Gladiolus watermeyeri flowers

The Gladiolus watermeyeri flower is strongly fragrant, two-lipped and multicoloured. The dorsal tepal is partly red-purple, curving down like a hood between two large spreading, triangular lateral tepals flanking it. They are white with deep red lines. The remaining, lower three tepals are long and drooping, oblanceolate and a bright yellow brown with white tips. Flower diameter is about 3,5 cm.

The exserted filaments curve down under the hood, the dorsal tepal. The oblong anthers are usually 1 cm or longer. The three-branched style arches over the stamens, dangling over the flower centre (Manning, 2007; Goldblatt and Manning, 1998; iNaturalist).