Gladiolus orchidiflorus arching dorsal tepal

The flamboyantly arching dorsal tepal of a Gladiolus orchidiflorus flower, like a swan neck or snake head over the huddling stamens and style branches, has a dark patch on its widened top part in the photo. This tepal is the dominant floral part, the hallmark of the species that contributes much to identification, although the lateral pair of upper tepals and the central tepal among the lower three have bigger limbs.

Veins are clearer to see on the upper tepals. The lower three droopy tepals are the most colourful, particularly the lateral pair that partly conceal the central one. The broad yellow and purple bands near the tips surpass the arrowheads pointing to the base.

Bees visit these flowers avidly (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Le Roux, et al, 2005; Goldblatt and Manning, 1998; iNaturalist).