Gladiolus melleri Baker

melleri: Named after Charles Meller,naturalist and physician on David Livingstone's Zambezi expedition.

Perennial herb, growing annual stems from corms. Some leaves are borne on the flowering stem, usually partly or entirely sheathing and difficult to distinguish from the main stem; foliage leaves normally appear after flowering on separate shoots. Flowering stimulated by fire, the combination of deep salmon-pink flowers and purple stems making a striking contrast with the burnt soil.

Common

Southern tropical Africa.