| Synonyms: |
Gladiolus arnoldianus De Wild. & T.Durand Gladiolus erectiflorus var. verdickii (De Wild. & T.Durand) Geerinck |
| Common names: | |
| Frequency: | |
| Status: | |
| Description: |
Perennial herb growing 70–110 cm high from corms 20–35 mm in diameter, bearing several broad fasciated stolons from the base, each with numerous terminal cormlets; tunics of papery to matted-fibrous layers, fragmenting irregularly or breaking into vertical fibres below. Foliage leaves 5–7, the lower 3–4 leaves more or less basal and larger than the others, reaching to about the base of the spike, (8)10–15 mm wide, narrowly lanceolate to linear, the midrib and margins hyaline and slightly thickened; the upper leaves cauline and decreasing in size above. Spike 4–8-flowered, flexed at the base; bracts green below, membranous above and becoming dry and light-brown apically, (30)40–45(55) mm long, lanceolate-attenuate, the inner slightly shorter than the outer and forked apically. Flowers white to yellow, sometimes with conspicuous dark-red to pink veins, the lower lateral tepals each with a cream to yellow-mark in the lower centre; perianth tube 25–35 mm long, narrowly funnel-shaped, widening and curving outward above; tepals unequal, lanceolate-oblong, the uppermost 45–50 mm long (often less when dry), larger than the others and inclined over the stamens, the upper lateral tepals slightly shorter and spreading at right angles to the tube, the lower lateral tepals smallest, 38–40 mm long. Filaments c. 30 mm long, exserted 14–18 mm; anthers 7–8 mm long, apices with vestigial appendages less than 0.2 mm long. Style dividing near the anther apices, style branches c. 3.5 mm long, spreading beyond the anthers. Capsules 10–16(20) mm long, obovoid-ellipsoid. |
| Type location: |
DRC |
| Notes: | |
| Derivation of specific name: | verdickii: named after Edgard Antoine Auguste Verdick, Belgian-born plant collector in Katanga. |
| Habitat: | |
| Altitude range: (metres) | |
| Flowering time: | Apr - May |
| Worldwide distribution: | DRC (Lualaba, Haut-Katanga and Tanganyika Provinces) and Zambia (North-Western Province) |
| Botanical divisions: | |
| Growth form(s): | Perennial. |
| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Literature: |
Goldblatt, P. (1993). Iridaceae Flora Zambesiaca 12(4) Pages 86 - 88. |