Gladiolus, a genus of Iridaceæ (q.v.), with beautiful spikes of flowers, sword-shaped leaves (whence the name—dim. of Lat. gladius, 'a sword'), and corms or bulbous rhizomes. Several species are European (G. palustris, communis, &c.), though none are British; the majority, however, are from the Cape. They are propagated by offset corms or from seed: in this way innumerable hybrids have been produced. The hardy European forms are well adapted to the mixed border, wild garden or shrubbery in dry and sunny situations. Among the leading Cape forms are G. cardinalis (red), psittacinus (yellow with purple spots), floribundus (purple and white), &c., and these have given rise to numerous hybrids—e.g. the first two to G. gandavensis, which again stands at the head of many new series of hybrids and varieties. The scarlet G. brenchleyensis is similarly a standard form. The corm of G. communis was formerly official; and the Hottentots dig up some of the Cape species for the sake of their starchy corms. See Nicholson's Dictionary of Gardening; Robinson's Flower-garden, &c.