Gladiolus maculatus Sweet

Plants 300-800 mm high. Corm globose, 10-20 mm diam.; tunics papery, becoming fibrous. Stem erect, lightly flexed above sheaths of upper 2 leaves, unbranched. Leaves 3 or 4, lower 2 basal, lowermost sheathing lower 1/2 of stem, short, rarely reaching above base of spike, linear, leathery or subsucculent, margins and main vein not raised or thickened, remaining leaves inserted between middle and upper 1/3 of stem, progressively shorter. Spike usually flexed at base and inclined, flexuose, 1-3(5)-flowered; bracts green or greyish to dull purple, soft-textured, outer 30-50(-65) mm long, inner shorter than to ± as long. Flowers dull yellow to lilac, densely to lightly speckled throughout with small to large, pale to dark brown or purplish spots, often darkest toward tepal apices, dorsal tepal ± transparent below apices on either side of midline, strongly and sweetly scented both day and night; perianth tube obliquely funnel-shaped, 23-35(-48) mm long, lower cylindric part 15-25 mm long, with papillose zones in lower throat opposite lower tepals; tepals lanceolate-attenuate, margins undulate, dorsal slightly larger, 25-33 x 13-19 mm, extending ± horizontally over stamens, upper laterals curving outward in upper 1/2, 25-33 mm long, lower 3 tepals joined to upper laterals for 5-7 mm and together for 1-2 mm, free parts 23-33 mm long, curving downward in upper 1/2. Filaments 13-16 mm long, exserted 4-6 mm from tube; anthers 8-11 mm long, brown to cream-coloured; pollen yellow. Style arching over stamens, dividing slightly below to slightly beyond anther apices, branches 2-3 mm long. Capsules ovoid-ellipsoid, ± 12 mm long. Seeds ovate, 5-6 x 3-4 mm, broadly and evenly winged.