Plants of the autumn flower garden of belief and legend are gladiolus. From the history of gladioli, the legend of gladioli. Varieties of gladioli: photos, names and descriptions of flowers

Gladioli soar like ballerinas
Graceful, long-legged and slender.
Their inflorescences are Green's sails
We are carried away into sweet dreams.

K. Stupnitsky

ABOUT I really love gladioli, despite the fact that gladiolus, as they say, is a male flower! There is something proud and majestic in its upward-pointing inflorescence! Until late autumn they delight us with a riot of colors!

The very name of this flower comes from the word “gladus”, which means “sword” in Latin. It is not surprising that in Russia it goes by the name “swordsmith”. Looking at the pointed leaves of the gladiolus, you inevitably remember the swords of musketeers or the swords of gladiators. Actually, the word “gladiolus” means “small sword”.

In Italy they tell a story about two gladiator friends.
Many centuries ago, a cruel Roman commander defeated the Thracian army. And in honor of his triumph, he organized magnificent gladiatorial games in which he forced all the prisoners to fight.

By the end of the day, only two warriors remained alive: Sevt and Teres. Their final match was to cap the celebration. The drama of the spectacle was fueled by the fact that Sevt and Teres were friends.

The Romans watched the arena with bated breath. But when the trumpets sounded calling for battle, the gladiators, without saying a word, stuck their swords into the ground and rushed into each other’s arms!
The audience roared with outrage. The organizers of the games ordered the friends to be separated, and signals were again given for the start of the battle.

The trumpets sounded again, and again the disobedient fighters plunged their swords into the ground. And the third time the same thing happened. Then, in order not to overshadow the holiday, the commander ordered the execution of his friends. And at that moment, when their blood fell on the sand, the hilts of the swords, which remained stuck in the ground, became covered with unusual flowers.

The Romans called the short sword a gladius. And the flowers that bloomed on the hilts of those swords were called gladioli.
And to this day they are a symbol of friendship, loyalty, nobility and
memory.

I tried to create a poetic version of this legend. Here it is:

Since childhood I remember the legend,
What my grandmother told me -
About two true friends - Thracians,
The commander of the cruel captives.
They were gladiators.
For the amusement of the spoiled Romans
They were ordered to fight.
And the reward was the highest:
The winner will get freedom
And a beautiful maiden to boot.

Didn't wait for the bloody battle
Those who craved “bread and circuses” -
Friends hugged and stuck
Throw your swords into the damp ground!..
Dissatisfied with this outcome,
Angry citizens of Rome
They tore apart the unfortunate friends,
And in the place of their swords stuck
Gladioli bloomed...

Parting with you, my love,
Accompanying you on a difficult journey,
Gladiolus - "small sword"
Symbol of friendship and fidelity,
Nobility and memory symbol
I want to give it to you.
And let the sword blade
Protects from troubles and misfortunes,
And frozen drops of blood
They talk about my love
And fidelity will be the key.

L.T.

And in South Africa they tell a different story about the origin of gladioli.

In former times, wars were commonplace, and one day enemies descended on a small village, hoping to take their opponents by surprise.

They captured many, but the elder managed to escape, having previously hidden the main values of the community from the invaders.

The elder's beautiful daughter was tortured for a long time to find out where her father was hiding, but she did not say a word to her enemies. Then they decided to execute her in front of all her fellow countrymen, but at that moment, when the sword was supposed to touch the girl’s neck, the gods turned it into a beautiful flower with purple-red buds.

Seeing this miracle, the invaders realized that the gods were condemning them, and hastily left this village, saving the life of the brave girl.

There is another beautiful legend about the strong love of a prince and a beautiful girl.

Once upon a time there lived a prince on earth and his name was Iolus. In his kingdom, the people lived in contentment and joy, because Iolus was a kind and fair ruler. Only the young prince was often sad that he could not find his beloved in his kingdom, although he had traveled all over it. And then Iolus went to the Magician to find out where his love lived.

He told him that in the neighboring kingdom, in the dungeon of an evil wizard, a beautiful girl named Glad was languishing, whom he was going to marry. And she would rather die than marry an old, evil wizard.

That same day, Iolus went in search of his beloved. He came to the castle of the Evil Wizard with a request to teach him magic - and was accepted. But for this, the prince had to serve the Evil Wizard and restore order in his castle.

