Aloes and Lilies of Ethiopia and Eritrea

250 IRIDACEAE
Gladiolus dalenii
subsp. andongensis
Habitat and
distribution
Gladiolus roseolus
Description
b. subsp. andongensis (Baker) Goldblatt
The subpecific epithet ‘andongensis’ refers to the region
of origin where the collec tion was made, Pungo Andongo
in north western Angola. The subspecies was described
by Baker in 1892 from a plant collected by Welwitsch.
Plant 60–90 cm high. Leaves not contemporaneous with flowers,
those of flowering stem 2–4, short and entirely sheathing, 6–14 cm
long, or sometimes with blades 20–30(–50) × 6–12 mm, imbricate
and sheathing lower half of stem; foliage leaves emerging from
separate shoots later, usually at least 2, narrowly lanceolate, 300–
500 × 4–16 mm. Flowers with tube 25–33(–40) mm long; dorsal
tepal 35–45 × 22–25 mm. Filaments c. 25 mm long, exserted 15–18
mm from tube.
It grows mainly in highlands, in grassland or light
woodland betwen 1300 and 2100 m in Sidamo, Gamo
Gofa, Kefa and Wel lega floristic regions. It is also
widespread in tropical Africa. The main flowering period
in Ethiopia is from April to June; sometimes also from
January to February.
7. Gladiolus roseolus Chiov.
The specific epithet ‘roseolus’ refers to the pink to
pale colour of the perianth which is observed in some
population of the species. The species was described by
Chio venda in 1911 from plants collected from northern
Ethiopia, one of which is from the Semien, on rocky
meadow on the slopes of Limalmo in Gonder floristic
region.
The species is unique among the indigenous species
(except in G. dalenii subsp. andongensis) in having
foliage leaves produced from separate shoots after
flowering time. It is easily distinguished from it in that
G. dalenii subsp. andongensis has larger flowers, 60–95
mm long, longer stamens with the anthers well exserted
from the perianth tube and red to pale-pink flowers.
Plant (40–)60–90 cm high. Corm 25–30 mm in diameter. Foliage
leaves (of flowering stem)(1–) 2–4, short and almost entirely
sheathing, sometimes with short blades, 6–14 cm long. Stem
unbranched, 2–3 mm in diameter below first flower. Spike
(2–)5–10-flowered. Flowers whitish with a pink flush to pink,
sometimes speckled with minute red dots; perianth tube 18–22
mm long, cylindrical, curving outward and widening above; tepals
unequal, upper three largest, ovate­elliptic, 26–30 mm long, 10–