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Project Name Data (Last Modified On 6/14/2017)
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1 Perianth tube at least twice as long as dorsal tepal (and at least 45 mm long and more or less cylindric throughout); flowers white to cream often with red to purple markings on lower tepals (2)
+ Perianth tube shorter than to as long as dorsal tepal (sometimes longer but never more than twice as long), and less than 60 mm long and not cylindric throughout; flowers variously colored, including white (14)
2 (1) Sheathing leaves 25–40 mm long or all cauline leaves with blades; anthers obtuse to acute but lacking apiculate appendages; tepals unmarked (3)
+ Bracts (30–)40–100 mm long; anthers with or without apiculate appendages; tepals unmarked or with pale to deep red to purple marks on lower tepals (6)
3 (2) Perianth tube 60–75 mm long; leaf blades short or lacking (leaves thus entirely sheathing); sheaths of lower or all leaves pubescent Gladiolus curtifolius
+ Perianth tube 70–120 mm long; leaves with developed, often long blades; leaf sheaths glabrous (4)
4 (3) Tepals unequal with dorsal 40--45 mm long; plants with several basal leaves Gladiolus richardsiae
+ Tepals subequal with dorsal 22--30 mm long; plants with or without basal leaves (5)
5 (4) Plants lacking basal leaves; filaments c. 20 mm long Gladiolus goldblattianus
+ Plants with 2 or 3 basal leaves; filaments c. 9 mm long Gladiolus gunnisii
6 (2) Perianth tube 60–75 mm long; anthers with or without apiculate appendages (7)
+ Perianth tube (90–)120–150 mm long; anthers with acute apiculate appendages (1–)2--5 mm long (8)
7 (6) Tepals usually uniformly white; anthers with apiculate appendages c. 1 mm long Gladiolus chevalieranus
+ Tepals usually with red markings on lower tepals; anthers obtuse to acute but without apiculate appendages Gladiolus bellus
8 (6) Leaf blades rigid, with margins, midribs and often other veins heavily thickened and raised; filaments included or exserted up to 5 mm (9)
+ Leaf blades relatively soft-textured with margins and main veins hardly or not at all thickened; filaments included or exserted up to 15 mm (10)
9 (8) Leaves 2–3 mm wide and only main vein and margins thickened; leaf blades 20–50(–120) mm long, rarely reaching middle of stem Gladiolus leonensis
+ Leaves (4–)8–12 mm wide and secondary veins as well as main vein and margins thickened; leaf blades at least 150 mm long, usually reaching to at least the base of spike Gladiolus praecostatus
10 (8) Filaments included or exserted up to 5 mm; perianth not or hardly marked with purple on lower tepals (11)
+ Filaments exserted 5–15 mm; perianth with conspicuous purple marks on lower tepals (12)
11 (10) Tepals 20–30 mm long; plants 2–4-flowered (plants of East Africa and southern Arabia) Gladiolus candidus
+ Tepals 35–40 mrn long; plants (4–)5–8-flowered (plants of West Africa) Gladiolus aequinoctialis
12 (10) Spike 1- or 2-fiowered; leaf blades short, not reaching the base of spike Gladiolus iroensis
+ Spike normally with at least 3–8-flowered; leaf blades usually reaching to at least base of spike (13)
13 (12) Filaments exserted 10–15 mm; anther appendages 2–4 mm long (plants of East Africa and Malawi) Gladiolus murielae
+ Filaments exserted 5–8(–10) mm; anther appendages 0.5–1.5 mm long (plants of western Africa) Gladiolus aequinoctialis
14 (1) Dorsal tepal 2–3 times as long as the upper lateral tepals; lower tepals shorter than the upper laterals and sometimes scale-like (15)
+ Dorsal tepal about as long to 1.5 times as long as the upper lateral tepals; lower tepals as long, longer, or shorter than upper lateral tepals (19)
15 (14) Perianth tube not abruptly expanded, widening gradually to the apex; dorsal tepal 35–42 mm long Gladiolus magnificus
+ Perianth tube abruptly expanded into a ± cylindric upper part; upper tepal 10–35( –40) mm long (16)
16 (15) Foliage leaves with short blades evenly spaced on the stem; leaf sheaths lightly pubescent Gladiolus huillensis
+ Foliage leaves with long blades and mostly ± basal; leaf sheaths glabrous (17)