One day, when the Evil Wizard was not in the castle, Iolus opened the door of the treasured room and saw in it a girl of unprecedented beauty. They looked at each other and immediately fell in love. Hand in hand, they ran away from the castle. G

Lad and Iolus were already far away when the Evil Wizard overtook them. And he turned them into a flower, which he placed in his garden. The long stem of the flower resembles a slender Iolus, and the beautiful delicate buds resemble Glad.

Later, people named the flower “Gladiolus”, in honor of the strong love of two hearts that died but did not want to part.

Based on Internet materials.

prepared by Ekaterina Ziborova

The botanical name of gladiolus is swordweed; its stem is indeed similar to a sword blade, and the scarlet inflorescences of some varieties resemble droplets of blood. The very name “gladiolus” is a Latin word (Gladius). An ancient Roman legend states: if you hang gladiolus bulbs on your chest as an amulet, they will not only help you win a fight, but will also protect you from death.

Among the Romans, gladiolus was considered the flower of gladiators. According to legend, a cruel Roman commander captured Thracian warriors and ordered them to be turned into gladiators, and the commander ordered the most beautiful, brave, dexterous and loyal friends Sevtus and Teres to be the first to fight each other, promising that the winner would receive the hand of his daughter and be released to freedom. Many curious townspeople came to see this spectacle. However, they did not see what they wanted: when the trumpets sounded, calling the brave warriors to battle, Sevt and Teres stuck their swords into the ground and rushed to each other with open arms.
The crowd roared indignantly. The trumpets sounded again, demanding a duel, and when the warriors again did not satisfy the expectations of the bloodthirsty Romans, they were put to death.
But as soon as the bodies of the defeated touched the ground, blooming gladioli grew from the hilts of their swords, which to this day are considered a symbol of friendship, loyalty, memory and nobility.

In the time of Theophrastus, the author of numerous works on plants, gladioli bulbs were baked in dough and eaten. Onions were added to the crushed corms and cakes were baked. And Pliny the Elder reported that in his time the roots of gladioli were used in medicine.

In Europe, medieval landsknechts, as in Ancient Rome, wore gladioli corms on their chests as amulets, as there was a belief that they had mysterious powers that made a person invincible and protected from injury. It was believed that the magical power of corms lies in the mesh “armor” - the nervation of dead covering leaves.

In the XVII - XVIII centuries. recognition of the gladiolus as a miraculous talisman is replaced by recognition of it as a carrier of healing properties. Thus, some types of gladiolus were used as a milk extract for women, others - for toothache.

Many poetic legends and tales have been written about this beloved plant. “Prince Gladius”, slender, in his ceremonial clothes, with an august bearing, has long captivated the flower growers of Russia.
Currently, gladiolus is one of the five most common cut flower crops in the world.

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Legends of gladiolus

Gladiolus- an interesting plant. Like any flower, it is a symbol of beauty, peace and femininity, but its name comes from the Latin “gladius” - a specially shaped sword used by Roman gladiators. Surprisingly, in Ancient Greece and among the Slavs the name of this flower is also associated with the word “sword”. So among the Greeks it is a xythion, and in Rus' it is a sword. Until the seventeenth century, the belief persisted that the gladiolus could help win a battle, avoid injury and even death. Some medieval written sources mention how knights wore gladiolus root on their chests as an amulet. This flower is often called the “King of Victory.”

But still, the legend about the appearance of the gladiolus is associated with ancient Rome. It is believed that the swords of captured Phoenicians turned into its leaves. They tried to force two warrior friends, Sevta and Teres, to fight against each other, like gladiators, for the public’s needs. They were promised freedom for battle or death. The friends abandoned the fight and stuck their swords in the sand of the arena. Both were executed. And at the moment of their death, the swords of the warriors turned into beautiful flowers. Therefore, gladiolus is considered a symbol of nobility, fidelity, respect and memory. To this day, the tradition of giving bouquets of gladioli to anniversaries or award winners has been preserved. You can also give gladioli to business partners as a sign of continued cooperation on fair terms and respect. And these flowers are brought to women and girls as a sign of fidelity and true feelings.

Another legend associated with gladiolus also tells about strong love and fidelity. An evil wizard captivated a beautiful girl named Glad, intending to marry her, but she was ready to die just to avoid the fate of being the wife of an evil sorcerer. The young prince Iolus, who ruled the neighboring kingdom, learned about her. He came to the evil wizard and asked to become his student in order to sneak into his castle by cunning. Somehow, in the absence of the villain, the prince opened the dungeon, the young people looked at each other and fell in love with all their souls. They fled from the castle, but the wizard overtook them and turned them into a flower. So the slender stem reminds of Iolus, and the beautiful flowers remind of Glad.

