Thanks to Mary Sue for her comments and good photos on the wiki. She mentioned the white spider camouflaged in the white glad. I often find these white spiders in flowers here. I suppose they lurk where a visiting moth or other prey insect will mistake their legs for anther filaments. Gladiolus tristis has survived outdoors here for the past two warm winters, so I may try some of its hybrids too, if I happen to get any. The only other African glad I grow is the tiny G. alatus, which is in the bulb frame. I once had G. x colvillei but lost it in a normally cold winter. More reliable are the European Gladiolus species, which are in flower now. Slender plants, they look best among other vegetation. I was surprised when visiting Crete last month to see how robust G. italicus is there; it (like the tulips) obviously responds well to the chemical fertilizers that, according to conservationists, are being over-applied and killing off the famous orchids. Jane McGary Northwestern Oregon, USA