17 (16) Bracts large and bright red (or white), nearly concealing flowers; perianth including tube 45–60 mm long Gladiolus dichrous
+ Bracts moderate to large and reddish or green, never concealing more than half the flower; perianth including tube 25–66 mm long (18)
18 (17) Bracts 35–70 mrn long, usually red or purple; dorsal tepal 20–40 mrn long Gladiolus abyssinicus
+ Bracts 18–24( –30) mm long, usually dull purple; dorsal tepal 12–18(–22) mm long Gladiolus schweinfurthii
19 (14) Foliage leaves well developed with blades plane and fairly densely pubescent (20)
+ Foliage leaves with blades either vestigial or developed and then plane, ribbed, or terete but glabrous or only sparsely villous (to ciliate) (21)
20 (19) Flowers large with tube 15–25 mm and dorsal tepal 25–35 mrn long; bracts (20–)25–40 mm long Gladiolus puberulus
+ Flowers small with tube c. 10 mm and dorsal tepal c. 20 mm long; bracts 16–20(–25) mm long Gladiolus intonsus
21 (19) Flowers large, (40–)45–85 mm long (tube base to dorsal tepal apex); perianth tube at least 11 mm and usually 15–50 mm long (22)
+ Flowers small to medium-sized, 11–36(–40) mm long (tube base to dorsal tepal apex); perianth tube 3.5–12(–18) mm long (60)
22 (21) Perianth tube 30–50 mm long (23)
+ Perianth tube 11–29 mm long (39)
23 (22) Anther apices with acute apiculate appendages 1–2 mm long (24)
+ Anther apices obtuse or acute but without apiculate appendages (28)
24 (23) Filaments included or barely exserted from upper part of tube (less than 2 mm); flowers white or cream Gladiolus grantii
+ Filaments barely to well exserted from upper part of tube (2 mm or more); flower pink or red with white to cream markings on lower tepals (25)
25 (24) Dorsal tepal strongly arched and exceeding perianth tube by c. 10 mm; filaments exserted 20–25 mm Gladiolus decoratus
+ Dorsal tepal arched weakly or not at all, and exceeding the tube by c. 5 mm or slightly shorter than tube; filaments exserted 4–10 (–15) mm (26)
26 (25) Anthers 8–9 mm long; dorsal tepal (25–) 30–35 mm long; tube slightly shorter than tepals Gladiolus mirus
+ Anthers (10–)12–15 mm long; dorsal tepa! 38–45 mm long; tube slightly exceeding the tepals Gladiolus oligophlebius
27 Lower tepals half to a third as long as dorsal, arching toward ground or directed forward (28)
+ Lower tepals about as long (barely longer to no more than 1/3 shorter) than dorsal tepal and straight, not recurving downward throughout (31)
28 (23) Foliage leaves linear with margins and midribs heavily thickened and raised; leaf blades 2.5–3.5 mm wide Gladiolus pallidus
+ Foliage leaves either lacking (produced on separate shoots) or present and plane or somewhat ribbed; leaves (5–)8–35 mm wide (29)
29 (28) Flowers predominantly red; perianth tube comprising a slender lower part 20–25 mm long, abruptly expanded into a wide horizontal cylindrical upper part c. 15 mm long; dorsal tepal 20–25 mm long Gladiolus longispathaceus
+ Flowers predominantly red, orange, yellow, or greenish, tepals often speckled or streaked with color; perianth rube 30–35 mm long, curving gradually outward and slightly wider above, not abruptly expanded into a cylindrical upper part; dorsal tepal (25–)30–60 mm long, hooded over stamens and concealing them (30)
30 (29) Plants with or without foliage leaves at flowering time, the leaves if present (s–)ro–2o(–3o) mm wide and smooth (microscopically papillate), with the margins and midribs moderately thickened; perianth various shades of red, orange, yellow, or greenish Gladiolus dalenii
+ Plants with foliage leaves present at anthesis and blades (25–) 30–35 mm wide and puberulous or velutinous, with margins and main and and at least one other pair of veins moderately thickened; perianth greenish yellow Gladiolus velutinus
31 (27) Bracts clasping the spike axis and imbricate, usually 2, sometimes 3, internodes long Gladiolus harmsianus
+ Bracts not normally clasping spike axis, either not imbricate or if so not reaching beyond middle of the next bract, thus less than 1.5 internodes long (32)
32 (31) Bracts about as long or longer than the perianth tube (33)
+ Bracts shorter than the perianth tube (34)
