''Gladiolus'' (from Latin, the diminutive of ''
gladius
''Gladius'' () is a Latin word meaning "sword" (of any type), but in its narrow sense it refers to the sword of ancient Roman foot soldiers. Early ancient Roman swords were similar to those of the Greeks, called '' xiphe'' (plural; singular ''xi ...
'', a sword
) is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of
perennial
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wid ...
corm
A corm, bulbo-tuber, or bulbotuber is a short, vertical, swollen underground plant stem that serves as a storage organ that some plants use to survive winter or other adverse conditions such as summer drought and heat (perennation).
The word ' ...
ous
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
s in the iris
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
(Iridaceae).
It is sometimes called the 'sword lily', but is usually called by its generic name (plural ''gladioli'').
The genus occurs in Asia, Mediterranean Europe, South Africa, and tropical Africa. The
center of diversity is in the
Cape Floristic Region.
[Goldblatt, P. &, J.C. Manning. ''Gladiolus'' in Southern Africa : Systematics, Biology, and Evolution. Fernwood Press, Cape Town; 1998.] The genera ''Acidanthera'', ''Anomalesia'', ''Homoglossum'', and ''Oenostachys'', formerly considered distinct, are now included in ''Gladiolus''.
Description
Gladioli grow from round, symmetrical
corm
A corm, bulbo-tuber, or bulbotuber is a short, vertical, swollen underground plant stem that serves as a storage organ that some plants use to survive winter or other adverse conditions such as summer drought and heat (perennation).
The word ' ...
s
[ (similar to ]crocus
''Crocus'' (; plural: crocuses or croci) is a genus of seasonal flowering plants in the family Iridaceae (iris family) comprising about 100 species of perennials growing from corms. They are low growing plants, whose flower stems remain under ...
es) 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.sepal
A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coine ...
s and the petals are almost identical in appearance, and are termed tepals
A tepal is one of the outer parts of a flower (collectively the perianth). The term is used when these parts cannot easily be classified as either sepals or petals. This may be because the parts of the perianth are undifferentiated (i.e. of very ...
. 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
The perianth (perigonium, perigon or perigone in monocots) is the non-reproductive part of the flower, and structure that forms an envelope surrounding the sexual organs, consisting of the calyx (sepals) and the corolla ( petals) or tepals when ...
is funnel-shaped, with the stamens attached to its base. The style
Style is a manner of doing or presenting things and may refer to:
* Architectural style, the features that make a building or structure historically identifiable
* Design, the process of creating something
* Fashion, a prevailing mode of clothing ...
has three filiform
Filiform, thread or filament like, can refer to:
* Filiform, a common term used in botany to describe a thread-like shape
*Filiform, or filiform catheter
In medicine, a catheter (/ˈkæθətər/) is a thin tubing (material), tube made from m ...
, spoon-shaped branches, each expanding towards the apex.[
William Berman ]
The ovary is 3-locular with oblong or globose capsules,[ containing many, winged brown, longitudinally dehiscent ]seed
A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...
s.
These flowers are variously coloured, ranging from pink to reddish or light purple with white, contrasting markings, or white to cream or orange to red.[
]
Ecology
The South African species were originally pollinated by long-tongued anthophorini
The Anthophorini are a large tribe in the subfamily Apinae of the family Apidae. Species in this tribe are often referred to as digger bees, although this common name is sometimes also applied to members of the tribe Centridini. It contains over ...
bees, but some changes in the pollination system have occurred, allowing pollination by sunbird
Sunbirds and spiderhunters make up the family Nectariniidae of passerine birds. They are small, slender passerines from the Old World, usually with downward-curved bills. Many are brightly coloured, often with iridescent feathers, particularly ...
s, noctuid
The Noctuidae, commonly known as owlet moths, cutworms or armyworms, are a family of moths. They are considered the most controversial family in the superfamily Noctuoidea because many of the clades are constantly changing, along with the other f ...
and Hawk-moths, long-tongued flies and several others. In the temperate zones of Europe many of the hybrid large flowering sorts of gladiolus can be pollinated by small well-known wasps. Actually, they are not very good pollinators because of the large flowers of the plants and the small size of the wasps. Another insect in this zone which can try some of the nectar of the gladioli is the best-known European Hawk-moth ''Macroglossum stellatarum
The hummingbird hawk-moth (''Macroglossum stellatarum'') is a species of hawk moth found across temperate regions of Eurasia. The species is named for its similarity to hummingbirds, as they feed on the nectar of tube-shaped flowers using their ...
