Gladiolus guenzii

Gladiolus gueinzii (the correct spelling of 'guenzii') is a South African gladiolus restricted to coastal dunes, growing above the high-tide mark from Arniston in the Western Cape to Durban in KwaZulu-Natal — a habitat unique among southern African gladioli. Standing 20 to 50 cm tall, it produces a large, glossy, dark, globose corm buoyant enough to disperse by sea. Its 4 to 6 narrow, glaucous leaves are somewhat fleshy. The inclined spike bears 2 to 8 mauve to light purple flowers, upper tepals streaked red-purple, lower ones marked white outlined in red-purple. Well-drained sandy soil and full sun.