Gladiolus cruentus T Moore

Plants 500-700 mm long, usually arching horizontally from cliffs. Corm globose, 15-20 mm diam.; tunics of medium textured fibres. Stem inclined to drooping below horizontal, usually arching upward in upper part, unbranched. Leaves 7 or 8, lower 4 or 5 ± basal and usually slightly longer than spike but trailing, sword-shaped, 10-15 mm wide, main vein moderately thickened, margins not raised, all except uppermost cauline leaf with long blades. Spike arching upward and inclined or nearly erect, straight, 4-to 9-flowered; bracts with outer 40-60(-80) mm long, usually ± 2 internodes long, inner shorter, forked, often lightly 2-keeled. Flowers bright scarlet, lower tepals each with transverse white chevron at limb base, lower part of lower tepals and upper part of tube speckled red on white, unscented; perianth tube ± cylindric, ± 28 mm long, flaring in upper ± 6 mm long; tepals lanceolate, dorsal lightly inclined over stamens, ± 60 x 30 mm, remaining tepals patent, upper laterals ± 55 x 27 mm, lower 3 tepals united basally for 2-3 mm, narrowed and ascending below for ± 15 mm long, limbs patent, ± 33 x 19 mm. Filaments arcuate, ± 40 mm long, exserted ± 35 mm from tube; anthers ± 12 mm long, diverging, dark purple; pollen whitish. Style arching over stamens, dividing at or shortly beyond anther apices, branches ± 5 mm long. Capsules oblong, rounded to retuse apically, 18-25 mm long. Seeds narrowly oblong, 7-9 x ± 4 mm, wing unevenly developed, longest at micropylar end.

It is a warm temperate plant. It needs well-drained soil. It needs a sunny position. It is best in moist soil. It suits hardiness zone 8.

The flower is eaten raw after the anthers are removed. They can be eaten raw in salads or cooked as a vegetable.

Plants can be grown from seeds. Dormant bulbs can be planted out in the autumn.