'' which usually pollinates many popular garden flowers like ''Petunia'', ''Zinnia'', ''Dianthus'' and others.
Gladioli are used as food plants by the larva
A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle.
...
e of some Lepidoptera species including the Large Yellow Underwing
The large yellow underwing (''Noctua pronuba'') is a moth, the type species for the family Noctuidae. It is an abundant species throughout the Palearctic realm, one of the most common and most familiar moths of the region. In some years the speci ...
, and gladiolus thrips
Thrips (order Thysanoptera) are minute (mostly long or less), slender insects with fringed wings and unique asymmetrical mouthparts. Different thrips species feed mostly on plants by puncturing and sucking up the contents, although a few are ...
.
Horticulture
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 can make very good ]cut flowers
Cut flowers are flowers or flower buds (often with some stem and leaf) that have been cut from the plant bearing it. It is usually removed from the plant for decorative use. Typical uses are in vase displays, wreaths and garlands. Many garde ...
for display.[
The majority of the species in this genus are diploid with 30 ]chromosome
A chromosome is a long DNA molecule with part or all of the genetic material of an organism. In most chromosomes the very long thin DNA fibers are coated with packaging proteins; in eukaryotic cells the most important of these proteins are ...
s (2n=30) but the Grandiflora hybrids are tetraploid
Polyploidy is a condition in which the cells of an organism have more than one pair of ( homologous) chromosomes. Most species whose cells have nuclei (eukaryotes) are diploid, meaning they have two sets of chromosomes, where each set contains ...
and possess 60 chromosomes (2n=4x=60). This is because the main parental species of these hybrids is '' Gladiolus dalenii'' which is also tetraploid and includes a wide range of varieties (like the Grandiflora hybrids).[
]
Species
The genus ''Gladiolus'' contains about 300 species, the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
The World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (usually abbreviated to WCSP) is an "international collaborative programme that provides the latest peer reviewed and published opinions on the accepted scientific names and synonyms of selected pla ...
had over 276 species in 1988,[A. Mujib (Editor) ] , it accepted 300 species.[Trevor R. Hodkinson and John A.N. Parnell (Editors) ] and 76 in tropical Africa.
About 10 species are native to Eurasia
Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelago ...
.[Rina Kamenetsky and Hiroshi Okubo (Editors) ]
The genus ''Gladiolus'' has been divided into many sections. Most species, however, are only tentatively placed.
* '' Gladiolus abbreviatus'' Andrews
* '' Gladiolus abyssinicus'' (Brongn. ex Lem.) B.D.Jacks.
* '' Gladiolus actinomorphanthus'' P.A.Duvign. & Van Bockstal
* '' Gladiolus acuminatus'' F.Bolus
* '' Gladiolus aequinoctialis'' Herb.
* '' Gladiolus alatus'' L. (sect. Hebea)
* '' Gladiolus albens'' Goldblatt & J.C.Manning
* '' Gladiolus amplifolius'' Goldblatt
* '' Gladiolus anatolicus'' (Boiss.) Stapf
* '' Gladiolus andringitrae'' Goldblatt
* '' Gladiolus angustus'' L. (sect. Blandus) – long-tubed painted lady
* '' Gladiolus antakiensis'' A.P.Ham.
* '' Gladiolus antandroyi'' Goldblatt
* '' Gladiolus appendiculatus'' G.Lewis
* '' Gladiolus aquamontanus'' Goldblatt & Vlok
* '' Gladiolus arcuatus'' Klatt
* '' Gladiolus atropictus'' Goldblatt & J.C.Manning
* '' Gladiolus atropurpureus'' Baker
* '' Gladiolus atroviolaceus'' Boiss.
