Gladiolus longicollis subsp. longicollis

Gladiolus longicollis subsp. longicollis grows in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, a little into the Free State and the Western Cape. It also occurs in Lesotho in grassland, its predominant habitat. This plant overlaps in distribution with G. longicollis subsp. platypetalus that is found in a more northerly region of the eastern grassland.

The flowers open from dusk to dawn, often better in fog. The tepals attenuate towards their tips, on this specimen creamy with a tinge of olive and various markings in purple with tiny black speckles near the tepal tips. Blooming happens in spring. The sweet fragrance and pale colouring of the flowers attract nocturnal hawkmoths as pollinators (iSpot; www.academic.sun.ac.za).