Gladiolus sericeovillosus subsp. sericeovillosus

Gladiolus sericeovillosus subsp. sericeovillosus is a cormous perennial growing in the eastern grasslands of South Africa. It occurs from the Eastern Cape in the south, to Mpumalanga in the north, on both sides of and in the Drakensberg. The plant’s population in its habitat is stable early in the twenty first century. This specimen was photographed near Howick during January.

The specific name sericeovillosus (Latin) means silky haired. The silky hairs can be seen on the green bracts below the corollas. The sword-like leaves of this species, forming a basal fan, are shorter than the flower stalk. There may also be a few leaves on the stem, shorter than the basal ones. Another subspecies, called G. sericeovillosus subsp. calvatus, is also found in Zimbabwe, while subsp. sericeovillosus is endemic to South Africa (iSpot; www.redlist.sanbi.org; www.apps.kew.org).