* '' Gladiolus attilae'' Kit Tan
* '' Gladiolus aurantiacus'' Klatt
* '' Gladiolus aureus'' Baker – golden gladiolus
* '' Gladiolus balensis'' Goldblatt
* '' Gladiolus baumii'' Harms
* '' Gladiolus bellus'' C. H. Wright
* '' Gladiolus benguellensis'' Baker (sect. Ophiolyza)
* '' Gladiolus bilineatus'' G. J. Lewis
* '' Gladiolus blommesteinii'' L.Bolus
* '' Gladiolus bojeri'' (Baker) Goldblatt
* '' Gladiolus bonaespei'' Goldblatt & M.P.de Vos
* '' Gladiolus boranensis'' Goldblatt
* '' Gladiolus brachyphyllus'' Bolus f.
* '' Gladiolus brevifolius'' Jacq. (sect. Linearifolius)
* '' Gladiolus brevitubus'' G. Lewis
* '' Gladiolus buckerveldii'' (L. Bolus) Goldblatt
* '' Gladiolus bullatus'' Thunb.
Carl Peter Thunberg, also known as Karl Peter von Thunberg, Carl Pehr Thunberg, or Carl Per Thunberg (11 November 1743 – 8 August 1828), was a Swedish naturalist and an "apostle" of Carl Linnaeus. After studying under Linnaeus at Uppsala Un ...
ex G. Lewis – Caledon bluebell.
* '' Gladiolus caeruleus'' Goldblatt & J.C. Manning
* '' Gladiolus calcaratus'' G. Lewis
* '' Gladiolus calcicola'' Goldblatt
* '' Gladiolus canaliculatus'' Goldblatt
* '' Gladiolus candidus'' ( Rendle) Goldblatt
* '' Gladiolus cardinalis'' Curtis
Curtis or Curtiss is a common English given name and surname of Anglo-Norman origin from the Old French ''curteis'' ( Modern French ''courtois'') which derived from the Spanish Cortés (of which Cortez is a variation) and the Portuguese and Ga ...
(sect. Blandus)
* '' Gladiolus carinatus'' Aiton – occurring in Darling, South Africa, and locally called the "blou pypie" ("blue pipe")
* '' Gladiolus carmineus'' C. H. Wright (sect. Blandus) – cliff lily
* '' Gladiolus carneus'' F.Delaroche (sect. Blandus) – large painted lady
* '' Gladiolus caryophyllaceus'' (Burm. f.) Poiret
* '' Gladiolus cataractarum'' Oberm.
* '' Gladiolus caucasicus'' Herb.
* '' Gladiolus ceresianus'' L. Bolus
* '' Gladiolus chelamontanus'' Goldblatt
* '' Gladiolus chevalierianus'' Marais
* ''Gladiolus communis
''Gladiolus communis'', the eastern gladiolus, or common corn-flag, is a species of flowering plant in the family (biology), family Iridaceae, native plant, native to temperateness, temperate northern Africa, western Asia and southern Europe, fro ...
'' L. (sect. Gladiolus) – common cornflag,type species
In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specime ...
)
* '' Gladiolus comptonii'' G.J.Lewis
* '' Gladiolus crassifolius'' Baker
* '' Gladiolus crispulatus'' L. Bolus
* '' Gladiolus cruentus'' T. Moore (sect. Ophiolyza)
* '' Gladiolus cunonius'' (L.) Gaertn.
* '' Gladiolus curtifolius'' Marais
* '' Gladiolus curtilimbus'' P.A.Duvign. & Van Bockstal ex S.Córdova
* '' Gladiolus cylindraceus'' G. Lewis
* '' Gladiolus dalenii'' (sect. Ophiolyza)
* '' Gladiolus davisoniae'' F.Bolus
* '' Gladiolus debeerstii'' De Wild.
* '' Gladiolus debilis'' Ker Gawler (sect. Homoglossum) – small painted lady
* '' Gladiolus decaryi'' Goldblatt
* '' Gladiolus decoratus'' Baker
* '' Gladiolus delpierrei'' Goldblatt
* '' Gladiolus densiflorus'' Baker
* '' Gladiolus deserticola'' Goldblatt
* '' Gladiolus dichrous'' (Bullock) Goldblatt
* '' Gladiolus diluvialis'' Goldblatt & J.C.Manning
*'' Gladiolus dolichosiphon'' Goldblatt & J.C.Manning
* '' Gladiolus dolomiticus'' Oberm.
* '' Gladiolus dzavakheticus'' Eristavi
* '' Gladiolus ecklonii'' Lehm.
