1
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Plants from summer-rainfall region; perianth tube 4–12 mm long; capsules oblong to globose, 3-lobed above and retuse; leaf blades reduced, shorter than sheaths or vestigial; lower tepals sometimes clawed
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(2)
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+
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Plants from winter-rainfall region; perianth tube 11–55 mm long; capsules ovoid to ellipsoid, acute; leaf blades well-developed, reduced or vestigial; lower tepals never clawed
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(6)
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2 (1)
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Leaves 2 or 3, uppermost bract- or scale-like; perianth sub- actinomorphic with subequal tepals; tepals elliptic to lanceolate, not clawed
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(3)
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+
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Leaves (2) 3 or 4; perianth obviously zygomorphiv with lower tepals smaller; lower lateral tepals obviously clawed
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(4)
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3 (2)
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Flowers greenish or pale mauve with attenuate tepals 17–23 mm long; uppermost leaf bract-like and inserted some distance below first flower; stem rigid
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Gladiolus pubiger
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+
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Flowers pale pink with acute to obtuse tepals 12–17 mm long; uppermost leaf a small scale inserted just below first flower; stem wiry
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Gladiolus parvulus
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4 (2)
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Flowers pale yellow; outer whorl of tepals constricted below into claws; lower tepals strongly auriculate at base of limb; vegetative plants with 3 leaves
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Gladiolus pardalinus
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+
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Not as above
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(5)
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5 (4)
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Flowers pale lilac to cream, yellow or maroon, the lower lateral tepals with dark purple median streak; flowers smaller, dorsal tepal 17–24(–27) mm long; foliage usually densely villous
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Gladiolus woodii
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+
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Flowers pale mauve, the lower lateral tepals shading to purple basally; flowers larger, dorsal tepal 28–30 mm long; foliage sparsely hairy to subglabrous
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Gladiolus malvinus
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6 (1)
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Leaves entirely sheathing and lacking blades, glabrous
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(7)
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+
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Leaves with well-developed blades, the lowermost at least as long as the sheath, scabridulous or pubescent
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(11)
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7 (6)
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Flowers uniformly red to orange red
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(8)
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+
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Flowers pink, mauve, white or cream to yellow, or mottled brown
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(9)
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8 (7)
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Flowers congested, funnel-shaped with spreading tepals; tepals oblong-elliptic, 7–9 mm wide; filaments 8–10 mm long, included in tube
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Gladiolus nerineoides
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+
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Flowers laxly spaced, tulip-shaped with cupped tepals; tepals obovate to suborbicular, 22–28 mm wide; filaments ± 20 mm long, exserted ± 10 mm from tube
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Gladiolus stokoei
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9 (7)
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Perianth tube 11–13 mm long, obliquely funnel-shaped
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Gladiolus brevifolius
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+
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Perianth tube 22–45 mm long, cylindric and expanded only near apex
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(10)
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10 (9)
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Flowers cream to pale pink or pale apricot, lower tepals with red to yellow meidan streak, unscented; perianth tube 22–30 mm long; plants from Cape Peninsula
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Gladiolus monticola
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+
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Flowers mottled brownish or plain yellow, strongly scented; perianth tube 32–45 mm long; plants from Riviersondered to Mossel Bay
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Gladiolus emiliae
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11 (6)
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Flowers yellow to orange or scarlet; perianth tube longer than bracts, slender below and abruptly expanded above into flared or broadly cylindric upper part
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(12)
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+
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Flowers pink, cream, purple or dull red to brownish; upper part of perianth tube gradually expanded and flared toward mouth
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(14)
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12 (11)
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Flowers bright yellow; upper part of perianth tube flared; filaments 9–12 mm long
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Gladiolus aureus
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+
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Flowers orange to scarlet, rarely yellow; upper part of perianth tube subcylindric; filaments 28–32 mm long
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(13)
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13 (12)
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Leaves pubescent; tepals subeuqal, broadly obovate to suborbicular; plants from Cape Peninsula
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Gladiolus merianellus
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+
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Leaves scabridulous; tepals unequal, lower three smaller and elliptic; plants from Overberg
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Gladiolus overbergensis
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14 (11)
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Perianth tube cylindric for most of its length and expanded only in upper fifth; tepals lanceolate, acute, not crisped or undulate
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Gladiolus rhodanthus
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+
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Perianth tube obliquely funnel-shaped and expanded only in upper 1/3 to 1/2; tepals ovate, obtuse, margins crisped or undulate
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(15)
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15 (14)
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Flowers brownish purple or dull pink to dull reddish brown, the lower tepals yellowish or ochre and mottled with brown; flowering April to July
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Gladiolus guthriei
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+
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Flowers cream to pink or purple, the lower tepals streaked with dark red or purple; flowering mainly July to October
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(16)
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16 (15)
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Perianth 34–58(–75) mm long; dorsal tepal 19–27(–35) mm long; flowers unscented or lightly sweet-scented; leaf margins and midrib lightly or rarely moderately thickened
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Gladiolus hirsutus
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+
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Perianth (67–)75–85 mm long; dorsal tepal 37–45 mm long; flowers usually strongly clove-scented; leaf margins and midrib strongly thickened
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Gladiolus caryophyllaceus
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