=Gladiolus psittacinus=, _Hook f._ var. =Cooperi=, _Bkr. Bot. Mag._ t. 6202; _Fl. Cap._ vi. 158.
This striking species of _Gladiolus_ belongs to the section _Dracocephali_ of the genus which contains some seven species all characterised by having the upper segments hooded. It is a favourite with cultivators, and has also been taken up by nurserymen who grow blooms for sale. Like a great many of our beautiful native species, it was left to Kew Gardens to bring the species to public notice.
Corms of this _Gladiolus_ were brought to England by Mr. Thomas Cooper, who collected in South Africa for Mr. Wilson Saunders. It first flowered at Kew in 1872, when it was described and figured.
The species is easy of cultivation, and flowers at Pretoria in November. Apart from the interest it is to gardeners generally, it should be of special interest to breeders, as there seems little doubt that some very fine hybrids could be raised from this species.
DESCRIPTION:--A tall plant O·9-1·2 metres high. _Corm_ red, 2·5-6 cm. in diameter, globose; tunics chartaceous, broad, ultimately breaking up into fibres. _Leaves_ 6-8, 60-90 cm. long, 2-3 cm. broad, ensiform, acute, slightly narrowed at the base, glabrous, rigid. _Inflorescence_ a lax 5-10-flowered spike, 20 cm. or more long. _Spathe-valves_ 5-9 cm. long, oblong-lanceolate, sub-acute, kildare-green (R.C.S.). _Flowers_ large, hooded, lemon-yellow (R.C.S.), striped with scarlet-red (R.C.S.). _Perianth-tube_ curved, 5-6 cm. long, trumpet-shaped, glabrous; three upper lobes forming a hood 2-2·5 cm. broad, ovate or obovate, acute, with a distinct claw; the posterior lobe crimson without, lighter in colour within, smaller than the other two upper lobes; the three lower lobes smaller than the upper lobes and strongly reflexed; the anterior lobe 3-4 cm. long, O·5-2 cm. broad, broadly-lanceolate, acute, lemon-yellow (R.C.S.) in the lower half; the lateral lower lobes 2-2·5 cm. long, 0·4-0·5 cm. broad, lanceolate, acute. _Stamens_ inserted at the base of the perianth-tube, shorter than the upper lobes, arcuate. _Ovary_ ellipsoid; style slightly longer than the stamens, arcuate; stigmas terete, pubescent on the stigmatic surface. _Capsule_ 2-2·5 cm. long, ellipsoid. _Seeds_ discoid.
