TORREYA 



Vol. 29 No. 1 



January-February, 1929 



The Gladiolus and its Development from the Wild 

 Dk. Forman T. McLean 



No other genus of cultivated plants has such diversity 

 of forms in it as has the Gladiolus. To properly understand 

 these and their influences on our modern hybrid forms we 

 must first get a picture of the native habitats of these plants 

 and of the natural range of the genus. Climatic influences 

 profoundly influence both their forms and growth habits. 

 The Gladiolus is found growing wild in Southern P3urope, 

 Asia Minor, throughout Africa, the Canary Islands, and Mad- 

 agascar. The greatest number of different forms, however, 

 is found in South Africa, so we may properly confine our ob- 

 ser\'ations to this region. The west coast of South Africa 

 has winter rains and a summer drought, while the interior 

 and east coast have scanty and infrequent summer rains 

 and a dry winter; accordingly, the species of the western 

 provinces are small slender winter growers, which complete 

 their growth and flower in the early spring. Only the mountain 

 forms are tall and robust. Of the nine subgroups into which the 

 genus Gladiolus can be divided, six of these are most fully 

 developed in this region of winter rains. These include (1) 

 the slender ones, such as the fragrant Afrikanders — Gladiolus 

 recurvus, G. tristis, G. grandis — and (2) the Cardinal-flowered 

 Gladioli, which are found both in the mountains and in the 

 dry interior; including G. cardinalis, G. Saundersii and the 

 large and impressive blood red G. cruentus. The third group 

 of this western region are the Blandus group which are pale- 

 flowered and are heavier growers than most. There are also 

 other subgenera, quitedistinct from the general run of Gladiolus. 

 These are Hebea, Sweiggera, and Homoglossum. None of 

 these have entered into the composition of the modern hybrids 

 and they are not commonly seen, so they may be passed 

 over here. 



In the region of summer rains in the eastern part of South 

 Africa are found the tall robust species of Gladiolus which 



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