33 (32) Dorsal tepal 45–50 mm long, longer than perianth tube; flowers whitish to pale yellow, tepals usually clearly veined red to purple Gladiolus verdickii
+ Dorsal tepal 30–35 mm long, about as long or shorter than perianth tube; flowers white to pale yellow, rarely pink or red, lower tepals sometimes with purple nectar guides but tepal venation never darkly colored Gladiolus pauciflorus
34 (32) Dorsal tepal longer than perianth tube; flower predominantly red, lower tepals with large white nectar guides Gladiolus rupicola
+ Dorsal tepal shorter than perianth tube; flowers either predominantly red, then without white nectar guides, or predominantly white (35)
35 (34) Flowers brick–red Gladiolus watsonioides
+ Perianth white, with or without contrasting nectar guides on the lower tepals (36)
36 (35) Plants with only 2 or 3 foliage leaves (plants of southern Ethiopia) Gladiolus negeliensis
+ Plants with 4–10 foliage leaves (37)
37 (36) Perianth rube 45–50 mm long; dorsal tepal 25–28 mm long (plants of western Angola) Gladiolus stenosiphon
+ Perianth rube 35–50(–60) mm long; dorsal tepal 30–32 mm long (plants of northern Tanzania) Gladiolus usambarensis
38 Perianth tube 8–15 mm long (39)
+ Perianth tube 16–29 mm long (45)
39 (22) Filaments short, 5–8 mm long, and included in perianth tube (40)
+ Filaments 10–20 mm long, exserted at least 5 mm from upper part of perianth tube (42)
40 (39) Filaments 7–8 mm long; anthers exserted from tube; anther apices obtuse Gladiolus manikaensis
+ Filaments c. 5 mm long; lower 2–3 mm of anthers included in perianth tube; anther apices with acute apiculate appendages 0.5–1 mm long (41)
41 (40) Flowers scarlet; dorsal tepal ± 6 mm wide Gladiolus clivorum
+ Flowers evidently red-purple; dorsal tepal ± 3–3.5 mm wide Gladiolus stenolobus
42 (39) Leaves with heavily thickened margins and main veins, exceeding spilce; flowers greenish grey minutely dotted with red to purple Gladiolus sericeovillosus subsp. calvatus
+ Leaves with margins and main veins lightly to moderately thickened and shorter than spike; flowers red, pink, blue, or purple but never minutely dotted (43)
43 (42) Leaves sparsely pubescent, at least on sheaths Gladiolus laxiflorus
+ Leaves glabrous (44)
44 (43) Cauline leaves 25–50 mm long, clasping stem, and at least 2 or 3 internodes long Gladiolus macrospathus
+ Cauline leaves 25–30 mm long, not clasping stem and rarely more than 1 internode long Gladiolus boranensis
45 (38) Leaves of flowering stem with short, poorly developed blades, or bladeless; foliage leaves borne after flowering on separate shoots after flowering (46)
+ Leaves of flowering stem normallywith fully developed blades, sometimes blades fairly short; separate leafy shoots not produced after flowering (47)
46 (45) Filaments included in perianth tube; perianth orange to brick-red, or pink; style branches 5–6 mm long Gladiolus melleri
+ Filaments exserted 4–5 mm from perianth tube; perianth white, rarely pale pink; style branches 4–5 mm long Gladiolus roseolus
47 (45) Filaments included or exserted from upper part of tube for no more than 3 mm (48)
+ Filaments exserted at least 5 mm from upper part of perianth tube (49)
48 (47) Flowers yellow; anthers 10–12 mm long and with obtuse apices lacking apiculate appendages (plants of southwestern Tanzania) Gladiolus oliganthus
+ Flowers red or pink, lower tepals with white to pale yellow nectar guides; anthers c. 6.5 mm long and with acute apiculate appendages 0.5--1 mm long (plants of South Sudan and Ethiopia) Gladiolus sudanicus
49 (47) Foliage leaves linear with margins and main veins heavily thickened and raised; leaves 2.5–3.5 mm wide Gladiolus pallidus
+ Foliage leaves either lanceolate and more than 3 mm wide, or linear, less than 3 mm wide, but margins and main veins lightly to moderately thickened (50)
50 (49) Dorsal tepal horizontal and more or less hooded over stamens, thus concealing them (51)
+ Dorsal tepal ascending, lightly inclined over stamens but not concealing them (54)
51 (50) Dorsal tepal 35–40 mm long; bracts 40–60 mm long Gladiolus pauciflorus
+ Dorsal tepal 20–28 mm long; bracts 20–30 mm long (52)
52 (51) Perianth yellow (plants ofTanzania and Malawi) Gladiolus nyasicus
