From pale rose and mauve to salmon to screaming pink, this color complex offers many shades and the widest range of species in the color indices.
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Gladiolus anatolicus is a small species, only 15-30 cm with 3-4 flowers. Growing in Macchie at low elevations in S, SW Turkey and the adjacent Islands, blooming in March-April. Photo was taken in SW turkey by Oron Peri
Gladiolus angustus L. is found in wet places on sandstone soils in the southwestern corner of the southern African winter-rainfall region. Growing from 60 to 120 cm high, it flowers in spring (October and November) with cream to pale yellow flowers with diamond spade shaped yellow markings outlined in dark red on the lower tepals. The species has a very long perianth tube, usually 7 to 10 cm, and the lower tepals are substantially shorter than the upper tepals. It is related to Gladiolus carneus and Gladiolus undulatus. The first two photos from Mary Sue Ittner. The next two photos from iNaturalist taken by Chris Vynbos and shared under a CC BY-SA license. The last photo from Rachel Saunders.
Gladiolus appendiculatus G.J.Lewis is native to the Northern Provinces, South Africa and Swaziland where it grows in grassland on mountain slopes usually above 1800 m up to 2100 m. Growing from 35 to 60 cm, it has softly leathery 6 to 9 long leaves tapering to a sharp or blunt tip and 6 to 14 white to pink unscented flowers marked mauve or pink in the lower tepals, borne on one side. The tepals are unequal in size with the upper three largest and the dorsal arching over the stamens. Anthers have long tails. Flowering occurs in April and May. Photo from Rachel Saunders.
Gladiolus aquamontanus Goldblatt is a local endemic found on streams and wet cliffs in the Swartberg Mountains in the Western Cape. A winter rainfall plant, it grows from 40 to 100 cm, but mostly hangs down where it grows and has sword-shaped grey green evergreen leaves with lightly thickened margins and midribs. The mauve pink flowers are in a 4 to 8 flowered spike. The lower three tepals have a dark purple median streak in the lower two thirds. Flowers are unscented and bloom time is late spring to summer. One of the pbs list members who grows it has found that it never wants to be completely dry. The first photo from Rod Saunders. The next photo from the book Plants of the Klein Karoo courtesy of Jan and Anne Lise Schutte-Vlok.
Gladiolus arcuatus Klatt grows in the dry western part of the winter rainfall area of South Africa. In Namaqualand this species grows among low shrubs in granite derived gravel and in fine grained silt in areas to the south. It has flowers that are dull grey purple, brownish or dark purple, with the lower three tepals yellow in the lower two thirds with the distal third dark purple fading to light grey purple. The dorsal tepal is largest, horizontal and arching forward. Flowers are very fragrant and probably pollinated by long tongued bees. The first photo below could be this species. It was seen in early September 2006 in Namaqualand in the right habitat. The second photo taken earlier that year was taken at Rod and Rachel Saunders' property at Brackenfell. They often sprinkle seed about. I think it also could be this species. Photos 1-2 taken by Mary Sue Ittner. Photo #3 taken by Rod Saunders.
Gladiolus bilineatus G.J.Lewis grows in clay and loamy sand in the fynbos in the Langeberg Center (Southern Cape.) Growing from 20 to 40 cm and flowering March-April, this species has short sword shaped leaves and cream to pink flowers with reddish lines near the base of the lower tepals in a one to three flowered spike. Photos taken March 2016 near Swellendam by Rachel Saunders.
Gladiolus blommesteinii L.Bolus is found on sandstone slopes in fynbos in the southwest Cape. It blooms August to October and grows from 30 to 60 cm high. Flowers are in a one to four flowered inclined spike, mauve or pink with dark longitudinal streaks on the lower tepals. Photo taken in habitat by Rachel Saunders.
Gladiolus brevifolius Jacq. blooms in fall before producing leaves and has small pink, gray or brownish flowers with yellow markings on the lower tepals. It is found on sandstone and shale slopes in the north and south western Cape, South Africa. The first two photos of garden grown plants by Mary Sue Ittner and Bob Rutemoeller. The third photo was taken by Rod Saunders. The last picture was taken near Napier in the Overberg by Cameron McMaster.
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