Johann Georg Christian Lehmann (25 February 1792 – 12 February 1860) was a German botanist.
Born at Haselau, near Uetersen, Duchy of Holstein, Holstein, Lehmann studied medicine in Copenhagen and Göttingen, obtained a doctorate in medicine ...
* '' 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 exilis'' G.J.Lewis
* '' Gladiolus fenestratus'' Goldblatt
* '' Gladiolus ferrugineus'' Goldblatt & J.C.Manning
* '' Gladiolus filiformis'' Goldblatt & J.C.Manning
* '' Gladiolus flanaganii'' Baker – suicide gladiolus
* '' Gladiolus flavoviridis'' Goldblatt
* '' Gladiolus floribundus'' Jacq.
* '' Gladiolus fourcadei'' (L.Bolus
Harriet Margaret Louisa Bolus ''née'' Kensit (31 July 1877, Burgersdorp – 5 April 1970, Cape Town) was a South African botanist and taxonomist, and the longtime curator of the Bolus Herbarium, from 1903. Bolus also has the legacy of authorin ...
) Goldblatt & M.P.de Vos
* '' Gladiolus geardii'' L. Bolus
* ''Gladiolus goldblattianus
''Gladiolus'' (from Latin, the diminutive of ''gladius'', a sword) is a genus of perennial cormous flowering plants in the iris family (Iridaceae).
It is sometimes called the 'sword lily', but is usually called by its generic name (plural ''g ...
'' Geerinck
* '' Gladiolus gracilis'' Jacq. (sect. Homoglossum) – reed bells
* '' Gladiolus gracillimus'' Baker
* '' Gladiolus grandiflorus'' Andrews (sect. Blandus)
* '' Gladiolus grantii'' Baker
* '' Gladiolus gregarius'' Welw. ex Baker (sect. Densiflorus)
* '' Gladiolus griseus'' Goldblatt & J.C. Manning
* '' Gladiolus gueinzii'' Kunze
* '' Gladiolus gunnisii'' (Rendle) Marais
* '' Gladiolus guthriei'' F. Bol. (sect. Linearifolius)
* '' Gladiolus hajastanicus'' Gabrieljan
* '' Gladiolus halophilus'' Boiss. & Heldr.
* '' Gladiolus harmsianus'' Vaupel
* '' Gladiolus hirsutus'' Jacq. (sect. Linearifolius) – small pink Afrikaner, ''lapmuis''
* '' Gladiolus hollandii'' L. Bolus
* '' Gladiolus horombensis'' Goldblatt
* '' Gladiolus huillensis'' (Welw. ex Baker) Goldblatt
* '' Gladiolus humilis'' Stapf
* '' Gladiolus huttonii'' (N.E.Br.) Goldblatt & M.P.de Vos
* '' Gladiolus hyalinus'' Jacq.
* '' Gladiolus illyricus'' W.D.J.Koch – wild gladiolus
* '' Gladiolus imbricatus'' L.
* '' Gladiolus inandensis'' 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'' D.Delaroche (sect. Hebea)
* '' Gladiolus iroensis'' (A. Chev.) Marais
* '' Gladiolus italicus'' P. Mill. (sect. Gladiolus) – Italian gladiolus, cornflag
* '' Gladiolus jonquilodorus'' Eckl. ex G.J.Lewis
* '' Gladiolus juncifolius'' Goldblatt
* '' Gladiolus kamiesbergensis'' G. Lewis
* '' Gladiolus karooicus'' Goldblatt & J.C.Manning
* '' Gladiolus kotschyanus'' Boiss.
* '' Gladiolus lapeirousioides'' Goldblatt
* '' Gladiolus laxiflorus'' Baker
* '' Gladiolus ledoctei'' P.A.Duvign. & Van Bockstal
* '' Gladiolus leonensis'' Marais
* '' Gladiolus leptosiphon'' Bolus f.
* '' Gladiolus liliaceus'' Houtt. (sect. Homoglossum)
* '' Gladiolus linearifolius'' Vaupel
* '' Gladiolus lithicola'' Goldblatt
* '' Gladiolus longicollis'' Baker (sect. Homoglossum)
* '' Gladiolus longispathaceus'' Cufod.