+ Perianth white with yellow nectar guides on lower tepals (plants of southern Ethiopia) Gladiolus balensis
53 Lower tepals about as long as the dorsal tepa!; perianth whitish to cream, or pale pink, the tepals markedly veined in red to purple; dorsal tepal 25–35 mm long Gladiolus erectiflorus
+ Lower tepals shorter than the dorsal tepal; perianth pink or partly red, the lower tepals each with a white median stripe; dorsal tepa! 25–55 mm long Gladiolus rupicola
54 (50) Foliage leaves well developed, with blades of the basal leaves longer than the sheaths, and leaf blades oval to terete in transverse section with the margins and midribs heavily thickened and arching over the laminar surface, thus with 4 narrow grooves (55)
+ Foliage leaves either well developed and with plane blades, sometimes with main veins and margins strongly thickened, or poorly developed and largely to entirely sheathing (blades shorter than sheaths) (70)
55 (54) Flower actinomorphic (tube slightly decurved); filaments included in tube; tepals 6–7 mm long Gladiolus actinomorphanthus
+ Flower zygomorphic; filaments exserted 4–9 mm; tepals 12–25 mm long (56)
56 (55) Leaves, excluding the cataphylls, only 3, all with well–developed blades, or the upper largely sheathing; leaves much longer than the spike Gladiolus robiliartianus
+ Laminate and sheathing leaves present, numbering 4–5( –7), shorter than or not much exceeding the spike, blades progressively reduced above; basal laminate leaves sometimes lacking due to fire (57)
57 (56) Upper tepals narrow below, and flower in profile windowed (plants of southwestern Angola) Gladiolus fenestratus
+ Upper tepals not especially narrow below, and flower in profile not windowed (58)
58 (57) Dorsal tepal c. 20 mm long; edges of leaf grooves usually ciliate; flowering in July to September Gladiolus juncifolius
+ Dorsal tepal 13–17 mm long; edges of leaf grooves not ciliate; flowering in November to May (59)
59 (58) Sheathing leaves green, not becoming dry above at anthesis; leaf sheaths lightly villous Gladiolus zimbabweensis
+ Sheathing leaves becoming dry above or entirely dry at anthesis; leaf sheaths glabrous (60)
60 (21) Leaves 8 or 9, lower 3 or 4 basal and with long blades Gladiolus pungens
+ Leaves 3–6( –7), the lower 2 basal and with long blades (62)
61 Corm tunics of course thick fibers, these accumulating in a thick neck around the stem base Gladiolus ledoctei
+ Conn tunics of fairly fine, soft-textured fibers, these not accumulating around base Gladiolus debeerstii
62 (60) Upper cataphyll pubescent; flowering stem bearing only 1 leaf, this with a vestigial blade up to 3 cm long Gladiolus curtilimbus
+ Upper cataphyll pubescent or glabrous; flowering stem bearing 2 or more leaves, these either with or without developed blades (63)
63 (62) Filaments included in perianth tube or barely exserted for less than 2 mm (64)
+ Filaments exserted at least 2 mm from perianth tube (73)
64 (63) Perianth tube 15–18 mm long; leaves of flowering stem more than 3 and with well-developed plane blades (65)
+ Perianth tube 7–10 mm long; foliage leaves at least 3 and with well-developed plane blades (71)
65 (64) Anthers 7–10 mm long, and apices obtuse, without appendages (66)
+ Anthers 5–6.5 mm long, and apices acute with short appendages 0.3–0.5 mm long (68)
66 (65) AFlowers orange-red with yellow nectar guides on lower tepals or yellow; style branches 3–4 mm long Gladiolus benguellensis
+ Flowers white to pale pink or lilac, without nectar guides; style branches Gladiolus manikaensis
67 Perianth deep pink; perianth tube c. IS mm long; anthers c. 6.5 mm long (plants of Zambia) Gladiolus serenjensis
+ Perianth lilac; perianth tube c. 18 mm long; anthers c. s mm long (plants of eastern Ethiopia) Gladiolus lithicola
68 (65) Perianth evidently white; perianth tube 8–9 mm long; base of anthers included in tube; leaves more than 3 and with well-developed blades, soft-textured with margins and main veins not or hardly thickened Gladiolus salmoneicolor
+ Leaves either all with vestigial blades or up to 2 leaves with long, firm-textured blades (69)
69 (68) Perianth pink or blue; anthers c. 6 mm long Gladiolus canaliculatus
+ Perianth white to cream, somewhat flushed pink; anthers 7–9 mm long Gladiolus muenzneri
70 (54) Flowering stem bearing only 2 leaves, lower sheathing stem for at least 1/2 its length and with a blade shorter than sheathing part (usually less than 1/2 as long); second leaf much smaller, inserted on upper 1/2 of stem (71)
+ 70b Flowering stem bearing at least 3 leaves, these with or without well-developed blades and the lowermost not sheathing the lower half of the stem (73)
71 (64) Leaf blades terete and 4–grooved; corm tunics of tough brown fibers, usually accumulating in a collar around base Gladiolus tshombeanus
+ Leaf blades linear, more or less plane, but margins and main veins moderately thickened; corm tunics of fine greyish fibers, not normally accumulating in a collar around base (72)
72 (71) Flowers white to yellow with deep yellow nectar guides; dorsal tepal 7–10 mm long Gladiolus pusillus
+ Flowers pale blue to lilac to dark purple; dorsal tepal 10--15 mm long Gladiolus gracillimus
73 (63) Outer floral bracts firmly clasping spike axis, imbricate and mostly 2–3 internodes long, concealing axis (74)
+ Outer floral bracts weakly or not at all clasping axis, 0.5–1(–2) internodes long or id longer then outer floral bracts 2-keeled, only partly concealing spike axis (75)
74 (73) Perianth tube 10–12 mm long; dorsal tepal 16–20 mm long; leaves linear, 1.5–3( –7) mm wide; corm tunics and cataphylls often accumulating in a dense fibrous mass and forming a collar around base Gladiolus microspicatus
+ Perianth tube 12–15 mm long; dorsal tepal 20–26 mm long; leaves narrowly to broadly lanceolate, 6–12( –16) mm wide; corm tunics seldom accumulating and base without a collar of fibers Gladiolus gregarius
75 (73) Leaves of the flowering stem poorly developed, reduced largely (or entirely) to sheaths (foliage leaves with long blades sometimes produced on separate shoots after flowering) (76)
+ Some or most of leaves of flowering stem with well-developed blades, lowermost longest and usually basal, remaining progressively decreasing in size above (80)
76 (75) Leaves (or sheaths) imbricate; tunics finely to coarsely fibrous and sometimes claw-like below, usually pale straw-colored (77)
+ Leaves (or sheaths) not all imbricate, at least the uppermost not overlapping; tunics membranous or irregularly fragmenting, sometimes ± fibrous, usually reddish brown (78)
77 (76) Perianth white entirely, partly shaded with purple, or uniformly dark purple to violet Gladiolus atropurpureus
+ Perianth deep yellow to yellow-brown Gladiolus serapiiflorus
78 (76) Leaves, or at least the lower sheaths, sparsely pubescent, usually microscopically; flowers large with tube 30–35 mm long and dorsal tepal 30–35 mm long Gladiolus laxiflorus
+ Leaf blades, sheaths and sheathing leaves glabrous; flowers moderate sized, the tube 9–12 mm long and dorsal tepal 8–2+ mm long (79)
79 (78) Plants of well-drained often dry sites; never producing foliage leaves from same corm after flowering; corm interior white; corm tunics moderately to coarsely fibrous Gladiolus oatesii
+ Plants of moist habitats; foliage leaves produced on separate shoots from same corm after flowering; corm interior dull red; corm tunics membranous to finely fibrous Gladiolus unguiculatus
80 (75) Flowers of spike in 2 opposed ranks and erect; tepals generally minutely and densely spotted throughout, most densely on the keels Gladiolus sericeovillosus subsp. calvatus
+ Flowers of spike facing same side, and spike usually inclined; tepals not minutely dotted with darker pigment throughout (81)
81 (80) Flowers comparatively large, at least 35 mm long (82)
+ Flowers medium-sized, 18–34 mm long (90)
82 (81) Perianth tube 16–20 mm long (83)
+ Perianth tube 10–15 mm long (86)
83 (82) Tepals subequal; flowers cream to pink, conspicuously veined with pink to purple Gladiolus erectiflorus
+ Tepals unequal, lower 3 smaller than dorsal; upper tepals unicolored, the lower often with contrasting nectar guides (84)
84 (83) Flowers yellow Gladiolus nyasicus
+ Flowers white, pink, or red (85)
85 (84) Flowers white with yellow nectar guides Gladiolus balensis
+ Flowers pink to red Gladiolus sudanicus
86 (82) Leaf sheaths (and often leaves) sparsely pubescent; bracts obtuse and inner often exceeding outer; flowers uniformly purple Gladiolus laxiflorus
+ Leaf sheaths and blades glabrous; bracts unequal, acute, with inner smaller than outer (87)
87 (86) Leaf blades narrowly lanceolate to linear, but then the margins and midribs not or hardly thickened; leaves not exceeding the spike (88)
+ Leaf blades linear and with the margins and main veins heavily thickened; some leaves exceeding spike (89)
88 (87) Perianth tube c. 15 mm long; flowers cream (plants of northern Eritrea) Gladiolus mensensis
+ Perianth tube 10–12 mm long; flowers pale pink, lower tepals marked with pale yellow Gladiolus zambesiacus
89 (87) Stem straight and erect; anthers c. 12 mm long Gladiolus chelamontanus
+ Stem flexed near the base of the spike and spike inclined; anthers c. 6.5 mm long Gladiolus sulculatus
90 (81) Flowers 18–20 mm long and perianth tube 6–8 mm long; inner bracts, especially in the middle of the spike, longer than the outer Gladiolus lundaensis
+ Flowers 24–34 mm long and perianth tube 9–15 mm long; inner bracts shorter than the outer (91)
91 (90) Leaf sheaths and upper cataphyll lightly pubescent (92)
+ Leaf sheaths and upper cataphyll glabrous (93)
92 (91) Dorsal tepal 22–26 rnm long; flowers pale pink with yellow to cream nectar guides on lower tepals Gladiolus zambesiacus
+ Dorsal tepal 15–17 mm long; flowers yellow to greenish yellow Gladiolus flavoviridis
93 (91) Upper 3 tepals much narrowed toward base, in profile flower windowed (gaping between bases of dorsal and upper lateral tepals); tepal apices attenuate to caudate Gladiolus permeabilis subsp. edulis
+ Upper 3 tepals not notably narrowed near base and flowers not windowed in profile; tepal apices not attenuate to caudate (94)
94 (93) Tepals more or less equal, lower not united basally for a short distance (95)
+ Tepals unequal with dorsal largest and lower 3 united with upper laterals for a short distance (96)
95 (94) Perianth tube c. 15 mm long; bracts 20–25(–30) mm long; anther apices obtuse, without appendages Gladiolus calcicola
+ Perianth tube c. 38 mm long; bracts 14–20( –25) mm long; anther apices with short acute apiculate appendages Gladiolus mensensis
96 (94) Outer floral bracts 2-keeled and 2--3 internodes long; seeds ellipsoid, lacking membranous wings Gladiolus exalatus
+ Outer floral bracts not keeled and mostly less than 2 internodes long; seeds more or less plane with broad wings (97)
97 (96) Leaves linear to narrowly lanceolate, 2–6 mm wide (98)
+ Leaves narrowly to broadly lanceolate, at least 4 rnm and up to 12 mm wide (101)
98 (97) Flowers c. 30 mm long; dorsal tepal c. 21 mm long Gladiolus linearifolius
+ Flowers 22--26 mm long; dorsal tepal 16--18 mm long (99)
99 (98) Flowers orange with yellow nectar guides; plants of Somalia Gladiolus somalensis
+ Flowers pink or pale blue-lilac; plants of Congo (DR) or Zimbabwe (100)
100 (99) Flowers pink with dark purple and yellow nectar guides on lower tepals Gladiolus camilae
+ Flowers pale blue-lilac marked with red in midline of upper and lower tepals Gladiolus metallicola
101 (97) Flowers shades of pink to mauve, lower tepals with dark pink to purple transverse bands on proximal 1/3 of tepals; stem often branched (102)
+ Flowers white, white flushed with purple, or dark purple to violet, without transverse bands of color on the lower tepals; stem never branched (103)
102 (101) Plants blooming in spring with leaves often dry or burned; perianth tube 8--9 mm long; floral bracts mostly obtuse, 9--15 mm and less than 1 internode long Gladiolus mosambicensis
+ Plants blooming in late summer and autumn with leaves green; perianth tube 12--17 mm long; floral bracts acute, 9--17 mm and somewhat exceeding 1 internode long Gladiolus crassifolius
103 (101) Leaves 10–18 mm wide, leathery in texture; corm tunics composed of dark brown, papery, brittle layers Gladiolus amplifolius
+ Leaves 2–6(–12) mm wide, and not leathery in texture; corm tunics composed of pale, straw-colored, fairly coarse fibers Gladiolus atropurpureus
 
 
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