Gladiolus watermeyeri dark, Namaqualand flower

This dark Gladiolus watermeyeri flower has purple colouring on top of its dorsal tepal, not reaching the white margins. The style arched below this hood and over the stamens has three purple branches and thickened stigmas, as well as a white base.

The large, upper lateral tepals have triangular tips with deep red veins across white surfaces. The drooping lower tepals are orange to dull brown in this flower, apart from the white tips, a constant feature.

The pale floral bracts, on background duty as usual, display parallel green veins. They also have some purple patches, but all in vain as bracts and leaves dont beat flowers unless they are eaten (Goldblatt and Manning, 1998; Manning, 2007; iNaturalist).