Gladiolus communis
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:
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W.Aust.; ?Vic.; ?Tas. Native to Spain, Sicily and north-western Africa.
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Conservation status:
naturalised
Flowering time: Oct., Nov.
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SA Distribution Map based
on current data relating to
specimens held in the
State Herbarium of South Australia
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Biology:
No text
Author:
Not yet available
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