GLADIOLUS 



THE BULB BOOK 



GLADIOLUS 



white forms, one called albus, having 

 white segments and red stamens ; 

 the other, called The Bride, being 

 distinguished by having white instead 

 of red stamens. 



Gladiolus Colvillei, and especially 

 its white varieties, are cultivated in 

 thousands to supply blossom to the 

 London and provincial markets. The 

 corms are planted in the open air, in 

 warm sheltered spots in light, rich, 

 and deeply-dug soil in the autumn, 

 about 4 or 5 ins. deep. A slight 

 covering with litter or old manure 

 is given as protection against frost, 

 and also to keep the warmth of the 

 soil round the roots for as long as 

 possible. The flowers appear usually 

 from May to July and look handsome 

 in bold masses. When grown in pots, 

 G. Colvillei and its varieties may be 

 forced into early blossom during the 

 earliest months of the year in the 

 greenhouse or conservatory. 



Gt. communis. — This is a native of 

 S. Europe, and grows Ij to 2 ft. high, 

 having narrow, lance-shaped, ribbed 

 leaves, and bright rosy flowers about 

 June and July. There are several 

 forms in existence, differing chiefly 

 in the colour of the blossom, which 

 vary from white to rose and purple. 

 {Bot. Mag. tt. 86, 1575 ; Red. Lil. t. 

 267.) 



G-. cruentus. — This is a fine species 

 from the slopes of the Drakenburg, 

 Natal. It grows 2 to 3 ft. high, and 

 has linear leaves 12 to 18 ins. long. 

 The flowers appear about September, 

 and are borne in dense spikes about 

 a foot long. Each blossom is about 

 4 ins. across, brilliant scarlet in 

 colour, yellowish-white at the base, 

 speckled with red, the two side petals 

 being blotched with white. {Bot. 

 Mag. t. 5810.) 



Gt. cuspidatus. — This is another 

 fine species, with flower-stems 2 to 

 3 ft. high, and whitish flowers usually 



marked with purple and red on the 

 lower segments {Jacq. Ic. t. 257 ; 

 Bot. Mag. t. 582). 



G. decoratus. — A native of E. 

 Africa, 2 to 3 ft. high, with sword- 

 shaped leaves about 1 ft. long. From 

 six to twelve bright scarlet flowers 

 are borne on a loose spike, the three 

 lower segments being blotched with 

 yellow. 



G. dracocephalus. — A beautiful and 

 distinct species from Natal,'with pale 

 green leaves 6 to 12 ins. long, and 

 soft yellow flowers in July and 

 August, striped with dull purple, the 

 lower segments being greenish and 

 spotted with purple {Bot. Mag. t. 

 5884). 



G. Bckloni. — This has corms 1| in. 

 thick, and very stiff thick-ribbed 

 leaves not more than a foot long. 

 The whitish flowers copiously spotted 

 with minute red dots are borne on 

 stems 1^ to 2 ft. high. {Bot. Mag. t. 

 6335.) 



G. floribundus {G. grandiflorm).— 

 This grows about 3 ft. high, and is 

 very free-flowering. The blossoms 

 appear about May and June, and vary 

 in colour from white, with a broad 

 purplish stripe, to bright flesh colour 

 striped with deep red. {Bot. Mag. 

 t. 610 ; And. Bot. Rep. t. 118.) 



There are many forms of this 

 species now in cultivation, and the 

 fact of their blooming early makes 

 them popular at exhibitions, where 

 they are shown in great masses. 

 Amongst these forms mention may 

 be made of formosissimvs, with clear 

 orange-red flowers blotched with 

 white, washed with crimson-lake and 

 edged with crimson, insignis, ver- 

 milion blotched with carmine; 

 magnificus, carmine - rose and ver- 

 niilion-red blotched with white; 

 Queen Victoria, bright velvety red, 

 blotched with white and edged with 

 carmine; and trimacvlatus, bright 



246 



