Gladiolus orchidiflorus

Gladiolus orchidiflorus, in Afrikaans commonly the groenkalkoentjie (little green turkey) or vaalkalkoentjie (little grey turkey) in those parts that do not manage much green, is a cormous perennial reaching heights from 30 cm to 80 cm. The conical to globose corm is from 12 mm to 20 mm in diameter, the above-ground plant parts deciduous. The plant produces numerous cormlets around the corm, contributing to safeguarding the plant and species existence.

The species distribution is in the Northern Cape, the Western Cape and the Free State. It also grows in the south of Namibia.

The habitat is open terrain on sandy and clayey, stony flats, often in succulent Karoo. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Le Roux, et al, 2005; Goldblatt and Manning, 1998; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).