Gladiolus permeabilis edulis PFAF Plant Database

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Gladiolus permeabilis edulis - (Bercht)Oberm.

Common Name

Family

Iridaceae

Synonyms

G. edulis.

Known Hazards

None known

Habitats

Shale slopes and stony ground[42, 282].

Range

S. Africa - Cape Province.

Edibility Rating

Medicinal Rating

Care

Summary

Physical Characteristics

Gladiolus permeabilis edulis is a CORM growing to 0.4 m (1ft 2in).
It is hardy to zone 9. It is in flower from Aug to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.

Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Habitats
Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Root. Edible Uses: Corm - cooked[46, 61]. The roasted bulb tastes like chestnuts[2].

Medicinal Uses
Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally. None known

Other Uses
None known

Cultivation details
Prefers a sunny sheltered position in a light sandy neutral to slightly acid soil[1, 200]. Requires a stony gritty loam. This plant is sometimes considered to be a distinct species, G. edulis. It is said to inhibit the growth of legumes[54].

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring in a greenhouse at 15°c[200]. It usually germinates freely[1]. The seed can also be sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a warm greenhouse[200]. Sow the seed thinly so that the seedlings can be grown on in the pot without disturbance for their first year, giving them an occasional liquid feed to ensure they do not become nutrient deficient. Pot up the small bulbs when they are dormant in the autumn, placing about 2 - 3 bulbs in each pot. Grow them on for another year or two in the greenhouse and then plant them out in late spring. Division. Dig up the corms in October, dry them in well ventilated conditions at about 20°c and then store them in a cool but frost-free place over the winter, planting them out about 10cm deep in April[1, 200]. Cormlets harvested when digging up the corms in the autumn can be stored in a similar manner to the corms[200]. Larger cormlets can be planted out in spring, smaller ones may be best grown on for a year in the greenhouse.

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Expert comment

Author
(Bercht)Oberm.

Botanical References
1

Links / References

[1]F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956

Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2]Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.

Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[42]Grey. C. H. Hardy Bulbs.

Rather dated now, but an immense work on bulbs for temperate zones and how to grow them. Three large volumes.

[46]Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants.

An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[54]Hatfield. A. W. How to Enjoy your Weeds.

Interesting reading.

[61]Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man.

Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[200]Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.

Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[282]Manning. J. Goldblatt. P. & Snijman. D. The Color Encyclopedia of Cape Bulbs

Excellent treatment of these plants, with god descriptions, habitat etc.Lots of high quality colour photographs.

Readers comment

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