Gladiolus dzavakheticus (sword lily)

Gladiolus dzavakheticus is restricted to the Caucasus Mountains of Georgia and Armenia, where it is found in subalpine hay meadows.

The sword lily is a showy, eye-catching plant, which grows to a height of 60 cm. Its corms (fleshy underground stem bases) are small and round (8-10 mm x 7-8 mm). The lower leaves are shorter than the upper ones, and the longest leaf can reach 50 cm in length, and is usually 2-3 mm wide. The inflorescence bears 4-6 pink flowers during July-August. Fruits are produced in October. Reproduction is primarily by seed. Gladiolus dzavakheticus can be distinguished from other species in the genus by its loose, open inflorescences.

Gladiolus dzavakheticus is known from only a few locations in Georgia and Armenia. It grows in subalpine meadows, which are used intensively as hay meadows, and the resulting mowing threatens the populations and reduces the chance of reproduction by seed. Another threat to the wild populations is the picking for sale of the showy flowers by local residents. The uprooting of plants for their edible corms and picking for cut flowers has greatly reduced their numbers. 

Be the person or group who will protect this species forever. Sponsor Gladiolus dzavakheticus or other endangered plant species at the MSB.

The corms are collected by local residents in Georgia and Armenia, as they are edible when boiled or roasted. Gladiolus dzavakheticus is also used for cut-flowers, and grown as an ornamental.

Kew's Millennium Seed Bank partnership aims to save plant life world wide, focusing on plants under threat and those of most use in the future. Seeds are dried, packaged and stored at a sub-zero temperature in our seed bank vault.

Number of seed collections stored in the Millennium Seed Bank: One.
Seed storage behaviour: Likely to be orthodox (the seeds of this plant survive drying without significant reduction in their viability, and are therefore amenable to long-term frozen storage such as at the MSB)
Germination testing: Not processed yet, so no further details.

Kew ‘Monocots I’ Team

Plant stories - Gladiolus aureus

Adopt a Seed, Save a Species - Gladiolus dzavakheticus