Botanical name

Gladiolus brevifolius

Family

Iridaceae

Common Name

Herfspypie, Autumn Pipes
Gladiolus brevifolius
Gladiolus brevifolius
Gladiolus brevifolius
Gladiolus brevifolius
Gladiolus brevifolius
Gladiolus brevifolius

Description

Delicate cormous geophyte up to 45cm, usually shorter.  A leaf is produced after flowering on a separate shoot, solitary, linear to sword-shaped with thickened margins, usually sparsely hairy, 3-6mm wide; flowering stem bearing sheathing leaves. Flowers in a 5-12 flowered spike, usually unscented, pale to deeper-pink; usually yellowish (sometimes white) and red markings on lower tepals.

Flowers are adapted for pollination by long-tongued insects, particularly long-tongued bees.

Habitat

Sandstone and shale flats and slopes

Flower Date

March to May