Gladiolus venustus inflorescence

The corolla colouring of this specimen of Gladiolus venustus is pink-purple. Blue-purple ones are also seen. The cream coloured or lemon yellow sections at the base of the tepals are similar in the two forms.

The tepal margins are wavy; they attenuate more than taper to the tips. Closed, narrowly cone-shaped green buds covered in their bracts, as well as some half-opened flowers are also present higher up in the zigzagging spike in picture (Manning, 2007; Goldblatt and Manning, 1998; iSpot).