Gladiolus woodii reddish brown flower

A Gladiolus woodii flower is sometimes browner than red, apart from the yellow. The dorsal tepal has margins slightly curved in and straighter than the undulating ones of the broader, upper lateral pair partly behind it in picture. Vein patterns near the margins also differ between the dorsal and laterals.

The lower laterals are bright yellow and unevenly folded around their dark brown central bands. The lower median tepal is paler yellow than the laterals, bigger and mainly flat. In outline this corolla appears like a chubby angel (Goldblatt and Manning, 1998; Pooley, 1998; Trauseld, 1969; iNaturalist).