Gladiolus dalenii subsp. dalenii

Gladiolus dalenii subsp. dalenii, commonly known as the parrot-beak gladiolus, parrot gladiolus or Natal lily, is a robust, cormous perennial reaching 1,5 m to 2 m in its annual inflorescence. The plant has an impressively long list of older scientific names. The corm is about 2,5 cm in diameter.

The unscented flowers are variably coloured, from orange to red and yellow, as well as colour combinations occurring in habitat and cultivation. Flowers are six-tepalled, the upper three bigger. The flower tube curves outwards and down, the stamens exserted. The flowers are seen from late spring to after midautumn.

The fruit capsule is ovoid. The seeds are broadly winged.

The species distribution is in the east of South Africa, from the Eastern Cape, the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal to Mpumalanga and Limpopo, as well as some neighbouring countries, including Zambia.

The habitat is grassland and woodland from the coast to elevations around 2500 m. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century.

This plant is cultivated widely for its attractive summer and autumn flowers, especially in Europe where it yields cut-flowers.

G. aurantiacus is similar, growing shorter leaves scattered up the stem (Manning, 2009; Goldblatt and Manning, 1998; Pooley, 1998; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).