Gladiolus debilis

The little painted lady, as Gladiolus debilis is commonly known, is a geophyte, a cormous perennial growing annual leaves and a flower stem of 35 cm to 60 cm tall. 

The slender plant may produce up to four leaves in its growing season, apart from its delicate flowers. The narrow, strap-shaped leaves have raised margins. The leaves are from 1 mm to 2 mm wide and longer than the inflorescence.

The species distribution is in the Western Cape, from the Cape Peninsula northwards to Bainskloof and eastwards to Caledon and Bredasdorp. This flower was seen in the Kogelberg Nature Reserve during September.

The habitat is rock sandstone slopes and flats in fynbos. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century (Manning, 2009; Bean and Johns, 2005; Goldblatt and Manning, 1998; iNaturalist; iSpot; http://redlist.sanbi.org).