Ancestors of gladioli

Photos: Arne Ader
Translation: Liis
Meadow gladiolus
Meadow gladiolus      Niidu-kuremõõk       Gladiolus imbricatus
 
 The Latin name of the plant indicates that it is a relative of the garden plants, the gladioli that have started flowering in the gardens or are about to do so. All tens of thousands of the gladiousi varieties are in fact bred from the naturally growing species of the same plant genus, although from large-flowered material collected in the wild in South America.
 
The flowers of the meadow gladiolus, generally reddish-purple and up to 3,5 cm long, are arranged in a long one-sided inflorescence (for the alba variety see Arne’s photo at the end). The plant is slender, up to three-quarters of a metre tall. Basal leaves as those of gladioli, a few centimetres wide. Habitats are extremely rare, only in West and South Estonia; flowering plants can be seen already at the end of July.
 
NB! Do not pick meadow gladioli in nature, the plants are protected by the nature conservation law.
 
Meadow gladiolus, alba variety


 

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