Gladiolus speciosus, after flowering

After flowering, the Gladiolus speciosus plant retains the floral bracts upon the zigzagging stem longer than the corollas, now protectively covering the developing ovaries. The bract margins in picture have turned red from late season effort.

The straight, basal leaves of the plant are withered by October when the photo was taken in the Gifberg, unlike the stem leaves and bracts that are still green (Manning, 2007; iNaturalist; www.pacificbulbsociety.org).