Gladiolus communis
Ordinary gladiolus ( Gladiolus communis)
The Ordinary gladiolus ( Gladiolus communis ) is a plant of the genus Gladiolus ( Gladiolus ) in the family of Iris Family ( Iridaceae ). In addition to the nominate Gladiolus communis subsp. communis, there is the subspecies Gladiolus communis subsp. byzantinus (Mill.) A.P.Ham.
Features
The Ordinary gladiolus is a perennial herbaceous plant that reaches the plant height of 0.5 to 1 m. As outlasting this Geophyt forms tubers with about 20 mm diameter. The stalk is unbranched. The leaves are alternate and distributed in two rows on the stem. The simple, long, sword-shaped, with parallel venation leaves are about 10 to 70 centimeters long and 0.5 to 2.2 inches wide. The leaf margin is smooth.
There shall be terminated, branched or unbranched, eared inflorescences containing bracts and about 10 to 20 flowers. The sessile, hermaphrodite, zygomorphic flowers are threefold. The flower tube is about 10 to 12 mm long. There are two circles, each provided with three different polymorphic bloom cladding, they are reddish purple, the three outer bracts have a white stripe in the middle. It is only the inner circle with three free, fertile stamens present, because they are relative to the outer bloom cladding. The filaments have a length of 12 to 15 mm, and the dust bag is 10 to 13 mm long. Three carpels are fused into one inferior ovary. The style ends in three scars. The flowering period extends usually from June to July, sometimes it starts in May or lasts until October.
The dreifächerige fruit capsule has a length of 18 to 24 mm contains many seeds. The wide winged seeds have a diameter of 4 to 6 mm.
System
There are two subspecies:
- Gladiolus communis subsp. communis:
The leaves are 30 to 50 centimeters long and 0.5 to 1.5 inches wide. The eared inflorescence often has 2-3 lateral branches. The lower leaf sheaths are green or pink annoying. Lower Perigonzipfel are more or less equal to 30 to 40 mm long, 10-20 mm wide and often purple-pink.
- Gladiolus communis subsp. byzantinus:
The leaves are 30 to 70 centimeters long and 0.8 to 2.2 inches wide. The basic leaf sheaths are often dark red annoying. The eared inflorescence often has one or two side branches. The lower Perigonzipfel are different, the middle one is wider, longer and has a white center spot. They are 30 to 45 millimeters long, 15 to 25 millimeters wide and purple.
Occurrence
Gladiolus communis subsp. communis is found in the Mediterranean region, Iran and the Caucasus. In southern Germany and the U.S., they may be naturalized.
Gladiolus communis subsp. byzantinus comes in northwest Africa, southern Spain, southern and central Italy and Sicily in front of dwarf palm bushes and cornfields.
Use
The Ordinary Gladiolus was a common ornamental plant until the first half of the 19th century, but was then garden gladiolus ( Gladiolus × hortulanus hybrids ) displaced. In addition, it has previously been used as a medicinal plant. Today it is hardly cultivated.
Documents
- Description in the Flora of North America. (English )