Gladiolus pardalinus spike-shaped inflorescence

The Gladiolus pardalinus inflorescence grows on an unbranched, about straight stem that is up to 3 mm in diameter immediately below the slightly inclined flower spike.

The spike droops in bud, bearing from 10 to 15 flowers. The bracts subtending the flowers are grey-green, sometimes partly tinted purple. The inner bract of each flower is slightly smaller and notched at its tip.

The blooming season is spring. The photo was taken in Limpopo (Goldblatt and Manning, 1998; iNaturalist).