Wildflower series ~ Gladiolus

To me the name gladiolus conjures up images of vase flowers and now I find that there are miniature wild versions growing on the hill. Gladiolus permeabilis subspecies edulis is another one of those that you will never know is there until it flowers. I have walked past this spot many, many times until the sight of them in flower caught my eye. This is what the leaves look like, perfectly camouflaged in the grasslands.

The edulis part of the name comes from the fact that the little undergound bulbs, called corms, are edible. I have read that they can be roasted and taste like chestnuts.

I was having a really hard time photographing these because it wasn't possible to get them in focus when the sun was out from behind the clouds and on the brief periods it wasn't, the wind kept blowing the delicate stalks around. As if that wasn't difficult enough, a furry photobomber turned up and decided to disrupt my process with her tail. Who says that photography is low-effort content?