GLADIOLUS

'''Gladiolus''' (from Latin, the diminutive of ''gladius'', a sword) is a genus of flowering plants in the iris family (Iridaceae). Sometimes called the 'sword lily', the most widely-used English common name for these plants is simply 'gladiolus' (plural 'gladioli' or 'gladioluses').

Contents

Description

Species

Cultivation

''Gladiolus'' in Popular Culture

External links

References

Description

The genus ''Gladiolus'' contains about 260 species, of which 250 are native to sub-Saharan Africa, mostly South Africa. About 10 species are native to Eurasia. There are 160 species of ''Gladiolus'' endemic in southern Africa and 76 in tropical Africa. The species vary from very small to the spectacular giant flower spikes in commerce.
These attractive, perennial herbs are semihardy in temperate climates. They grow from rounded, symmetrical corms, that are enveloped in several layers of brownish, fibrous tunics.
Their stems are generally unbranched, producing 1 to 9 narrow, sword-shaped, longitudinal grooved leaves, enclosed in a sheath. The lowest leaf is shortened to a cataphyll. The leaf blades can be plane or cruciform in cross section.
The fragrant flower spikes are large and one-sided, with secund, bisexual flowers, each subtended by 2 leathery, green bracts. The sepals and the petals are almost identical in appearance, and are termed tepals. They are united at their base into a tube-shaped structure. The dorsal tepal is the largest, arching over the three stamens. The outer three tepals are narrower. The perianth is funnel-shaped, with the stamens attached to its base. The style has three filiform, spoon-shaped branches, each expanding towards the apex.
The ovary is 3-locular with oblong or globose capsules, containing many, winged brown, longitudinally dehiscent seeds.
These flowers are variously colored, pink to reddish or light purple with white, contrasting markings, or white to cream or orange to red.
The South African species were originally pollinated by long-tongued anthrophorine bees, but some changes in the pollination system have occurred, allowing pollination by sunbirds, noctuid and sphingid moths, long-tongued flies and several others.
Gladioli are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the Large Yellow Underwing.
Gladioli have been extensively hybridized and a wide range of ornamental flower colours are available from the many varieties. The main hybrid groups have been obtained by crossing between four or five species, followed by selection: Grandiflorus, Primulines and Nanus. They make very good cut flowers. However, due to their height, the cultivated forms frequently tend to fall over in the wind if left on the plant.

Species

The genus ''Gladiolus'' has been divided in several sections. Where possible, the sections have been indicated. Most species, however, are only tentatively placed.

★ ''Gladiolus abbreviatus'' Andrews

★ ''Gladiolus acuminatus'' F. Bol.

★ ''Gladiolus aequinoctialis'' Herb.

★ ''Gladiolus alatus'' L. (sect. Hebea)

★ ''Gladiolus aleppicus'' Boiss. var. aleppicus

★ ''Gladiolus anatolicus''

★ ''Gladiolus andringitrae'' Goldblatt

★ ''Gladiolus angustus'' L. (sect. Blandus) : Long-tubed Painted Lady

★ ''Gladiolus antandroyi'' Goldblatt

★ ''Gladiolus antholyzoides'' Baker

★ ''Gladiolus appendiculatus'' G. Lewis

★ ''Gladiolus aquamontanus'' Goldblatt & Vlok

★ ''Gladiolus arcuatus'' Klatt

★ ''Gladiolus atropurpureus'' Baker

★ ''Gladiolus atroviolaceus'' Boiss.

★ ''Gladiolus aurantiacus'' Klatt

★ ''Gladiolus aureus'' Baker : Golden Gladiolus

★ ''Gladiolus bellus'' C. H. Wright

★ ''Gladiolus benguellensis'' Baker (sect. Ophiolyza)

★ ''Gladiolus bilineatus'' G. J. Lewis

★ ''Gladiolus boehmii'' Vaupel (1882)

★ ''Gladiolus bojeri'' (Baker) Goldblatt

★ ''Gladiolus brachylimbus'' Baker (1893)

★ ''Gladiolus brachyphyllus'' F. Bolus or Bolus f.

