''Gladiolus'' (from

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

, the diminutive of ''

gladius ''Gladius'' () is a Latin word properly referring to the type of sword that was used by Ancient Rome, ancient Roman foot soldiers starting from the 3rd century BC and until the 3rd century AD. Linguistically, within Latin, the word also came t ...

'', a sword) is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

corm 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 ''c ...

ous

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

s in the iris

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

(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 The Cape Floral Region is a floristic region located near the southern tip of South Africa. It is the only floristic region of the Cape Floristic Kingdom, and includes only one floristic province, known as the Cape Floristic Province. The Cap ...

.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

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 perennial plant, perennials growing from corms. They are low growing plants, whose flower stem ...

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 A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

, enclosed in a sheath. The lowest leaf is shortened to a

cataphyll In plant morphology, a cataphyll (sometimes also called a ''cataphyllum'' or cataphyll leafJackson, Benjamin, Daydon; A Glossary of Botanic Terms with their Derivation and Accent; Published by Gerald Duckworth & Co. London, 4th ed 1928) is a reduce ...

. The leaf blades can be plane or cruciform in cross section. The adaxial and abaxial surfaces of the leaf exhibit micro-striations with aligned micro-protrusions, which are coated with waxy nano-flakes. This three-level surface structure enables the leaf to shed rainfall droplets in a unidirectional manner due to anisotropic superhydrophobicity features, as reported by Mahesh C. Dubey ''et al.'' The flowers of unmodified wild species vary from very small to perhaps 40 mm across, and inflorescences bearing anything from one to several flowers. The spectacular giant flower spikes in commerce are the products of centuries of hybridisation and selection. The flower spikes are large and one-sided, with secund, bisexual flowers, each subtended by 2 leathery, green

bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also lo ...

s. The

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 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...

s and the

petal Petals are modified leaves that form an inner whorl surrounding the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly coloured or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corol ...

s 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 ve ...

. They are united at their base into a tube-shaped structure. The dorsal tepal is the largest, arching over the three

stamen The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

s. The outer three tepals are narrower. The

perianth The perianth (perigonium, perigon or perigone in monocots) is the non-reproductive part of the flower. It is a structure that forms an envelope surrounding the sexual organs, consisting of the calyx (sepals) and the corolla (petals) or tepal ...

is funnel-shaped, with the stamens attached to its base. The

style Style, or styles may refer to: Film and television * ''Style'' (2001 film), a Hindi film starring Sharman Joshi, Riya Sen, Sahil Khan and Shilpi Mudgal * ''Style'' (2002 film), a Tamil drama film * ''Style'' (2004 film), a Burmese film * '' ...

has three filiform, spoon-shaped branches, each expanding towards the apex. William Berman The

ovary The ovary () is a gonad in the female reproductive system that produces ova; when released, an ovum travels through the fallopian tube/ oviduct into the uterus. There is an ovary on the left and the right side of the body. The ovaries are end ...

is 3-locular with oblong or globose capsules, containing many, winged brown, longitudinally

dehiscent Dehiscence is the splitting of a mature plant structure along a built-in line of weakness to release its contents. This is common among fruits, anthers and sporangia. Sometimes this involves the complete detachment of a part. Structures that op ...

seed In botany, a seed is a plant structure containing an embryo and stored nutrients in a protective coat called a ''testa''. More generally, the term "seed" means anything that can be Sowing, sown, which may include seed and husk or tuber. Seeds ...

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 bees, but some changes in the pollination system have occurred, allowing pollination by sunbirds, noctuid 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'' which usually pollinates many popular garden flowers like ''Petunia'', ''Zinnia'', ''Dianthus'' and others. Gladioli are used as food plants by the

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organ ...

species including the Large Yellow Underwing, and gladiolus

thrips Thrips (Order (biology) , order Thysanoptera) are minute (mostly long or less), slender insects with fringed wings and unique asymmetrical mouthparts. Entomologists have species description , described approximately 7,700 species. They fly on ...

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 and flower buds (often with some Plant stem, stem and leaf) that have been cut from the plant bearing it. It is removed from the plant for decorative use. Cut greens are leaves with or without stems added to the cut flow ...

for display. The majority of the species in this genus are

diploid Ploidy () is the number of complete sets of chromosomes in a cell, and hence the number of possible alleles for autosomal and pseudoautosomal genes. Here ''sets of chromosomes'' refers to the number of maternal and paternal chromosome copies, ...

with 30

chromosome A chromosome is a package of DNA containing part or all of the genetic material of an organism. In most chromosomes, the very long thin DNA fibers are coated with nucleosome-forming packaging proteins; in eukaryotic cells, the most import ...

s (2n=30) but the Grandiflora hybrids are

tetraploid Polyploidy is a condition in which the cells of an organism have more than two paired sets of ( homologous) chromosomes. Most species whose cells have nuclei (eukaryotes) are diploid, meaning they have two complete sets of chromosomes, one fro ...

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).

Gallery

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 File:Gladiolus Italicus Bulbs, Behbahan, Iran.jpg, ''

Gladiolus italicus ''Gladiolus italicus'' is a species of gladiolus known by the common names Italian gladiolus, field gladiolus, and common sword-lily. It is native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, but it is well known on other continents where it is a common ...

