Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden, South Africa

Common name: vleipypie, painted lady

Family: Iridaceae (Iris)

Distribution: Northern Cape, Western Cape

Habitat: Marshy sandstone slopes

National red list: Least Concern

Life form: Geophyte (bulb, corm or tuber - seasonally dormant)

Comments: This is a widespread Cape bulb with cream-coloured flowers and diamond-shaped red marks on the lower tepals. It might look similar to Gladiolus carneus, but it has a longer floral tube and wavier petal margins. It is pollinated by long-tongued flies. The flowers have long floral tubes, produce moderate quantities of nectar, are unscented and close at night, all features which are associated with pollination by long-tongued flies.