Commercial Floriculture

Origin and Distribution

Origin and Distribution
• There are around 200 species scattered throughout Tropical and South Africa and Mediterranean region.
• It is said to be in cultivation since 1578. It was first introduced into France & soon after, it spread to England, Germany, Holland & North America.
• No species is known to be native of India.
• In India it was introduced during British period.

Taxonomy
• Gladiolus L. belongs to the family Iridaceae. Basic chromosome number is n=15.
• Ploidy in the genus ranges from diploid (2n=30) to dodecaploid (2n=180)
• The modern garden gladiolus is a complex of at least 12 species and most of the cvr’s are tetraploids (2n=60) & highly heterozygous, they will not breed true to the type if grown from seeds.

Floral Biology
• Inflorescence is simple spike consisting of 10-25 florets all facing one side arranged in rows.
• The florets are protandrous in nature, the anther dehiscing before the stigma of same flower becomes receptive.
• 2-3 flower open in the morning hours & later the anthers dehisce along the longitudinal sutures. After about 24 hours of flower opening, the stigma becomes receptive.
• Ray Choudary reported that the gladiolus flower bud takes 16 days to reach the full bloom stage. The unfurling of the petals starts early in the morning & complete opening of florets takes 22-24 hours.
• The dehiscence of anthers occurs between 8.00 and 9.30 a.m. following anthesis. And stigma receptivity stays for 24 hours.
• Gladiolus is cross pollinated crop.

Species
• There are about 226 recorded species scattered in Republic of South Africa.
• The genus Gladiolus has further been divided into four sections.
• Section I: Euglandiolus which includes 100 species.
• Section II: Habea includes 12 spp.
• Section III: Schweiggeria, includes only two species.
• Section IV: Homoglossum, includes 5-6 species.

Top