GLADIOLUS - THE SWORD LILY

Dr.S.Haripriya

Assistant Professor (Horticulture), ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Vriddhachalam

Gladiolus is one of the most important bulbous cut flowers in the flower industry. It occupies the fifth position in the International floriculture trade. It has great economic value as a cut flower and for decoration. It is also known as the “Queen “amongst the bulbous flowers. Gladiolus (Latin, ‘gladius’ meaning ‘a sword’) is a genus of flowering plants in the iris family (Iridaceae). Sometimes called the sword lily, but the most widely-used English common name for these plants is simply gladiolus (plural gladioli or gladioluses). Although “glads,” as they are commonly called, are used to a limited extent for landscape effect.

Gladiolus (Gladiolus grandiflorus) is native to Tropical and South Africa; consist of approximately one hundred and fifty known species. It has its natural habitat in the Mediterranean regions and South Africa. It is a herbaceous plant bearing underground storage stems known as corms from which arise sword shaped foliage bearing terminal inflorescences of flowers known as spikes. These attractive, perennial herbs are semi-hardy in temperate climates and grow from rounded, symmetrical corms that are enveloped in several layers of brownish, fibrous tunics. Their stems are generally unbranched, producing 1 to 9 narrow, sword-shaped, longitudinal grooved leaves, enclosed in a sheath. The lowest leaf is shortened to a cataphyll. The leaf blades can be plane or cruciform in cross section.

The fragrant flower spikes are large and one-sided, with bisexual flowers, each subtended by two leathery, green bracts. The sepals and the petals are almost identical in appearance, and are termed tepals. They are united at their base into a tube-shaped structure. The dorsal tepal is the largest, arching over the three stamens. The outer three tepals are narrower. The perianth is funnel-shaped, with the stamens attached to its base. The style has three filiform, spoon-shaped branches, each expanding towards the apex. The ovary is trilocular with oblong or globose capsules, containing many, winged brown, longitudinally dehiscent seeds. The ovary is inferior, with 3 carpels. Placentation is axile and the fruit will be a capsule. These flowers are variously colored, pink to reddish or light purple with white, contrasting markings, or white to cream or orange to red. Glads were originally pollinated by long-tongued anthrophorine bees, sunbirds, noctuid and sphingid moths, long-tongued flies and several others.

Table 1. Classification of Gladiolus based on flower size*

Code	Flower diameter
500 (Giant)	over 5 ½ inches
400 (Large)	4 ½  to 5 ½  inches
300 (Medium)	3 ½  to 4 ½ inches
200 (Small)	2 ½ to 3 ½ inches
100 (Miniature)	under 2 ½ inches

   * Size by measurement of first floret

Table 2. Gladiolus color indicators

Color	Pale	Light	Medium	Deep	Other
White	00
Green		02	04
Yellow	10*(1)	12	14	16
Orange	20*(2)	22	24	26
Salmon	30	32	34	36*(3)
Pink	40	42	44	46
Red		52*(4)	54	56	58 Black red
Rose	60	62	64	66	68 Black rose
Lavender	70	72	74	76	78 Purple
Violet (Blue)	80	82	84	86
Smokies		92	94	96
Tan	90				98 Brown

*Includes (1) Cream, (2) Buff, (3) Orange scarlet, (4) Red scarlet

Spikes to be displayed should have florets with petals that are fully hydrated and show no sign of aging or insect damage. Choose spikes that have the bottom one-third of their florets in full bloom, the middle one-third showing colour and the upper one-third in buds. Florets should be evenly spaced, all facing in the same direction. The stem should be straight and the tip of the spike should not be bent. Cut the spike so that the stem portion is about one-third its total length. It is best to cut spikes the night before the display, place them in water and allow them to remain overnight in a cool location to gain maximum hydration. This might help in extending the vase life of the gladiolus on display.