i IS 
THE GLADIOLUS. 
— Native of the Cape. The leaves are linear 
and long; the flowers white. Flowers in May 
and June ; one foot and a half high. 
Gladiolus gracilis (the slender-stemmed 
Corn-flag). — Native of the Cape. The leaves 
linear j the flowers between bell-shaped and 
ringent, bluish grey, paler at the throat, and 
the two lower petals marked with dark spots 
and bars. Flowers in March and April ; one 
foot high. 
Gladiolus hastatus (the halberd-spotted 
Corn-flag). — Native of the Cape. The leaves 
are long and sword-shaped; the flowers white, 
with a rose-coloured heart or halberd-shaped 
mark on the lower petals, bordered with 
violet. Flowers in April and May ; one foot 
and a half high. 
Gladiolus iiirsutus (the pubescent-leaved 
Corn-flag). — Native of the Cape. The leaves 
are narrow ; the flowers rather small ; there 
are several varieties with flowers of different 
shades of pink and rose, and also varying in 
size and in the time of blooming, some flower- 
ing in May, others in January ; two feet high. 
Gladiolus HYALiNUs(the glassy Corn-flag). 
— Native of the Cape. The leaves are narrow; 
the flowers spreading, yellow and red, not 
numerous. Flowers in May and June; one 
foot high. 
Gladiolus namaquensis (the Namaqua 
Corn-flag). — Native of that part of Africa 
called Namaqua land. The leaves are thick and 
oblong, with a blunt point ; the flowers large, 
spreading, deep red with yellow at the base of 
the centre lower petals. Flowers in June ; 
one foot high. 
Gladiolus recurvus (the recurved petalled 
Corn-flag). — Native of the Cape. The leaves 
are long and linear ; the flowers large, gaping, 
sulphur-coloured, suffused, and edged with a 
deep border of lilae, and with three stripes on 
each petal; the flowers are scented like violets, 
or orris-root. Flowers in April and May ; 
two feet high. The stem is spotted. 
Gladiolus tenellus (the slender Corn- 
flag). — Native of the Cape. The leaves are very 
narrow and slender ; the flowers yellow, 
variegated, two on a stem. Flowers in May 
and June ; about one foot high. 
Gladiolus trichonejiifolius (the tricho- 
nema-leaved Corn-flag). — Native of the Cape. 
The leaves very narrow and rigid ; the flowers 
funnel-shaped, bright yellow, the base of the 
lower petals marked with purple rays ; very 
fragrant, like violets. Flowers in May ; one 
foot high. 
Gladiolus trimaculatus (the three-spot- 
ted Corn-flag). — Native of the Cape. The 
leaves narrow ; the flowers pale salmon-colour, 
with a deeper coloured feather. Flowers in 
June ; one foot high. 
Gladiolus tristis (the sad-coloured Corn- 
flag). — Native of the Cape. The leaves are 
linear, four-sided, furrowed ; the flowers fun- 
nel formed, pale sulphur, feathered outside 
with brown ; they are very sweet scented in 
the evening, smelling almost like a pink. 
Flowers in April and May ; one foot and a 
half high. There is a variety with deeper 
yellow flowers. 
Gladiolus versicolor (the various-coloured 
Corn-flag). — Native of the Cape. The leaves 
are long and narrow ; the flowers large and 
spreading. There are two or three varieties ; 
var. major has reddish flowers with crimson 
streaks ; var. binervis has lilac flowers with 
purple streaks, both are very fragrant in the 
evening ; var. tenuior has very curious yel- 
lowish flowers, thickly dotted with crimson 
and purple : this is very fragrant in the day- 
time. Flowers in May ; one foot high. 
Gladiolus viperatus (the viper-flowered 
Corn-flag). — Native of the Cape. The leaves 
are sword-like ; the flowers spreading, having 
a fanciful resemblance to the head of a snake 
when hissing, greenish grey, with a purple 
feather, exquisitely fragrant. Flowers in May; 
two feet high. 
Gladiolus "Watsonianus (Watson's Corn- 
flag). — Native of the Cape. The leaves 
linear-lanceolate, short, plaited ; the flowers 
funnel-shaped, bright red with a white centre. 
Flowers in March ; one foot and a half high. 
There is a variety with the lower half of the 
petals chequered with yellow and red. 
DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF HARDY GLADIOLI. 
Gladiolus blandus (the fairest Corn-flag). 
— Native of the Cape. The leaves broad ; 
the flowers large, flesh-coloured, with pale red 
spots on the lower petals. Flowers in June ; 
two feet high. There is a beautiful variety 
with pure white flowers ; another with very 
pale purple or lilac flowers ; and another with 
light pink flowers, with crimson blotches near 
the base. They are all very beautiful. 
Gladiolus byzantinus (the Turkish Corn- 
flag). — Native of Turkey. The flowers of 
this are larger than those of G. communis, 
and of a rich purple red, with a pale feather. 
Flowers in June ; two feet high. G. byzan- 
tinus albus has white flowers with a dark 
feather. 
Gladiolus cardinalis (the superb Corn- 
flag), — Probably a native of the Cape. The 
leaves are sword-shaped, very glaucous ; the 
flowers are large and spreading, borne up- 
wards from a gracefully bending stem, of a 
brilliant scarlet, the three lower petals marked 
with a broad white feather or streak. Flowers 
in July and August ; two feet high. A variety 
called cardinalis blandus has pale scarlet 
flowers, with a white feather ; and cardinalis 
fulgens has pale crimson-shaded flowers. 
