948 



PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS gladiolus 



G. cardinalis. — A pretty species 3-4 ft. 

 high with many-nerved sword-like leaves, 

 and branched spikes of fine scarlet flowers, 

 produced in July and August, the 3 lower 

 segments of the perianth each having a 

 large white blotch in the centre. 



This species is somewhat tender, and 

 if left in the ground during the winter 

 months should be protected from frost by 

 means of leaves, straw &o., and also from 

 excessive wet. 



Culture dc. as above. 



G. communis. — A native of S. Europe 

 1^-2 ft. high, with linear lance-shaped 

 ribbed leaves and bright rosy flowers 

 borne on a graceful nodding spike well 

 above the foliage during the early summer 

 months. There is some variation in the 

 flowers, and white, purplish-rose, and red- 

 dish-purple forms exist. 



Culture dc. as above. As the indi- 

 vidual flowers of this species are among 

 the smallest in the genus, it is more 

 effective grown in large masses than as 

 solitary plants or small tufts. It is very 

 hardy and increases rapidly in favourable 

 soils, and its out flowers are excellent for 

 decorative purposes. The corms need not 

 be disturbed for 2 or 3 years, and may be 

 replanted from October to December. 



The following European and Asiatic 

 species may be grown in the same way as 

 G. communis : viz. anatoUcus, atrovio- 

 laceus, armeniacus, illyricus, i/nsignis, 

 Jcotschyanus, a,ndL palustris. 



G. cruentus. — A native of Natal with 

 linear sword-shaped leaves 12-18 in. long. 

 The flowers are produced about Sep- 

 tember in dense spikes 6-10 in. long, on 

 stems 2-3 ft. high. They are about 4 in, 

 across, of a brilliant scarlet, and yeUowish- 

 white speckled with red at the base, the two 

 lateral segments being marked with white. 



Culture dc. as above. 



G. cuspidatus. — A very fine species 

 with sword-like leaves a little shorter 

 than the flower stem, which is 2-3 ft. 

 high, and in May and June bears masses 

 of beautiful flowers, rather variable in 

 colour, but usually marked with purple 

 and red on the lower segments. 



CiMure dc. as above. 



G. dracocephalus. — A fine distinct 

 species with pale green leaves 6-12 in. 

 long, and stout roundish flower stems 12- 

 18 in. high, bearing in August soft yellow- 

 ish flowers striped with dull purple, the 



lower segments being green and spotted 

 with purple. 



Culture dc. as above. 

 G. floribundus. — A pretty and useful 

 species with strongly veined leaves and 

 stems about 1 ft. high, bearing flowers 

 almost from base to apex in early summer. 

 The blooms are large and vary a good deal 

 in colour from white with a broad pur- 

 plish stripe to bright flesh colour with 

 deep red, in contrast with which are the 

 dark violet anthers. The cut spikes are 

 valuable for decorations. Closely related 

 ' to this species, either as varieties or hybrids, 

 are the plants known in gardens as/ormo- 

 sissimus, having clear orange-red flowers 

 with white blotches, washed with lake and 

 bordered with crimson ; i/nsignis, ver- 

 milion blotched with carmine ; magnificus, 

 carmine-rose and vermilion-red blotched 

 with white ; Queen Victoria, bright velvety 

 red blotched with white and edged with 

 carmine ; and trimaculatus (of gardens), 

 bright rose, spotted with carmine and 

 white. 



Culture mid Propagation. — The ty- 

 pical G. floribundus does not usually pro- 

 duce offsets from the old corms so fireely 

 as other species of Gladiolus, and for this 

 reason it is often raised from seed. The 

 latter are sown as soon as ripe in sandy 

 sou in cold frames, pans or boxes, or in 

 spring in the same way, or in the open 

 border. The seedlings are not disturbed 

 for the first year, but protected from 

 frosts during the winter. The young 

 corms may be lifted in autumn when the 

 leaves are withered, and stored until about 

 March or April when they maybe planted 

 out. About the end of the third, or at 

 most the fourth, year from the time of 

 sowing the seeds, the flowers appear. 



G. psittacinus ((?. natalensis). — A 

 beautiful species with tufts of distichous 

 sword-like leaves a foot or more long and 

 stout erect flower stems about 8 ft. high. 

 The large bell-shaped flowers 10-12 on a 

 spike are rich scarlet, lined and spotted 

 with yellow, with a greenish tube pTU-ple- 

 striped. This is one of the original 

 parents of the Gandavensis hybrids de- 

 scribed below. Plant the corms in March 

 and April. 



Ciilture dc. as above, p. 947. 



G. purpureo-auratus. — A fine species 

 from Natal with broad and firm glaucous- 

 green leaves about 18 in. long. The 

 flower-stem is 3-4 ft. high, at first upright, 



