A Tale of Two Glads

Sometimes things that we think are the same are really quite different.  This gladiolus, known as corn flag or Gladiolus communis ssp. byzantinus 'Cruentus' is a case in point.  Native to areas around the Mediterranean seas, it is well adapted to coexist, and even become a little weedy in wheat fields, at least before the advent of modern herbicides.  Hence the name corn flag.

It is an eye-catching blend of magenta and hot pink with white lines on the lip petals adding to the drama.  It holds its florets well in cool weather of spring, so the bottom ones are just starting to fade as the top ones are opening.  I must confess that I love gladiolus.  They come from corms, and you know how I feel about geophytes.  They bloom at the height of summer, which is my favorite time of year.  They are tall and stately, and I think they've had a bad rap with their association with funerals.  I love 'em, and I appreciate this species because it is early and because it is boldly colored and delicately constructed at the same time. 

The problem is that an inferior version has been sold around here and there.  Both are present in the National Herb Garden.  It was this wild gladiolus, one of the only species found outside the center of diversity in southern Africa, that was mentioned in Dioscorides's encyclopedic treatise on plants with medicinal value.  Below is the inferior type:

Still, it has its own beauty, and I'd bet we'd appreciate it more if the more attractive type did not exist.