Home | > | List of families | > | Iridaceae | > | Gladiolus | > | mosambicensis |
Synonyms: |
Gladiolus gazensis Rendle |
Common names: | |
Frequency: | Fairly common in eastern Zimbabwe. |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Perennial herb 30-40 cm tall, growing from a corm 1,8-3 cm in diameter; flowers produced before the leaves. Leaves narrowly sword-shaped. Flowering spike 10-15-flowered; floral bracts with rounded at the apex, 0,9-1,5 cm long. Flowers pink to purple; tube 0,8-0,9 cm long; dorsal tepal 1,6-1,8 cm long; anthers 0,6-0,8 cm long. Capsule obovoid, 1,2-1,6 cm long; seeds broadly winged. |
Notes: | This species was long regarded as a form of Gladiolus crassifolius. It can be easily distinguished by the much more slender appearance with fewer, smaller flowers. It flowers before the rains, from August to November, often after the grass is burnt and before the leaves have developed. |
Derivation of specific name: | mosambicensis: of Mozambique, where the type specimen was collected. |
Habitat: | A grassland species, flowering early, especially after veld fires. |
Altitude range: (metres) | 1100 - 1800 m |
Flowering time: | Aug - Nov |
Worldwide distribution: | Restricted Zimbabwe and Mozambique. |
Zimbabwe distribution: | N,C,E,S |
Growth form(s): | |
Endemic status: | Near Endemic |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Images last updated: | Saturday 1 April 2006 |
Literature: |
Goldblatt, P. (1993). Iridaceae Flora Zambesiaca 12(4) Pages 68 - 70. Included under G. crassifolius (Includes a picture). Goldblatt, P. (1996). Gladiolus in Tropical Africa Timber Press. Portland, Oregon. Pages 94 - 98. Included under G. crassifolius (Includes a picture). Plowes, D.C.H. & Drummond, R.B. (1990). Wild Flowers of Zimbabwe. Revised edition. Longman, Zimbabwe. No. 19, plate 37 as Gladiolus gazensis Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 83. |
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