'' Bulbs of different sizes and ages (from Behbahan, Iran) File:گلایول شمشیری خودرو، فروردین‌ماه بهبهان.jpg, Wild ''Gladiolus italicus'' in Behbahan File:Gladiolus Italicus, Behbahan.jpg, ''Gladiolus italicus'' in Behbahan File:گلایل شمشیری وحشی بهبهان.jpg, Wild ''Gladiolus italicus'' File:Gladiolus hybridus corms.jpg, ''Gladiolus hybridus'' corms or bulbs, Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Cultivation

temperate zone In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (approximately 23.5° to 66.5° N/S of the Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ra ...

s, 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 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. They are affected by

, (thrip simplex), and wasps '' Dasyproctus bipunctatus'', which burrow into the flowers causing them to collapse and die. Numerous garden

cultivar A cultivar is a kind of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and which retains those traits when Plant propagation, propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root a ...

s have been developed, of which ‘Robinetta’ (a ''G. recurvus'' hybrid), with pink flowers, has gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. It includes the full range of cultivated p ...

In culture

* Gladiolus is the birth flower of August. * Gladioli are the flowers associated with a fortieth

wedding anniversary A wedding anniversary is the anniversary of the date that a wedding took place. Couples often mark the occasion by celebrating their relationship, either privately or with a larger party. Special celebrations and gifts are often given for partic ...

. * American

Ragtime Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that had its peak from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its Syncopation, syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers ...

composer

Scott Joplin Scott Joplin (November 24, 1868 – April 1, 1917) was an American composer and pianist. Dubbed the "King of Ragtime", he composed more than 40 ragtime pieces, one ragtime ballet, and two operas. One of his first and most popular pieces, the ...

composed a rag called “Gladiolus Rag” * "Gladiolus" was the word

Frank Neuhauser Frank Louis Neuhauser (September 29, 1913 – March 11, 2011) was an American patent lawyer and spelling bee champion, who won the first National Spelling Bee (now known as the Scripps National Spelling Bee) in 1925 by successfully spelling t ...

correctly spelled to win the 1st National Spelling Bee in 1925. * The Australian comedian and personality Dame Edna Everage's signature flowers were gladioli, which she referred to as "gladdies". * The ancient

Graeco-Roman The Greco-Roman world , also Greco-Roman civilization, Greco-Roman culture or Greco-Latin culture (spelled Græco-Roman or Graeco-Roman in British English), as understood by modern scholars and writers, includes the geographical regions and co ...

god

Pluto Pluto (minor-planet designation: 134340 Pluto) is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a ring of Trans-Neptunian object, bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune. It is the ninth-largest and tenth-most-massive known object to directly orbit the Su ...

was said to wear a wreath of what is traditionally identified as a type of Gladiolus, called ''phasganion'' or ''xiphion'' in

Koine Greek Koine Greek (, ), also variously known as Hellenistic Greek, common Attic, the Alexandrian dialect, Biblical Greek, Septuagint Greek or New Testament Greek, was the koiné language, common supra-regional form of Greek language, Greek spoken and ...

. * The Mancunian singer

Morrissey Steven Patrick Morrissey ( ; born 22 May 1959), known :wikt:mononym, mononymously as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of rock band the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 198 ...

is known to dance with gladioli hanging from his back pocket or in his hands, especially during the era of

The Smiths The Smiths were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Manchester in 1982, composed of Morrissey (vocals), Johnny Marr (guitar), Andy Rourke (bass) and Mike Joyce (musician), Mike Joyce (drums). Morrissey and Marr formed the band's songwrit ...

. 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. * Gladioli are traditionally given to people who finish the International Four Days Marches Nijmegen. This likely derives from their association with victory, from the time when gladiators were showered with them upon victory. * Gladiolus is the symbolic flower of Punjab. File:Vincent Willem van Gogh 124.jpg, ''Vase with Red Gladioli'' (1886) by

Vincent van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In just over a decade, he created approximately 2,100 artworks ...

File:Ph Ernst (201).JPG, ''Gladiole'' by

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) was an "international collaborative programme that provides the latest peer reviewed and published opinions on the accepted scientific names and synonyms of selected p ...

had over 276 species in 1988,A. Mujib (Editor) , it accepted 300 species. There are 260 species of ''Gladiolus'' endemic to southern Africa,Trevor R. Hodkinson and John A.N. Parnell (Editors) and 76 in tropical Africa. About 10 species are native to

Eurasia Eurasia ( , ) is a continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. According to some geographers, Physical geography, physiographically, Eurasia is a single supercontinent. The concept of Europe and Asia as distinct continents d ...

.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 Andrews may refer to: Places Australia *Andrews, Queensland *Andrews, South Australia United States *Andrews, Florida (disambiguation), various places *Andrews, Indiana *Andrews, Nebraska *Andrews, North Carolina *Andrews, Oregon *Andrews, South ...

Curtis Curtis or Curtiss is a common English given name and surname of Anglo-Norman origin, deriving from the Old French ''curteis'' (Modern French">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of Fren ...

(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'' L. (sect. Gladiolus) – common cornflag, (

type species In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, 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 spe ...

) * '' 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. * '' 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) Goldblatt & M.P.de Vos * '' Gladiolus gandavensis'' * '' Gladiolus geardii'' L. Bolus * '' Gladiolus goldblattianus'' 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 * ''

'' 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'' 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 ''Gladiolus'' (from Latin, the diminutive of ''gladius'', a sword) is a genus of perennial plant, perennial cormous flowering plants in the iris family (biology), family (Iridaceae). It is sometimes called the 'sword lily', but is usually cal ...

'' 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'' (''G. cardinalis'' × ''G. tristis''): Colville's gladiolus * ''Gladiolus'' × ''gandavensis'' (''G. dalenii'' × ''G. oppositiflorus'') (sect. Ophiolyza) * ''Gladiolus'' × ''hortulanus''

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 Cormous plants Garden plants Iridaceae genera