Plate 68. 



GLADIOLUS Pbitzblii. 



Cape Province. 



Ibideae. Tribe Ixieae. 

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



Gladiolus Pritzelii, Diels in Engl. Bot. Jahrb. vol. xliv. p. 118. 



This graceful little Gladiolus was first found by Diels at 

 Hantams Berg, Calvinia District, and described by him in 

 1909, and in September 1921 the plant was again collected by 

 Dr. R Marloth in the same locality. It belongs to the same 

 group in the genus as G. spathaceus (the Caledon Bluebell), 

 and G. involutus (the George Bluebell), having the same 

 bell-shaped flowers. In the original description the plant 

 is said to be one-flowered, but in the specimens received from 

 Dr. Marloth the spikes were 2-4-flowered. 



Specimens are preserved in the National Herbarium, 

 Pretoria (Herb. No. 1459). 



Desceiption : — Corm globose, 2 cm. long, 2'2 cm. in 

 diameter, with fibrous tunics produced into a short neck. 

 Leaves two to each plant ; the lower about 5 cm. long, spath- 

 aceous, clasping the stem, minutely pubescent and with 

 hyaline margins ; the upper 26-43 cm. long, free for 14-24 cm. 

 above, linear, acute, with two prominent ribs above and 

 beneath. Spikes 2-4-flowered. Outer spathe valve membran- 

 ous, 3 cm. long, 8 mm. broad, lanceolate, many-veined, with 

 membranous margins, glabrous ; inner valve 2 cm. long, 

 hyaline-membranous. Perianth-tube 7 mm. long, curved, 

 cylindric below, becoming campanulate above. Posterior-lobes 

 1 *5 cm. long, 1 cm. broad, obovate, subacuminate, obtuse ; 

 anterior lobe 23 cm. long, 13 cm. broad, obovate, rounded 

 above, hooded ; side lobes 15 cm. long, 1*3 cm. broad, obovate, 

 shortly and bluntly acuminate. Anthers projecting beyond the 



