Gladiolus ecklonii dark-speckled flower

These flowers of Gladiolus ecklonii have less spread in the tepal tips than sometimes seen on plants of the species. It holds the cup-shape more, with only the outer tepal lip below really curving down. The creamy green triangular patches near the base of the lower three tepals, free of coloured spots, are found on flowers of some of these plants.

Three pale, oblong anthers are positioned inside the cup close to the dorsal tepal. 

The flower was seen in January west of Underberg in the foothills of the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg (Manning, 2009; Goldblatt and Manning, 1998; iNaturalist; www.pacificbulbsociety.org).