Gladiolus woodii spike

The inflorescence of Gladiolus woodii is a straight, inclined spike of four to eleven or twelve flowers in secund, that is one above the other positioning, all to one side of the stem. Some short internodes are visible in the spike, the flowers somewhat spaced. During budding the spike droops.

The pair of bracts subtending each flower is pale grey-green to dark green, sometimes flushed brown or purple-brown in parts. The bracts may be dry and papery already on open flowers. The inner and outer bracts are slightly different in length. Some call this the sheath gladiolus.

The photo was taken in Mpumalanga (Goldblatt and Manning, 1998; Pooley, 1998; Trauseld, 1969; iNaturalist).