Gladiolus saccatus flowers

Gladiolus saccatus grows a stem for its inflorescence that is erect in its lower part. It is flexed sideways in opposite angles at each stem-leaf node in a slightly zigzag shape. There are three to six branches below the main flower spike. It is purplish green or purple.

The inflorescence consists of an inclined main spike of eight to fifteen unscented flowers alternating in opposite directions, as well as smaller branched spikes. The blue-green to brownish purple floral bracts are somewhat succulent, the outer one usually the longer of the two.

The upper, more prominent three tepals of each flower are red, the lower three (and the spur formed by them), are green when the flower opens, later yellow or orange. Nectar accumulates in the sac-like spur, 2 mm to 6 mm long, on the tube base. This spur gave the species its name, saccatus.

The perianth tube is short, narrowly cylindrical at the base, abruptly expanding in its upper part. The dorsal sepal, one of the upper three, is biggest by far and spoon-shaped, widening sideways at the top. The pair of lateral tepals in the inner or upper three are joined to the dorsal one lower down, their upper parts linear and free. The red anthers are oblong, up to 1 cm long, the stamens and style well exserted.

The plant migrated botanically in Antholyza and its own separate genus based upon its flower structure, adapted for sunbird pollination, before settling in the Gladiolus genus. This happened on account of the chromosome number of the species that coincides with that of the genus. The plant is more closely related to G. cunonius and G. splendens than to the rest of the genus (Manning, 2009; Goldblatt, et al, 1998).