★ ''Gladiolus brevifolius'' Jacq. (sect. Linearifolius)

★ ''Gladiolus brevitubus'' G. Lewis

★ ''Gladiolus buckerveldii'' (L. Bolus) Goldblatt

★ ''Gladiolus bullatus'' Thunb. ex G. Lewis : Caledon Bluebell

★ ''Gladiolus caeruleus'' Goldblatt & J.C. Manning

★ ''Gladiolus calcaratus'' G. Lewis

★ ''Gladiolus calcicola'' Goldblatt

★ ''Gladiolus callianthus'' Mosais : Abyssinian Gladiolus

★ ''Gladiolus canaliculatus'' Goldblatt

★ ''Gladiolus candidus'' (Rendle) Goldblatt

★ ''Gladiolus cardinalis'' Curtis (sect. Blandus)

★ ''Gladiolus carinatus'' Aiton

★ ''Gladiolus carmineus'' C. H. Wright (sect. Blandus) : Cliff Lily

★ ''Gladiolus carneus'' (sect. Blandus) : Large Painted Lady

★ ''Gladiolus caryophyllaceus'' (Burm. f.) Poiret

★ ''Gladiolus cataractarum'' Oberm.

★ ''Gladiolus caucasicus'' Herb.

★ ''Gladiolus ceresianus'' L. Bolus

★ ''Gladiolus citrinus'' Klatt

★ ''Gladiolus x colvillei'' : Colville's Gladiolus

★ ''Gladiolus communis'' L. (sect. Gladiolus) : Cornflag (type species)

★
★ ''Gladiolus communis'' subsp. ''byzantinus'' (sect. Gladiolus) - Whistling Jack, Eastern Gladiolus

★
★ ''Gladiolus communis'' subsp. ''communis'' (sect. Gladiolus)

★ ''Gladiolus conrathii'' Baker (1898)

★ ''Gladiolus crassifolius'' Baker

★ ''Gladiolus crispulatus'' L. Bolus

★ ''Gladiolus cruentus'' T. Moore (sect. Ophiolyza)

★ ''Gladiolus curtifolius'' Marais

★ ''Gladiolus cuspidatus''

★ ''Gladiolus cylindraceus'' G. Lewis

★ ''Gladiolus cymbarius'' Baker

★ ''Gladiolus dalenii'' Van Geel (sect. Ophiolyza)

★ ''Gladiolus debilis'' Ker Gawler (sect. Homoglossum) : Small Painted Lady

★ ''Gladiolus decaryi'' Goldblatt

★ ''Gladiolus decipiens'' Vaupel

★ ''Gladiolus decoratus'' Baker

★ ''Gladiolus densiflorus'' Baker

★ ''Gladiolus deserticolus'' Goldblatt

★ ''Gladiolus dolomiticus'' Oberm.

★ ''Gladiolus dracocephalus'' Hook.f.

★ ''Gladiolus dregei'' Klatt

★ ''Gladiolus dubius''

★ ''Gladiolus dzavakheticus''

★ ''Gladiolus ecklonii'' Lehm.

★ ''Gladiolus edulis'' Burchell ex Ker Gawler

★ ''Gladiolus elliotii'' Baker (sect. Ophiolyza)

★ ''Gladiolus emiliae'' L. Bolus

★ ''Gladiolus engysiphon'' G. Lewis

★ ''Gladiolus equitans'' Thunb. (sect. Hebea)

★ ''Gladiolus erectiflorus'' Baker

★ ''Gladiolus exiguus'' G. Lewis

★ ''Gladiolus flanaganii'' Baker : : Suicide Gladiolus

★ ''Gladiolus floribundus'' Jacq.

★ ''Gladiolus fourcadei'' (L. Bolus) Goldblatt & De Vos

★ ''Gladiolus ×gandavensis'' (sect. Ophiolyza) [= ''G. dalenii'' × 'G. oppositiflorus'']

★ ''Gladiolus garnierii'' Klatt

★ ''Gladiolus geardii'' L. Bolus

★ ''Gladiolus goetzii'' Harms

★ ''Gladiolus gracilis'' Jacq. (sect. Homoglossum) : Reed Bells

★ ''Gladiolus gracillimus'' Baker

★ ''Gladiolus grandiflorus'' (sect. Blandus)

★ ''Gladiolus gregarius'' Welw. ex Baker (sect. Densiflorus)

★ ''Gladiolus griseus'' Goldblatt & J.C. Manning

★ ''Gladiolus gueinzii'' Kunze

★ ''Gladiolus guthriei'' F. Bol. (sect. Linearifolius)

★ ''Gladiolus halophilus'' Boiss. & Heldr.

