Gladiolus dalenii (Parrot Lily)

Native to much of tropical and southern Africa and western Arabia, this perennial grows from an underground corm. Upright, sword-shaped leaves form a loose fan. Tall flower spikes carry large, hooded blooms, usually orange to scarlet with contrasting yellow throats. Green to reddish brown bracts surround the developing flowers. The species grows in grasslands, open woodland, scrub and rocky habitats, sometimes near streams. It has long been cultivated and contributed to the ancestry of modern garden gladioli. It has been introduced widely beyond its native range. The plant is poisonous if eaten, with the highest concentration of toxins in its corms. Photographed in Colombia.