Gladiolus cardinalis Curtis

Plants 550-900 mm high. Corm poorly developed, globose, 12-18 mm diam., attached to rocks, not underground, tunics firm membranous to papery, decaying into fine fibres but not accumulating. Stem inclined to drooping, unbranched. Leaves 5 to 7, lower 3 or 4 basal, always drooping but reaching to base or sometimes slightly exceeding spike, narrowly lanceolate, 11-21 mm wide, main vein thickened and slightly raised and 1 other vein pair prominent, margins not thickened, cauline leaves smaller and largely sheathing. Spike inclined or drooping, flowers borne on upper side, (4) 8-to 11-flowered; outer bract 45-60(-70) mm long, inner shorter, acute, not normally notched apically. Flowers bright red, lower 3 tepals with broad median white longitudinal spear-shaped mark, unscented; perianth tube 32-40 mm long, straight or obliquely funnel-shaped, lower cylindric part ± 28 mm long; tepals lanceolate, acute or obtuse, unequal, dorsal largest, held apart, spreading or slightly recurved, 45-55 x 24-30 mm, upper laterals spreading distally, 48-56 x 20-22 mm, lower 3 tepals joined to upper laterals for 3-7 mm and together for 1-3 mm, 36-53 x 17-19 mm. Filaments (25-)35-42 mm long, exserted 23-29 mm from tube; anthers 11-14 mm long, upper surface reddish, lower surface white with violet sutures on thecae; pollen cream-coloured. Style arching over stamens, dividing opposite upper 1/3 of anthers, branches 8-14 mm long. Capsules obovoid, 18-27 mm long. Seeds ovate to oblong, 6-8 x 3.5-4.0 mm, wing evenly developed or reduced at sides.

Can be grown by seedlings.