Aloes and Lilies of Ethiopia and Eritrea

252 IRIDACEAE
Fig. 113.
Gladiolus
pauciflorus,
from near the
Sidambale
bridge, Bale
floristic region.
Gladiolus pauciflorus
Description
Habitat and
distribution
8. Gladiolus pauciflorus Baker
The specific epithet ‘pauciflorus’ refers to the few
(pauci-) flowers (-florus), 2–4 (so me times more) on the
inflorescence. The species was described by Baker in
1886 from a plant collected on Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.
The species is distinguished from other indigenous
species by its consistent 4–5 foliage leaves and cream to
yellowish-green flowers with distinct red streaks.
Plant 80–105 cm high. Corms 15–22 cm in diameter. Foliage leaves
(3–)4–5, lower (2–)3–4 basal and largest, narrowly lanceolate, (6–
)8–15 mm wide, reaching to about base of spike. Stem unbranched,
3–3.5 mm in diameter at base of spike. Spike (2–)4–8(–10)-flowered.
Flowers cream to yellowish­green, or sometimes pink to reddish,
or flushed orange, lower 3 tepals often with a dark purple median
streak; perianth tube (20–)35–45 mm long, cylindrical below,
widening toward apex; tepals broadly or narrowly lanceolate, upper
3 largest 30­45 × 18–24 mm, lowermost nearly as long as upper,
lower laterals substantially smaller. Filaments 22–24 mm long,
exserted 10–14 mm from tube. Style arched over stamens, dividing
just below anther apices, branches 4–7 mm long, ultimately
exceeding anthers. Capsules obovoid, 15–20 mm long.
The species occurs in the highlands in open grassland or
woodland between 1500 and 1600 m in Bale, Harerge
and Sidamo floristic regions. It also occurs in Kenya,
northern Tanzania, and Uganda. The main flowering
period in Ethiopia is from April to June.
9. Gladiolus gunnisii (Rendle) Marais
The specific epithet ‘gunnisii’ is named after a member of
an expedition, F. G. Gun nis that collected specimens on
the mountains south of Berbera, in northern Somalia.