Gladiolus × colvillei

Scarlet Gladiolus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Iridaceae
Genus: Gladiolus
Species: G. colvillei
Binomial name
Gladiolus × colvillei

Gladiolus × colvillei Sweet is a hybrid Gladiolus cultivar. Common name: Scarlet Gladiolus.

The original Gladiolus × colvillei was bred by the nurseryman James Colville of Chelsea, London from the southern African species G. tristis and G. cardinalis and first described in 1823; it is still cultivated.[1] It has deep pink flowers with a cream stripe on each of the lower three tepals.

In 1826 James Colville put on sale a white form with pale pink anthers known as G. colvillei alba. In 1871, a completely white sport with the same parentage was described: G. colvillei 'The Bride'. This cultivar is still available commercially today under the same name.

The Colvillei group of Gladiolus now includes many small (to about 40 cm tall) spring-flowering cultivars with flowers from white to pink or orange-red. Some are likely to have other southern African species such as G. carneus in their ancestry.[2]

References

  1. Lewis, G.J. (1972) Gladiolus: a revision of South African species of Gladiolus. Journal of South African Botany Supplementary Volume 10.
  2. Cooke, D.A. (2005) in Spencer, R.D. Horticultural Flora of South-Eastern Australia vol. 5, p. 221 ISBN 0-86840-832-8


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