G.
undulatus
(wavy gladiolus) is increasing very rapidly on road verges,
creek banks, wetlands and estuarine sites in the wetter
south-west from Perth to Albany, invading bushland adjacent
to these disturbed sites. It may be up to 80cm in height and
flowers in early summer. All the other species flower in
spring. G.
alatus
is a tall, cream-flowered species found on road verges in
the central wheatbelt. G. cardinalis is a spectacular, scarlet-flowered species found
near Busselton.
G.
carneus
is a slender species with cream, pink or apricot flowers,
found on roadsides and around old settlements between
Busselton and Albany.
G.
communis
has purple flowers with a white mark near the throat and is
found on roadsides and around old settlements between
Busselton and Augusta. It comes from the Mediterranean,
unlike all the other naturalised species, that are from
South Africa.
G.
carneus
. PH
G. tristis is a slender, upright plant with a solitary narrow leaf and cream flowers that have conspicuous dark veining to the backs of the petals. It is found in disturbed, winter-moist sites from the Wagin to Busselton. All gladioli spread from seed and corms, wavy gladiolus, for example, can produce up to 30 small corms a year around each large one.
G.
tristis
. PH
Gynandriris setifolia (thread iris) is a weed of woodland, wasteland, roadsides, fire breaks, paddocks and saltlake margins throughout the wheatbelt. The stems are usually less than 10cm in height, with a single, narrow, concave leaf up to 50cm long. Flowers in spring. Spreads by both seed and corms. When not in flower it closely resembles Guildford grass, but grows in lower rainfall areas. Native to South Africa.
Gynandriris
setifolia . PH
There are about 60 species of Hesperantha in Africa and one, H. falcata, is a common weed of wetlands and damp grassy areas on the Swan Coastal Plain and Darling Range near Perth. It can be very abundant, but seldom dominates the vegetation. The flower spikes are up to 45cm, usually with only one or two flowers open at any time, produced from a corm. The white petals are characteristically purple-brown on the outside and open in the late afternoon, closing up by morning. It flowers in spring and is native to South Africa.
Hesperantha
falcata. PH
Hexaglottis lewisiae has been recorded in a small number of locations on roadsides, in wandoo woodlands and in clay wetlands from Moora to Bunbury and inland to Greenhills. The bright yellow flowers open late in the afternoon in spring and have an unpleasant smell. Spreads by seeds and corms. Native to South Africa.
Hexaglottis
lewisiae
. PH
Southern Africa
has over 30 species of Homeria (cape tulip) of which three have escaped from gardens to
become naturalised in Western Australia. All are spread by
seeds and corms.
H.
flaccida
(one leaf cape tulip) DP is a
common weed of pastures, woodlands, granite rocks and
limestone heath throughout the south-west. It is
particularly abundant in the Avon/Swan valley and upper
great southern. Prior to flowering in spring, infestations
can be recognised at a distance from the brown tinge
resulting from the dying tips of their leaves. Petals up to
4cm long. (Note, it can occasionally have yellow
flowers.)
Homeria flaccida
. RK
H. miniata
(two
leaf cape tulip) DP is
stouter and has smaller flowers (petals only up to 2.5cm
long) than the previous species. It is found in similar
habitats and over much of the same geographic range as
H.
flaccida,
but extends eastwards to Kalgoorlie. It flowers from late
winter to spring and bulbils are produced in the leaf axils
after flowering.
H. miniata
. PH
A species with yellow flowers, H. ochroleuca, is found in wasteland in widely separated locations close to settlements. It flowers in late spring.
H.
ochroleuca. GK
