Gladiolus watermeyeri shiny, lowered dorsal tepal

The bent down outside surface of the Gladiolus watermeyeri dorsal tepal is silvery shiny with dull purple veins. Above it is the furled green upper part of the floral bract, also veined and bending in. Below it is first the style and then the anthers; all four floral parts arching over the fifth, the dark gold-yellow lower tepals, angled in the same direction as if in a procession.

The style is here blackish purple where it branches, white on its thickened branch tips. To the sides the pointed upper tepals spread, conspicuously striped dark red down the centre with lesser veins radiating up and down (Goldblatt and Manning, 1998; Manning, 2007; iNaturalist).