Gladiolus ecklonii bracts behind the flower

The floral bracts around Gladiolus ecklonii flowers may be green in one of several shades, sometimes tinted purple below. They are pale green to grey green here, the inside of the pointed bract over the flower flushed a faint red brown. These bracts are keeled, the keels usually reddish, not visible in the photo.

The lower petal parts are protectively enfolded by a bract with smooth margin and hairless surface (Manning, 2009; Goldblatt and Manning, 1998; iNaturalist).