Gladiolus liliaceus

Gladiolus liliaceus, the large brown Afrikaner and in Afrikaans ribbokblom (rhebuck flower) or aandpypie (little evening pipe), is a cormous perennial reaching 35 cm to 80 cm when flowering.

The species distribution is in a broad coastal strip in the Western Cape as far north as Clanwilliam and into the Eastern Cape as far east as Port Elizabeth.

The habitat is clay or loam flats and slopes of the mountain ranges, more in renosterveld than fynbos. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Manning, 2007; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2010; Mustart, et al, 1997; www.pacificbulbsociety.org; www.redlist.sanbi.org).