Two new species of <i>Gladiolus</i> (Iridaceae: Ixioideae) from South Africa and notes on long-proboscid fly pollination in the genus

Gladiolus rhodanthus is a new species known from a single population on the summit of the Stettynsberg near Villiersdorp in Western Cape. South Africa The species most closely resembles G. hirsutus and G caryophyllaceus but differs from both in flower shape and markings and in its ecology and reprod...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: J. C. Manning, P. Goldblatt, P. J. D. Winter
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: South African National Biodiversity Institut 1999-10-01
Series:Bothalia: African Biodiversity & Conservation
Subjects:
Online Access:https://abcjournal.org/index.php/abc/article/view/591
Description
Summary:Gladiolus rhodanthus is a new species known from a single population on the summit of the Stettynsberg near Villiersdorp in Western Cape. South Africa The species most closely resembles G. hirsutus and G caryophyllaceus but differs from both in flower shape and markings and in its ecology and reproductive biology. It forms part of a guild of long- tubed, pink-flowered species including  Erica praecox, Pelargonium radiatum and  Watsonia paucifolia which are pollinated by an undescribed long-proboscid fly. Moegistorhynchus sp nov. (Diptera : Nemestrinidae). Gladiolus sekukuniensis is a new species known from three populations south of the Strydpoortberge in Northern Province It closely resembles G. permeahilis subsp  edulis in vegetative features and in flower form, but differs from it in flower colour and in the elongate peri­anth tube. These floral features are apparently adaptations to pollination by long-proboscid flies.
ISSN:0006-8241
2311-9284