Of some 255 species worldwide, the authors recognise 163 in southern Africa, several of which are described and illustrated here for the first time. The book includes 150 finely executed and botanically detailed line drawings by John Manning.
- History
- Classification of Southern African Gladiolus
- Relationships, subgeneric classification, phylogeny and radiation
- Systematic treatment
- The genus Gladiolus
- Keys to Gladiolus in Southern Africa
- Natural key to the sections of Gladiolus
- Key to sections Densiflorus and Ophiolyza
- Key to section Blandus
- Key to section Linearifolius
- Key to section Heterocolon
- Key to section Hebea
- Key to section Homoglossum
- Key to Gladiolus in Botswana, Northern Namibia, the Northern provices of South Africa and Swaziland
- Key to Gladiolus in Lesotho and the Southeastern provinces of South Africa
- Key to Gladiolus in the winter-rainfall region of Southern Africa
- Section Densiflorus
- Section Ophiolyza
- Section Blandus
- Section Linearifolius
- Section Heterocolon
- Section Hebea
- Section Homoglossum
- Excluded species