* '' Gladiolus loteniensis'' Hilliard & Burtt
* '' Gladiolus lundaensis'' Goldblatt
* '' Gladiolus luteus'' Lam.
* '' Gladiolus macneilii'' Oberm.
* '' Gladiolus maculatus'' Sweet
* '' Gladiolus magnificus'' (Harms) Goldblatt
* '' Gladiolus malvinus'' Goldblatt & J.C. Manning
* '' Gladiolus manikaensis'' Goldblatt
* '' Gladiolus mariae'' van der Burgt
* '' Gladiolus marlothii'' G. Lewis
* '' Gladiolus martleyi'' L. Bolus (sect. Homoglossum)
* '' Gladiolus meliusculus'' (G. Lewis) Goldblatt & J.C. Manning
* '' Gladiolus melleri'' Baker (sect. Ophiolyza)
* '' Gladiolus menitskyi'' Gabrieljan
* '' Gladiolus mensensis'' (Schweinf.) Goldblatt
* '' Gladiolus meridionalis'' G.J.Lewis
* '' Gladiolus metallicola'' Goldblatt
* '' Gladiolus micranthus'' Baker, 1901
* '' Gladiolus microcarpus'' G. Lewis
* '' Gladiolus microspicatus'' P.A.Duvign. & Van Bockstal ex S.Córdova
* '' Gladiolus miniatus'' Eckl.
* '' Gladiolus mirus'' Vaupel
* '' Gladiolus monticola'' G. Lewis ex Goldblatt & J.C. Manning
* '' Gladiolus mosambicensis'' Baker
* '' Gladiolus mostertiae'' L. Bolus
* '' Gladiolus muenzneri'' F. Vaup
* '' Gladiolus murgusicus'' Mikheev
* '' Gladiolus murielae'' Kelway (syn. ''G. callianthus'') – Abyssinian gladiolus
* '' Gladiolus mutabilis'' G.J.Lewis
* '' Gladiolus negeliensis'' Goldblatt
* '' Gladiolus nerineoides'' G. Lewis
* '' Gladiolus nigromontanus'' Goldblatt
* '' Gladiolus nyasicus'' Goldblatt
* '' Gladiolus oatesii'' Rolfe
* '' Gladiolus ochroleucus'' Baker (sect. Densiflorus)
* '' Gladiolus oliganthus'' Baker
* '' Gladiolus oligophlebius'' Baker
* '' Gladiolus oppositiflorus'' Herbert (sect. Ophiolyza)
* '' Gladiolus orchidiflorus'' Andrews (sect. Hebea)
* '' Gladiolus oreocharis'' Schltr.
* '' Gladiolus ornatus'' Klatt
* '' Gladiolus overbergensis'' Goldblatt & M.P.de Vos
* '' Gladiolus palustris'' Gaudin – 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'' Bolus f.
* '' Gladiolus pauciflorus'' Baker ex Oliv.
* '' Gladiolus pavonia'' Goldblatt & J.C. Manning
* '' Gladiolus permeabilis'' Delaroche (sect. Hebea)
* '' Gladiolus perrieri'' Goldblatt
* '' Gladiolus persicus'' Boiss.
* '' Gladiolus phoenix'' Goldblatt & J.C.Manning
* '' Gladiolus pole-evansii'' Verd.
* '' Gladiolus praecostatus'' Marais
* '' Gladiolus pretoriensis'' Kuntze
* '' Gladiolus priorii'' (N. E. Br.) Goldblatt & De Vos
* '' Gladiolus pritzelii'' Diels
* '' Gladiolus puberulus'' Vaupel
* '' Gladiolus pubigerus'' G. Lewis
* '' Gladiolus pulcherrimus'' (G. Lewis) Goldblatt & J.C. Manning
* '' Gladiolus pungens'' P.A.Duvign. & Van Bockstal ex S.Córdova
* '' Gladiolus pusillus'' Goldblatt
* '' Gladiolus quadrangularis'' (Burm. f.) Ker Gawler
* '' Gladiolus quadrangulus'' (Delaroche) Barnard
* ''Gladiolus recurvus
''Gladiolus'' (from Latin, the diminutive of ''gladius'', a sword) is a genus of perennial cormous flowering plants in the iris family (Iridaceae).
It is sometimes called the 'sword lily', but is usually called by its generic name (plural ''g ...