★ ''Gladiolus harmsianus'' Vaupel

★ ''Gladiolus heterolobus'' Vaupel

★ ''Gladiolus hirsutus'' Jacq. (sect. Linearifolius) : Small Pink Afrikaner

★ ''Gladiolus hollandii'' L. Bolus

★ ''Gladiolus horombensis'' Goldblatt

★ ''Gladiolus huillensis'' (Welw. ex Baker) Goldblatt

★ ''Gladiolus hyalinus'' Jacq.

★ ''Gladiolus illyricus'' W.D.J.Koch - Wild Gladiolus

★ ''Gladiolus imbricatus'' L.

★ ''Gladiolus inandensis'' Baker

★ ''Gladiolus incospicuus'' Baker

★ ''Gladiolus inflatus'' Thunb.

★ ''Gladiolus inflexus'' Goldblatt & J.C. Manning

★ ''Gladiolus insolens'' Goldblatt & J.C. Manning

★ ''Gladiolus intonsus'' Goldblatt

★ ''Gladiolus invenustus'' G. J. Lewis

★ ''Gladiolus involutus'' (sect. Hebea)

★ ''Gladiolus iroensis'' (A. Chev.) Marais

★ ''Gladiolus italicus'' P. Mill. (sect. Gladiolus) - Italian Gladiolus, Cornflag

★ ''Gladiolus johnstoni'' Baker (s. d.)

★ ''Gladiolus jonquilliodorus'' Ecklon ex G. Lewis

★ ''Gladiolus junodi'' Baker

★ ''Gladiolus kamiesbergensis'' G. Lewis

★ ''Gladiolus karendensis'' Baker

★ ''Gladiolus katubensis'' De Wild.

★ ''Gladiolus klattianus'' Hutch.

★ ''Gladiolus kotschyanus'' Boiss.

★ ''Gladiolus kubangensis'' Harms

★ ''Gladiolus lapeirousioides'' Goldblatt

★ ''Gladiolus laxiflorus'' Baker

★ ''Gladiolus lemoinei''

★ ''Gladiolus leptosiphon'' Bolus f.

★ ''Gladiolus liliaceus'' Houtt. (sect. Homoglossum)

★ ''Gladiolus linearifolius'' Vaupel

★ ''Gladiolus linearis'' N.E.Br.

★ ''Gladiolus longanus'' Harms

★ ''Gladiolus longicollis'' Baker (sect. Homoglossum)

★
★ ''Gladiolus longicollis'' subsp. ''longicollis'' (sect. Homoglossum)

★
★ ''Gladiolus longicollis'' subsp. ''platypetalus'' (sect. Homoglossum)

★ ''Gladiolus loteniensis'' Hilliard & Burtt

★ ''Gladiolus louiseae'' L. Bolus

★ ''Gladiolus lundaensis'' Goldblatt

★ ''Gladiolus luteus'' Lam.

★ ''Gladiolus lyalinus''

★ ''Gladiolus macneilii'' Oberm.

★ ''Gladiolus macowani'' Baker

★ ''Gladiolus macowanii'' Baker (s. d.)

★ ''Gladiolus macrospathus'' Goldblatt

★ ''Gladiolus maculatus'' Sweet

★ ''Gladiolus magnificus'' (Harms) Goldblatt

★ ''Gladiolus malangensis'' Baker (1879)

★ ''Gladiolus malvinus'' Goldblatt & J.C. Manning

★ ''Gladiolus marlothii'' G. Lewis

★ ''Gladiolus martleyi'' L. Bolus (sect. Homoglossum)

★ ''Gladiolus meliusculus'' (G. Lewis) Goldblatt & J.C. Manning

★ ''Gladiolus melleri'' Baker (sect. Ophiolyza)

★ ''Gladiolus micranthus'' Baker (1901)

★ ''Gladiolus microcarpus'' G. Lewis

★ ''Gladiolus microsiphon'' Baker

★ ''Gladiolus milleri'' Ker Gawler

★ ''Gladiolus mirus'' Vaupel

★ ''Gladiolus monticola'' G. Lewis ex Goldblatt & J.C. Manning

★ ''Gladiolus mortonius'' (sect. Densiflorus)

★ ''Gladiolus mostertiae'' L. Bolus

★ ''Gladiolus muenzneri'' F. Vaup

★ ''Gladiolus murielae'' (sect. Acidanthera)

★ ''Gladiolus natalensis'' (Eckl.) Hook.

