G L A D I O L U S P L I C A T U S.
Plaited-kaved Gladiolus.
CLASS III. ORDER I.
TRIANDRIA MONOGYNIA. Three Chives. One Pointal.
S E N T T A L G E N E R I C C H A R A C T E R.
C O R O L L A fexpartita, ringens. Stamina adfcen- || Bloifom fixdivided, gaping. Chives afcending.
den d a . See G L A D I O L U S ROSEUS, P i . X I . V o l . 1.
S P E C I F I C C H A R A C T E R.
Gladiolus foliis eufifoi oiibus, plicatis, villous;
corollis r e g u l a i i b u s ; fpatha trivalvi; fcapo
Gladiolus w i t h fword-lhaped leaves, plaited and
h a i r y ; blofibms regular; fheath threevalved;
flower-Item lateral.
R E F E R E N C E T O T H E P L A T E .
1. The three-valved Sheath.
2. A Bloflbm thread open, to i h ew the fituation and dire&ion of T i p s.
3. Tiie Pointal, and Seed-bud, one of the Summits magnified.
T H E varieties, generally comprehended as fuch, of this fpecics of Gladiolus, are extended, in number,
beyond any others w i t h which we are, as yet, acquainted, of this cxtenfive genus. Already, wc
have drawings of 2 2 ; and many more, certainly, there are, eveo in this kingdom; but we (hall
content ourfelves w i t h figuring, in the Bot. Rep. 3 or -1, o f the moft curious. One of the varieties of
this plant, has been in cultivation w i t h us fiucc the year 1?57, when it was raifed by Mr. Miller from
Cape feeds. The one reprefented i n our prefent figure, was received, from Holland, in the year I ' O - l,
by MeiTrs. Lee and Kennedy, Hammcrfmilh; it is o n e of the hardieft, and furefl flowering varieties
of the fpecics ; for there arc but few of t h em which bloffom freely. The bulbs fliould be planted in
fandy peat, about October, and taken into the hot-houie, or placed on a hot-bed, in January, to
e n c o u r a g e a r a p i d and early g r o w t h ; by w h i c h means, they a r c more frequently induced to throw
out their flower ftems the beginning of April, which otherwife, often prove abortive. The roots
i h o u l d not be removed from the pots, till t h e leaves are fomewhat decayed.
T h i s is t h e Glad, plicatus of Linn. Sp. PI. p . r,3; Thunb. Difif. de Glad. n. 2 4 ; Jac. I c . Rar. 2.
t . 2 3 7 : ° f ' h e K e w C a t . Vol. I . p . 6 3 ; Martyn' s Miller, a r t . Glad. 5. and of WUldenow's Spe. Plant.
T. 1. p. 2 2 0 ; yet, we cannot refrain from j o i n i n g in opinion w i t h t h e late M r . C u r t i s that it approaches
as near Ixia, as G l a d i o l u s ; for the Ixia rubro cyauca of the Bot. Mag. is but a variety of this fpecics.
But we cannot fo readily laloonify our fenfes, with trifling changes, as to think, with a modern
reforming author, that a new genus was necelfary, in this iuliance, to rectify this p a r t of the Species
Plantarum, of t h e incompetent •' Linntcus.