'' L. (sect. Homoglossum)
* ''Gladiolus reginae'' Goldblatt & J.C.Manning
* ''Gladiolus rehmannii'' Baker
* ''Gladiolus rhodanthus'' J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
* ''Gladiolus richardsiae'' Goldblatt
* ''Gladiolus robertsoniae'' Bolus f.
* ''Gladiolus robiliartianus'' P.A.Duvign.
* ''Gladiolus rogersii'' Baker
* ''Gladiolus roseolus'' Chiov.
* ''Gladiolus roseovenosus'' Goldblatt & J.C. Manning
* ''Gladiolus rubellus'' Goldblatt
* ''Gladiolus rudis'' Lichtst. ex Roem. & Schult.
* ''Gladiolus rufomarginatus'' G.J.Lewis
* ''Gladiolus rupicola'' F. Vaupel
* ''Gladiolus saccatus'' (Klatt) Goldblatt & M.P. de Vos
* ''Gladiolus salmoneicolor'' P.A.Duvign. & Van Bockstal ex S.Córdova
* ''Gladiolus salteri'' G. Lewis
* ''Gladiolus saundersii'' Hook. f. – Saunders' gladiolus, Lesotho lily
* ''Gladiolus saxatilis'' Goldblatt & J.C.Manning
* ''Gladiolus scabridus'' Goldblatt & J.C.Manning
* ''Gladiolus schweinfurthii'' Baker
* ''Gladiolus scullyi'' Baker
* ''Gladiolus sekukuniensis'' P.J.D.Winter
* ''Gladiolus sempervirens'' G.J.Lewis
* ''Gladiolus serapiiflorus'' Goldblatt
* ''Gladiolus serenjensis'' Goldblatt
* ''Gladiolus sericeovillosus'' Hook. f.
* ''Gladiolus serpenticola'' Goldblatt & J.C. Manning
* ''Gladiolus somalensis'' Goldblatt & Thulin
* ''Gladiolus speciosus'' Thunb.
* ''Gladiolus splendens'' (Sweet) Herbert
* ''Gladiolus stefaniae'' Oberm.
* ''Gladiolus stellatus'' G. Lewis
* ''Gladiolus stenolobus'' Goldblatt
* ''Gladiolus stenosiphon'' Goldblatt
* ''Gladiolus stokoei'' G.J.Lewis
* ''Gladiolus subcaeruleus'' G. Lewis
* ''Gladiolus sudanicus'' Goldblatt
* ''Gladiolus sufflavus'' (G. Lewis) Goldblatt & J.C. Manning
* ''Gladiolus sulculatus'' Goldblatt
* ''Gladiolus symonsii'' F.Bolus
* ''Gladiolus szovitsii'' Grossh.
* ''Gladiolus taubertianus'' Schltr.
* ''Gladiolus tenuis'' M. Bieb.
* ''Gladiolus teretifolius'' Goldblatt & De Vos
* ''Gladiolus trichonemifolius'' Ker Gawl. (sect. Homoglossum)
* ''Gladiolus triphyllus'' (Sm.) Ker Gawl.
* ''Gladiolus tristis'' L. (sect. Homoglossum)
* ''Gladiolus tshombeanus'' P.A.Duvign. & Van Bockstal
* ''Gladiolus uitenhagensis'' Goldblatt & Vlok
* ''Gladiolus undulatus'' L. (sect. Blandus) – large white Afrikaner, wall gladiolus
* ''Gladiolus unguiculatus'' Baker
* ''Gladiolus usambarensis'' Marais ex Goldblatt
* ''Gladiolus uysiae'' L. Bolus ex G. Lewis
* ''Gladiolus vaginatus'' Bolus f. (sect. Homoglossum)
* ''Gladiolus vandermerwei'' (L. Bolus) Goldblatt & De Vos
* ''Gladiolus variegatus'' (G.J.Lewis) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning
* ''Gladiolus varius'' Bolus f.
* ''Gladiolus velutinus'' De Wild.
* ''Gladiolus venustus'' G. Lewis (sect. Hebea)
* ''Gladiolus verdickii'' De Wild. & T.Durand
* ''Gladiolus vernus'' Oberm.
