Gladiolus serapiiflorus Goldblatt

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Gladiolus serapiiflorus

Plant found growing by the roadside amid grasses;
Lusaka National Park;
Jan 2016
Photo: Nick Wightman

Gladiolus serapiiflorus

Plant found growing by the roadside amid grasses;
Lusaka National Park;
Jan 2016
Photo: Nick Wightman

Gladiolus serapiiflorus

Plant found growing by the roadside amid grasses;
Lusaka National Park;
Jan 2016
Photo: Nick Wightman

Gladiolus serapiiflorus

Miombo woodland
Kafue Fisheries
Nov 2002
Photo: Mike Bingham

Gladiolus serapiiflorus

Floodplain grassland
Kafue Flats, Brian Doughty’s farm
Dec 2008
Photo: Mike Bingham

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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

Synonyms:
Common names:
Frequency: Local
Status: Native
Description:
Plants 30-60 cm tall; corms 15-20 mm in diameter, tunics pale straw-coloured, fibres reticulate; foliage leaves of the flowering stem 4-6, almost entirely sheathing or lower leaves laminate with blades 3-8 (30) cm long, linear (lanceolate), margins and midribs hyaline and slightly thickened, upper leaves predominately sheathing; flowering stem unbranched; spike 4-8(12) flowered; bracts 10-14 mm long, green becoming dry above, inner somewhat shorter to nearly as long as outer; flowers dull to bright yellow; perianth tube 7-8 mm long, curved outwards between the bracts and widening near the mouth; tepals unequal, uppermost c. 13 x 7-10 mm, arched over stamens, lower 3 tepals c. 10 mm, usually exceeding the upper tepals when viewed in profile; capsules 12-15 mm long, ellipsoid.
Type location:
Zambia, Machile
Notes: Two more colour forms
Derivation of specific name: serapiiflorus: named for the resemblance of the flowers to some of the species of the Eurasian orchid genus Serapias that have a similarly narrow, partly closed perianth.
Habitat: Light woodland to open low grassland, often in rocky soils or sandy soils that become waterlogged in the wet season.
Altitude range:
Flowering time:Nov - Dec
Worldwide distribution: From central and southern parts of Shaba Province of Democratic Republic of Congo south through central to southern Zambia.
Zambian distribution (Flora Zambesiaca): W,C,S
Zambian distribution (Provinces): Cb,C,Lk,W
Growth form(s):
Endemic status: Near Endemic
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters: Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated: Sunday 21 August 2016
Literature:

Goldblatt, P. (1993). Iridaceae Flora Zambesiaca 12(4) Pages 39 - 40. illustration on p. 37 (Includes a picture).

Goldblatt, P. (1996). Gladiolus in Tropical Africa Timber Press. Portland, Oregon. Pages 119 - 124. illustration and distribution map; plates 6 & 7. (Includes a picture).

Other sources of information about Gladiolus serapiiflorus:

External websites:

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


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 serapiiflorus.
https://www.zambiaflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=211950, retrieved 20 April 2024

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