Gladiolus undulatus

Gladiolus undulatus, commonly known as painted lady (as are some other Gladiolus species) and in Afrikaans as vleipypie (little marsh pipe), is a cormous perennial reaching heights ranging between 30 cm and 1,5 m.

The plant grows a few annual, sword-shaped, hairless leaves and an erect flower stalk. The acutely pointed leaves are nearly flat, a small central rib and faint longitudinal lines present in the photo. The leaves are from 5 mm to 12 mm wide, becoming at least half as tall as the inflorescence; in the photo they are matched in height.

The species distribution is mainly in the Western Cape in a broad northward band at, and in places away from the west coast from the Cape Peninsula to around the provincial border; eastwards to the Kogelberg. A small separate distribution occurs in the Kamiesberg in the Northern Cape.

The habitat is damp mountain slopes of sandstone or granite and along streambanks. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Manning, 2007; Bean and Johns, 2005; www.redlist.sanbi.org).