Gladiolus gregarius

Family: Iridaceae

What it is like

A slender herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It grows 30-80 cm tall. The corm is fibrous. It is 2-3 cm across. There are 4-7 leaves at the base. The leaves on the stem are shorter. The flower spike has 8-20 flowers. They are green. There are overlapping flower bracts along the stem. The fruit is a narrow capsule 12-15 mm long.

There are about 150-300 Gladiolus species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in moist savannah.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Burkina Faso, Central Africa, Congo, East Africa, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Southern Africa, Tanzania, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The corms are starchy and eaten.

Edible parts

Corms, root

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Antholyza descampsii De Wild.; Antholyza gilletii De Wild.; Gladiolus corbisieri De Wild.; Gladiolus elegans Vaupel; Gladiolus hanningtonii Baker; Gladiolus karendensis Baker; Gladiolus klattianus Hutch.; Gladiolus multiflorus Welw. ex Baker; Gladiolus pseudogregarius Mildbr. ex Hutch.; Gladiolus spicatus Klatt; Gladiolus uhehensis Harms;