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Gladiolus buckerveldii Life
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Archaeoplastida >
Chloroplastida
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Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants)
> Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants)
> Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering
plants) > Monocotyledons > Order: Asparagales
> Family: Iridaceae > Genus:
Gladiolus
Information is from Goldblatt and Manning (1998).
Distribution and habitat
Endemic to the Western Cape, South Africa, with a
distribution restricted to the northern Cedarberg. Plants grow on moist,
moss-covered cliffs with the flowring stems growing out almost horizontally and
the leaves drooping down. They can be seen on the steep slopes above Algeria
Forest Station.
Life cycle
- A geophyte, with a corm measuring 15-24 mm in diameter.
- Flowers in January, and occasionally in late December.
- Seeds are oblong to slightly sigmoid, measuring 8-9 mm long by 3-4 mm
wide and are broadly winged at only one end (sometimes weekly winged at the
opposite end, but hardly on the sides).
Ecological interactions
Suspected of being pollinated by sunbirds but the colour of
the flowers (ivory to greenish-cream) is unusual for bird pollinated flowers,
which are normally red or orange.
Meaning of name
Named after M.H. Buckerveld who discovered the plant above
Algeria Forest Station in 1926.
Links
Publications
- Goldblatt P. and Manning J. 1998. Gladiolus in Southern Africa.
Fernwood Press, Vlaeberg, Cape Town.
Text by Hamish Robertson |