★ ''Gladiolus nerineoides'' G. Lewis

★ ''Gladiolus newii'' Baker

★ ''Gladiolus nigromontanus'' Goldblatt

★ ''Gladiolus niveus'' Goldblatt & J.C. Manning

★ ''Gladiolus nyasicus'' Goldblatt

★ ''Gladiolus oatesii'' Rolfe

★ ''Gladiolus ochroleucus'' Baker (sect. Densiflorus)

★ ''Gladiolus odoratus'' L. Bolus

★ ''Gladiolus oliganthus'' Baker

★ ''Gladiolus oppositiflorus'' Herbert (sect. Ophiolyza)

★ ''Gladiolus orchidiflorus'' Andrews (sect. Hebea)

★ ''Gladiolus oreocharis'' Schltr.

★ ''Gladiolus pallidus'' Baker

★ ''Gladiolus paludosus'' Baker

★ ''Gladiolus palustris'' : Marsh Gladiolus

★ ''Gladiolus papilio'' Hook. f. (sect. Densiflorus) : Goldblotch Gladiolus

★ ''Gladiolus pappei'' Baker (sect. Blandus)

★ ''Gladiolus pardalinus'' Goldblatt & J.C. Manning

★ ''Gladiolus parvulus'' Schltr.

★ ''Gladiolus patersoniae'' F. Bolus or Bolus f.

★ ''Gladiolus pavonia'' Goldblatt & J.C. Manning

★ ''Gladiolus permeabilis'' Delaroche (sect. Hebea)

★ ''Gladiolus perrieri'' Goldblatt

★ ''Gladiolus persicus'' Boiss.

★ ''Gladiolus pillansii'' G. Lewis

★ ''Gladiolus pole-evansii'' Verd.

★ ''Gladiolus praecostatus''

★ ''Gladiolus praelongitubus'' G. J. Lewis

★ ''Gladiolus pretoriensis'' Kuntze

★ ''Gladiolus priorii'' (N. E. Br.) Goldblatt & De Vos

★ ''Gladiolus prismatosiphon'' Schltr.

★ ''Gladiolus pritzelii'' Diels

★ ''Gladiolus psittacinus'' Hook.

★ ''Gladiolus puberulus'' Vaupel

★ ''Gladiolus pubigerus'' G. Lewis

★ ''Gladiolus pulchellus'' Klatt

★ ''Gladiolus pulcherrimus'' (G. Lewis) Goldblatt & J.C. Manning

★ ''Gladiolus punctulatus'' Schrank

★ ''Gladiolus pusillus'' Goldblatt

★ ''Gladiolus quadrangularis'' (Burm. f.) Ker Gawler

★ ''Gladiolus quadrangulus'' (Delaroche) Barnard

★ ''Gladiolus ramosus''

★ ''Gladiolus recurvus'' (sect. Homoglossum)

★ ''Gladiolus rehmannii'' Baker

★ ''Gladiolus remotifolius'' Baker

★ ''Gladiolus rigidifolius'' Baker

★ ''Gladiolus robertsoniae'' F. Bolus or Bolus f.

★ ''Gladiolus rogersii'' Baker

★ ''Gladiolus roseovenosus'' Goldblatt & J.C. Manning

★ ''Gladiolus rubellus'' Goldblatt

★ ''Gladiolus rudis'' Lichtst. ex Roem. & Schult.

★ ''Gladiolus rupicola'' F. Vaupel

★ ''Gladiolus saccatus'' (Klatt) Goldblatt & M.P. de Vos

★ ''Gladiolus salteri'' G. Lewis

★ ''Gladiolus saundersii'' Hook. f. : Saunders' Gladiolus, Lesotho Lily

★ ''Gladiolus schlechteri'' Baker

★ ''Gladiolus schweinfurthii'' Baker

★ ''Gladiolus scullyi'' Baker

★ ''Gladiolus serapiiflorus'' Goldblatt

★ ''Gladiolus serenjensis'' Goldblatt

★ ''Gladiolus sericeovillosus'' Hook. f.

