Gladiolus gracillimus Baker

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Photo: Nicholas Wightman
Riverside dambo above Kalonde Falls, Kawambwa Distr., Luapula Province

Photo: Nicholas Wightman
Cultivated at Dabuyu Farms from material collected near Kalonde Falls, Zambia

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Synonyms:	Gladiolus aphanophyllus Baker
Common names:
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Description:	Plants small 15-30(40) cm tall; corms 9-12 mm in diameter, tunics of fine netted fibres with weakly developed neck; foliage leaves 2, lower basal and tightly sheathing to half or three quarters stem length, upper leaf inserted below spike, leaf blades 3-5 cm long and 0.5-1 mm wide, linear with 2 narrow grooves on each surface; flowering stems unbranched; spike 2-4(7) flowered, inclined at an angle of c. 45̊ or more; bracts 7-10 mm long, green or sometimes flushed purple, inner slightly shorter than outer; flowers pale blue to lilac, rarely white, lower 3 tepals each with a dark-blue to purple diamond shaped marking in the upper half or flowers uniformly purple or pale yellow to greenish with deep-yellow markings on lower3 tepals; perianth tube 7-10 mm long, curved outwards; tepals unequal; uppermost (8)10-15 x 8-11 mm, larger than others and arched over stamens, lower 3 tepals 7-12 x 4-5 mm, exceeding the upper tepals when viewed in profile; capsules 7-8 mm long, obovate-ellipsoid.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	gracillimus: from gracilis meaning thin or slender.
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Flowering time:	Nov - Dec
Worldwide distribution:	From northern Zambia and Malawi to south west Tanzania.
Malawi distribution:	N
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Endemic status:
Red data list status:
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Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Literature:	Goldblatt, P. (1993). Iridaceae Flora Zambesiaca 12(4) Pages 83 - 85. (Includes a picture). Goldblatt, P. (1996). Gladiolus in Tropical Africa Timber Press. Portland, Oregon. Page 164.

Other sources of information about Gladiolus gracillimus:

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Flora of Zambia: Gladiolus gracillimus

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Gladiolus gracillimus
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Gladiolus gracillimus
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Gladiolus gracillimus
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Gladiolus gracillimus
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Gladiolus gracillimus
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Gladiolus gracillimus
JSTOR Plant Science: Gladiolus gracillimus
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Gladiolus gracillimus
Plants of the World Online: Gladiolus gracillimus
Tropicos: Gladiolus gracillimus
Wikipedia: Gladiolus gracillimus