Plate 6. 



GLADIOLUS psittacinus, var. cooperi. 



Basutoland and Transvaal. 



Iridaceae. Tribe Ixieae. 

 Gladiolus, Linn.; Benth. et HooJc.f. Gen. Plant, vol. iii. p. 709. 



Gladiolus psittacinus, Book f. var. Cooperi, Bkr. Bot. Mag. t. 6202 



Fl. Cap. vi. 158. 



This striking species of Gladiolus belongs to the section 

 Dracocephali of the genus which contains some seven species 

 all characterised by having the upper segments hooded. It is 

 a favourite with cultivators, and has also been taken up by 

 nurserymen who grow blooms for sale. Like a great many of 

 our beautiful native species, it was left to Kew Gardens to 

 bring the species to public notice. 



Corms of this Gladiolus were brought to England by 

 Mr. Thomas Cooper, who collected in South Africa for 

 Mr. Wilson Saunders. It first flowered at Kew in 1872, 

 when it was described and figured. 



The species is easy of cultivation, and flowers at Pretoria 

 in November. Apart from the interest it is to gardeners 

 generally, it should be of special interest to breeders, as there 

 seems little doubt that some very fine hybrids could be raised 

 from this species. 



Description : — A tall plant 0*9-1*2 metres high. Conn red, 

 2*5-6 cm. in diameter, globose ; tunics chartaceous, broad, 

 ultimately breaking up into fibres. Leaves 6-8, 60-90 cm. 

 long, 2-3 cm. broad, ensiform, acute, slightly narrowed at the 

 base, glabrous, rigid. Inflorescence a lax 5-10-flowered spike, 

 20 cm. or more long. Spathe-valves 5-9 cm. long, oblong- 

 lanceolate, sub-acute, kildare-green (R.C.S.). Flowers large, 

 hooded, lemon-yellow (R.C.S.), striped with scarlet-red (B.C. S.). 

 Perianth-tube curved, 5-6 cm. long, trumpet-shaped, glabrous ; 

 three upper lobes forming a hood 2-2*5 cm. broad, ovate or ob- 

 ovate, acute, with a distinct claw ; the posterior lobe crimson 

 without, lighter in colour within, smaller than the other two 