★ ''Gladiolus serpenticola'' Goldblatt & J.C. Manning

★ ''Gladiolus somalensis'' Goldblatt & Thulin

★ ''Gladiolus speciosus'' Thunb.

★ ''Gladiolus spectabilis'' Baker (s. d.)

★ ''Gladiolus splendens'' ((Sweet)) Herbert

★ ''Gladiolus stefaniae'' Oberm.

★ ''Gladiolus stellatus'' G. Lewis

★ ''Gladiolus subcaeruleus'' G. Lewis

★ ''Gladiolus sufflavus'' (G. Lewis) Goldblatt & J.C. Manning

★ ''Gladiolus sulcatus'' Goldblatt

★ ''Gladiolus taubertianus'' Schltr.

★ ''Gladiolus tenellus'' Ecklon

★ ''Gladiolus tenuis'' M. Bieb.

★ ''Gladiolus teretifolius'' Goldblatt & De Vos

★ ''Gladiolus thomsonii'' Baker

★ ''Gladiolus trichonemifolius'' (sect. Homoglossum)

★ ''Gladiolus tristis'' (sect. Homoglossum)

★
★ ''Gladiolus tristis'' var. ''concolor'' (Salisb.) Baker : Ever-flowering Gladiolus

★ ''Gladiolus tritoniaeformis''

★ ''Gladiolus tritoniiformis'' Kuntze

★ ''Gladiolus uitenhagensis'' Goldblatt & Vlok

★ ''Gladiolus undulatus'' L. (sect. Blandus) : Waved-flowered Gladiolus

★ ''Gladiolus unguiculatus'' Baker

★ ''Gladiolus usambarensis'' Marais ex Goldblatt

★ ''Gladiolus uysiae'' L. Bolus ex G. Lewis

★ ''Gladiolus vaginatus'' F. Bolus or Bolus f. (sect. Homoglossum)

★ ''Gladiolus validissimus'' Vaupel

★ ''Gladiolus vandermerwei'' (L. Bolus) Goldblatt & De Vos

★ ''Gladiolus varius'' F. Bolus or Bolus f.

★ ''Gladiolus velutinus'' De Wild.

★ ''Gladiolus venustus'' G. Lewis (sect. Hebea)

★ ''Gladiolus vernus'' Oberm.

★ ''Gladiolus vinoso-maculatus'' Kies

★ ''Gladiolus violaceo-lineatus'' G. Lewis

★ ''Gladiolus virescens'' Thunb. (sect. Hebea)

★ ''Gladiolus viridiflorus'' G. Lewis

★ ''Gladiolus viridis'' Aiton

★ ''Gladiolus watermeyeri'' (sect. Hebea)

★ ''Gladiolus watsonioides'' Baker

★ ''Gladiolus watsonius'' Thunb. (sect. Homoglossum)

★ ''Gladiolus woodii'' Baker

★ ''Gladiolus zimbabweensis'' Goldblatt

Cultivation

In temperate zones, the corms of most species and hybrids should be lifted in autumn and stored over winter in a frost-free place, then replanted in spring. Some species from Europe and high altitudes in Africa, as well as the small 'Nanus' hybrids, are much hardier (to at least -15°F/-26°C) and can be left in the ground in regions with sufficiently dry winters. Plants are propagated either from small cormlets produced as offsets by the parent corms, or from seed; in either case, they take several years to get to flowering size.
A popular 'Nanus' cultivar is ''Atom''.

''Gladiolus'' in Popular Culture

The stage character Dame Edna Everage has adopted the gladiolus as her trademark flower; the flowers often appear in her publicity photos and stage appearances. The singer Morrissey has done the same thing since his days in The Smiths in the 1980s, this use of flowers being unusual in popular-music circles.

External links

★ Taxonomy of ''Gladiolus'' in GBIF Biodiversity Data Portal

★ Gladioulus.co.uk - Comprehensive information about Gladiolus

References

★ Peter Goldblatt (1996)- A monograph of the genus Gladiolus in tropical Africa (83 species) (Timber Press)

★ Peter Goldblatt, J.C. Manning (1998)- Gladiolus in southern Africa : Systematics, Biology, and Evolution, including 144 watercolor paintings; (Fernwood Press, Cape Town)