Gladiolus callianthus

Taxobox
name = "Peacock Flower"


image_width = 250px
image_caption = Peacock Flower
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Liliopsida
ordo = Asparagales
familia = Iridaceae
subfamilia = Ixioideae
tribus = Ixieae
genus = Gladiolus
species = "G. callianthus"
species_authority = Marais
binomial = "Gladiolus callianthus"
binomial_authority =
synonyms =
*"Acidanthera bicolor"

The Peacock Flower ("Abyssinian gladiolus") is a tropical plant that is native to Madagascar. According to the International Plant Names Index (IPNI) it is a native of Abyssinia (Ethiopia). It has been widely planted in tropical regions and is cultivated in subtropical and temperate regions. It is a common garden flower in Western European gardens, where the bulbs are lifted and stored frost-free in the winter season because the species is not hardy there. The flowers are white with a scarlet patch, occasionally orange. Scientists often place this plant in the genus "Acidanthera".

The species was first described as "Acidanthera bicolor" Hochst. (1844). When "Acidanthera" Hochst. (1844) is treated as a section of "Gladiolus" L. (1753) ("Gladiolus" sect. "Acidanthera" (Hochst.) Goldblatt (1996)), the correct name for the species is "Gladiolus callianthus" Marais (1973) as the name "Gladiolus bicolor" is no longer available, being published by Baker (1877) for another species of "Gladiolus", from Southern Africa. "Acidanthera bicolor" Hochst. and "Gladiolus callianthus" Marais are thus both valid names for the same species, depending on the view whether "Acidanthera" should be treated as a genus in its own right or as a section of "Gladiolus".

References

*cite web |url=http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/bulbs-summer/acida_bi.html |title=Acidanthera bicolor, Gladiolus callianthus; Abyssinian, Fragrant gladiolus, Sword lily |accessdate=2007-06-29 |last=Evans |first=Erv |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=NC State University |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote=