gladiolus italicus

{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}

{{Speciesbox

|image = 0 Gladiolus italicus - Samoëns (1).JPG

|genus = Gladiolus

|species = italicus

|authority = Mill.

|synonyms = Gladiolus segetum

}}

Gladiolus italicus is a species of gladiolus known by the common names Italian gladiolus, field gladiolus, and common sword-lily.

It is native to much of Eurasia and North Africa,{{Cite web|url=https://wcsp.science.kew.org/namedetail.do?name_id=328527|title=World Checklist of Selected Plant Families: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew|website=wcsp.science.kew.org}} but it is well known on other continents where it is a common weed, particularly of cultivated fields and waste places.{{Cite web|url=http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=240010021|title=Gladiolus italicus in Flora of North America @ efloras.org|website=www.efloras.org}} This perennial flower grows an erect stem approaching a meter in maximum height with a few long leaves around its base. Toward the top half of the generally unbranching stem is a spike inflorescence on which flowers appear at intervals. Each plant has up to 15 or 16 flowers. The flower is bright pink to magenta and several centimeters long with its stamens and style protruding from the throat. The fruit is a capsule about a centimeter long containing many seeds.Meikle, R.D. (1985). Flora of Cyprus 2: 833-1970. The Bentham-Moxon Trust Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.Boulos, L. (1995). Flora of Egypt: i-xii, 1-287. Al Hadara Publishing, Cairo.Danin, A. (2004). Distribution Atlas of Plants in the Flora Palaestina Area: 404-410. Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities.Takhtajan, A.L. (ed.) (2006). Conspectus Florae Caucasi 2: 1-466. Editio Universitatis Petropolitanae.Mikheev, A. (2006). Synopsis generis Gladiolus L. (Iridaceae) specierum in flora caucasi. Novosti Sistematiki Vysshikh Rastenii 38: 120-125.Zervous, S., Raus, T. & Yannitsaros, A. (2009). Additions to the flora of the island of Kalimnos (SE Aegean, Greece). Willdenowia 39: 165-177.