Gladiolus gracillimus Baker

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Gladiolus gracillimus

Riverside grassy area in sandy loam soil
Riverside dambo above Kalonde Falls
Oct 2018
Photo: Nick Wightman

Gladiolus gracillimus

Riverside grassy area in sandy loam soil
Riverside dambo above Kalonde Falls
Oct 2018
Photo: Nick Wightman

Gladiolus gracillimus

Riverside grassy area in sandy loam soil
Riverside dambo above Kalonde Falls
Oct 2018
Photo: Nick Wightman

Gladiolus gracillimus

Corms
Natural habitat is usually seasonally wet dambos/grasslands
Cultivated at Dabuyu Farms
Apr 2019
Photo: Nick Wightman

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Synonyms: Gladiolus aphanophyllus Baker
Common names:
Frequency: Locally frequent
Status: Native
Description:
Plants small 15-30(40) cm tall; corms 9-12 mm in diameter, tunics of fine netted fibres with weakly developed neck; foliage leaves 2, lower basal and tightly sheathing to half or three quarters stem length, upper leaf inserted below spike, leaf blades 3-5 cm long and 0.5-1 mm wide, linear with 2 narrow grooves on each surface; flowering stems unbranched; spike 2-4(7) flowered, inclined at an angle of c. 45ĚŠ or more; bracts 7-10 mm long, green or sometimes flushed purple, inner slightly shorter than outer; flowers pale blue to lilac, rarely white, lower 3 tepals each with a dark-blue to purple diamond shaped marking in the upper half or flowers uniformly purple or pale yellow to greenish with deep-yellow markings on lower3 tepals; perianth tube 7-10 mm long, curved outwards; tepals unequal; uppermost (8)10-15 x 8-11 mm, larger than others and arched over stamens, lower 3 tepals 7-12 x 4-5 mm, exceeding the upper tepals when viewed in profile; capsules 7-8 mm long, obovate-ellipsoid.
Type location:
Zambia, Fwambo
Notes: Red Data list status: Widespread; not threatened
Derivation of specific name: gracillimus: from gracilis meaning thin or slender.
Habitat: In seasonally waterlogged marshes and dambos.
Altitude range:
Flowering time:Nov - Dec
Worldwide distribution: From northern Zambia and Malawi to south west Tanzania.
Zambian distribution (Flora Zambesiaca): N
Zambian distribution (Provinces): N
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters: Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated: Thursday 5 September 2019
Literature:

Goldblatt, P. (1993). Iridaceae Flora Zambesiaca 12(4) Pages 83 - 85. (Includes a picture).

Goldblatt, P. (1996). Gladiolus in Tropical Africa Timber Press. Portland, Oregon. Page 164.

Other sources of information about Gladiolus gracillimus:

Our websites:

Flora of Malawi: Gladiolus gracillimus

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Gladiolus gracillimus
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Gladiolus gracillimus
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Gladiolus gracillimus
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Gladiolus gracillimus
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Gladiolus gracillimus
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Gladiolus gracillimus
JSTOR Plant Science: Gladiolus gracillimus
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Gladiolus gracillimus
Plants of the World Online: Gladiolus gracillimus
Tropicos: Gladiolus gracillimus
Wikipedia: Gladiolus gracillimus


Copyright: Mike Bingham, Annette Willemen, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Mark Hyde, 2011-24

Bingham, M.G., Willemen, A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. and Hyde, M.A. (2024). Flora of Zambia: Species information: Gladiolus gracillimus.
https://www.zambiaflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=211870, retrieved 19 March 2024

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