days, however, the dots disappear, and 

 the whole flower becomes a pale and somewhat dull 

 violet-blue." 



It is a native of the Cape, and was first grown in Eng- 

 land in 1760, being raised from seed. 



G. carneus. A fine species, with blush flowers, marked 

 with crimson and white. 



G. llandus. A species resembling the last, but with 

 white flowers slightly stained with red. 



Many fine hybrids have been produced between this spe- 

 cies and G. cardinaUs. 



G. albidus. A fine species, with flowers nearly pure 

 white. 



G. ramosus. There is some question whether this plant 

 is a hybrid or a true species. The plant is tall and of 

 sturdy growth, producing a branching spike of rosy-red 

 flowers, the inferior petals marked with darker shades. It 



