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GLADIOLUS viperatus.
Perfumed Corn-flag.
Natural Order. I r i d e æ . Brown p ro d r .l. p .362.
GLTjDîOLÜÂ. Supra* fol. 155.
G. viperatus, foliis ensiformibus glaucescentibus nervoso-striatis
acutis, scapo simplici flexuoso subcernuo, lacinia perianthii su-
prema spathulata fornicata incurva; 3 exterioribus rhombeo-
ovatis patentibus acutis : 2 interioribus, spathulatis acutis de-
Gladiolus viperatus. Ker. in Botan. magaz. 68%. Hort. Kew.
ed. 2. V. 1. p. 97. Spreng. syst. veg. 1. .
Gladiolus alatus. Willden. sp. p i. 1- p. 216. Jacq. ic. rar. 2.
t. 259. nec aliorum. _
Gladiolus orchidiflorus. Andrews's reposit. t. 241.
Root a bulb-tuber. Sheaths at the base tinged with
purple. Leaves distichous, scarcely as long as the scape
when full-grown, ensiform, acute, strongly nerved, and
striated with several longitudinal lines, slightly glaucous.
Scape simple, more or less flexuose, bending forward,
cylindrical, of a glaucous colour. Flowers 8 to 10, in a
compact spike, all facing one way. Spathe 2-valved, inclosing
the tube of the flower; outer one lanceolate,
acute, keeled near the point, with membranaceous margins,
striated with numerous lines, glaucous ; inner one
much shorter, with a bifid point, and the margins more
membranaceous. Hm'awZÄiMiR tubular ,6-cleft, tube short,
widening upwards ; upper segment arched, and incurved,
spathulate, narroAV at the base, convex on the outside,
and concave within, the point scarcely acute; 2 middle,
and the lower outside one rhomboidally ovate, acute, the
margins a little crumpled, of a greenish ash colour, with
a purple line down the centre of each, and a large brownish
yellow mark near the base of the lower one : 2 iwier
lower ones spathulate, acute, narrowing to the base, where
joined to the outer segment, they become thickened, and
have a prominent fleshy margin on each side, spotted
with small red spots, the lamina ash-coloured, like the
other segments, but marked with a purple mark, broad
! 1'