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 is arched below this hood. Its three purple branches end in thickened stigmas over the stamens that have pale, flat, oblong anthers with dark edges.

The large, upper lateral tepals have triangular tip parts visible with deep red purple veins across white surfaces. The drooping, elongated lower tepals are orange to dull brown in this flower, apart from whitish tips with a central stripe, 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 don't beat flowers unless the latter are eaten (Manning, 2007; Goldblatt and Manning, 1998; iNaturalist).