* ''Gladiolus vigilans'' Barnard
* ''Gladiolus vinosomaculatus'' Kies
* ''Gladiolus violaceolineatus'' G.J.Lewis
* ''Gladiolus virescens'' Thunb. (sect. Hebea)
* ''Gladiolus virgatus'' Goldblatt & J.C.Manning
* ''Gladiolus viridiflorus'' G. Lewis
* ''Gladiolus watermeyeri'' L.Bolus (sect. Hebea)
* ''Gladiolus watsonioides'' Baker – Mackinder's gladiolus
* ''Gladiolus watsonius'' Thunb. (sect. Homoglossum)
* ''Gladiolus wilsonii'' (Baker) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning
* ''Gladiolus woodii'' Baker
* ''Gladiolus zambesiacus'' Baker
* ''Gladiolus zimbabweensis'' Goldblatt
Known hybrids include:
* Gladiolus × colvillii, ''Gladiolus'' × ''colvillii'' (''G. cardinalis'' × ''G. tristis''): Colville's gladiolus
* Gladiolus × gandavensis, ''Gladiolus'' × ''gandavensis'' (''G. dalenii'' × ''G. oppositiflorus'') (sect. Ophiolyza)
* Gladiolus × hortulanus, ''Gladiolus'' × ''hortulanus''
File:Gladiolus alatus nah.JPG, '' Gladiolus alatus'', Clanwilliam, RSA
File:Gladiolus-carcinalis.jpg, '' Gladiolus cardinalis''
from Curtis's Botanical Magazine 1790
File:Gladiolus-undulatus.jpg, Waved-flowered Gladiolus (''Gladiolus undulatus'')
from Curtis's Botanical Magazine 1801
File:Starr 980630-1515 Gladiolus sp..jpg, ''Gladiolus'' hybrid, Grandiflorus group
File:Gladiolus imbricatus1002.jpg, '' Gladiolus imbricatus''
File:Gartengladiole apricot.JPG, ''Gladiolus'' × ''hortulanus''
File:Gladiolus carneus (1).jpg, '' Gladiolus carneus''
File:Gladiolus × hortulanus 'Priscilla' Vis UV IR comparison.jpg, ''Gladiolus'' × ''hortulanus'' 'Priscilla' photographed in visible, ultraviolet (showing Nectar guides), and infrared light
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 ) and can be left in the ground in regions with sufficiently dry winters. 'Nanus' is hardy to Zones 5–8. The large-flowered types require moisture during the growing season, and must be individually staked as soon as the sword-shaped flower heads appear. The leaves must be allowed to die down naturally before lifting and storing the corms. Plants are plant propagation, 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. Clumps should be dug up and divided every few years to keep them vigorous.thrips
Thrips (order Thysanoptera) are minute (mostly long or less), slender insects with fringed wings and unique asymmetrical mouthparts. Different thrips species feed mostly on plants by puncturing and sucking up the contents, although a few are ...
, (thrip simplex),
In culture
* Gladiolus is the birth flower of August.
* Gladioli are the flowers associated with a fortieth wedding anniversary.
* American Ragtime composer Scott Joplin composed a rag called “Gladiolus Rag”
* "Gladiolus" was the word Frank Neuhauser correctly spelled to win the 1st National Spelling Bee in 1925.
* The Australian comedian and personality Dame Edna Everage's signature flowers are gladioli, which she refers to as "gladdies".
* The ancient Graeco-Roman god Pluto (mythology), Pluto was said to wear a wreath of what is traditionally identified as a type of Gladiolus, called ''phasganion'' or ''xiphion'' in Koine Greek.
* The Manchester, Mancunian singer Morrissey is known to dance with gladioli hanging from his back pocket or in his hands, especially during the era of The Smiths. This trait of his was made known in the music video for "This Charming Man", where he swung a bunch of yellow gladioli while singing.
References
Bibliography
* G. R. Delpierre and N. M. du Plessis (1974). ''The winter-growing Gladioli of Southern Africa''. Tafelberg-Uitgewers Beperk 120 colour photographs and descriptions.
* 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''. Cape Town: Fernwood Press.
External links
Taxonomy of ''Gladiolus'' in GBIF Biodiversity Data Portal
{{Authority control
Gladiolus,
Cormous plants
Garden plants
Iridaceae genera
