Citation: L., Sp. Pl. 36 (1753) subsp. byzantinus (Miller) A.P. Ham., Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 76:358 (1978).

Synonymy: G. byzantinus Miller, Gard. Dict. edn 8 (1768); G. illyricus sensu H. Eichler, Suppl. 86 (1965), non Koch ex Sturm.

Common name: Byzantine gladiolus.

Description:
Perennial 50-90 cm high; corm c. 2 cm diam.; leaves 3-5, narrowly sword-shaped, the lowest one to 60 cm long, c. 2 cm wide, flat, glabrous, with several prominent veins.

Spike straight, erect, more or less distichous, dense, 5-18-flowered; spathe bracts narrowly lanceolate, acute, 2.5-5 cm long; flowers bilabiate, deep-purple; perianth tube concealed by the spathe, curved, c. 1.8 cm long; perianth lobes clawed at the base, 2.5-3.5 cm long; upper 3 obovate, 1.5-2.5 cm wide, the central one hooded; lower 3 oblanceolate, narrower, often each with a pale mark near the centre; anthers c. 1 cm long, purple; style branches slightly spathulate, exceeding the anthers.

Published illustration: Labani & El-Gadi (1980) Flora of Libya 81:4, fig. 2.

Distribution:    W.Aust.; ?Vic.; ?Tas.   Native to Spain, Sicily and north-western Africa. Conservation status: naturalised Flowering time: Oct., Nov.

SA Distribution Map based on current data relating to specimens held in the State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: No text

Author: Not yet available