Magical properties of gladiolus

The bulb of this plant was worn as a protective amulet, and gladiolus leaves were attached to their clothes by gladiators before each new battle. It was believed that the gladiolus was able to protect its owner from danger and allow him to return from battle unharmed. If warriors from ancient times wore gladiolus root as an amulet that protected them in battle, then women added it to flour to make any baked goods. They believed that in this way they were protecting the family from premature death.

However, in addition to its protective properties, gladiolus, which has some magical properties, was often used by healers and sorcerers. A woman who wanted to bewitch a man added powder made from this plant to her chosen one’s glass of wine. The essence of this ritual was that a man who drank a miracle potion fell in love with the first woman who caught his eye. By the way, it is worth saying that there were often cases when the witch did not have time to meet her chosen one first and another beautiful person won his heart forever.

There are many legends associated with this magical ritual, one of which tells the story of a duke and a lady who decided to bewitch him with the help of a gladiolus. The woman, intoxicated by dreams of the Duke’s wealth and power, decided to perform a similar ceremony and prepared wine for her betrothed, but left the filled glasses and went away on business. When she returned, she discovered that the Duke, in her absence, had tasted wine and fell in love with a maid who happened to be in the room at that moment. Subsequently, it was the maid who became the new duchess, but the sorceress was exiled to a monastery.

Currently, some witches use gladiolus bulbs to improve sexual potency. To do this, a man must eat this treat and wash it down with a glass of red wine.

Healing properties of gladiolus

Of course, gladiolus is also used in medicine. Back in the seventeenth century, young leaves and flowers were used to make a paste that was used to treat teeth. Dry gladiolus extracts were brewed and drunk to treat a throat, relieve fever, and simply boost immunity. Until now, some medicines for the prevention of colds include dry leaves of this plant.

Scientists have proven that gladiolus contains vitamin C in quantities greater than rose hips. If you brew the leaves of this flower and leave for a few minutes, you will get a soothing drink. It can be used in the treatment of depression, used to relieve stress and neuroses. It is useful for relieving fatigue after physical overload. You can use this vitamin drink to treat insomnia, dizziness and headaches. Compresses from gladiolus leaves treat wounds; leaves applied to the sore spot promote healing.

The Legend of Gladiolus

@Gladiolus — “sword” (translated from Latin) and has been considered the flower of gladiators since ancient times. There is one legend that tells about where this beautiful flower came from.

There was a war between the Thracians and the Romans, who were victorious. The Roman commander, after the victory, ordered the soldiers to capture the surrendered Thracians and turn them into gladiators. Among the prisoners, two young men Teres and Saint were very homesick and became friends.

Having learned about this, the cruel commander, wanting to entertain the public, forced Saint and Teres to fight against each other in front of a crowd of onlookers. The winner was promised freedom and a return to his homeland - this was the cherished desire of both friends, for which they were ready to give their lives.

Trumpets sounded, calling the gladiators to battle.

The gladiator friends, entering the ring, threw their swords aside and rushed into each other's arms. They were both executed. But as soon as their bodies fell to the ground, tall and beautiful flowers bloomed in the place where they threw their swords. Having seen such a spectacle, in honor of the most noble gladiator friends, the flowers were called gladioli , which to this day are symbols of memory, nobility, friendship and fidelity.

In ancient Rome they hung it on the chest as an amulet and talisman,

the roots of this flower, believing that the roots help not only defeat evil, but also protect from death.

Gladioli come from Africa. There it is considered a symbol of happiness; not a single wedding ceremony or celebration is held without it.

Gladiolus is the most favorite autumn flower - tall, slender, with beautiful flowers, collected in a spike in two rows.
The leaves of this plant are long, narrow and stick out like sharp swords. Another popular name for this flower is fudge, and the scarlet inflorescences (of some varieties) look like droplets of congealed blood.

Legends of gladiolus

Gladiolus - small sword

Legends of gladiolus
“Oh, ancient Rome! Tell us the legend of Gladiolus, the flower of all Gladiators. "

Gladiolus is a sword flower, it is also the king of victory, a magnificent duelist. Among the Romans, it was considered the flower of gladiators. The name gladiolus comes from the Latin word gladius - “sword”. Translated from Latin, gladiolus also means “small sword.” In Ancient Greece, gladiolus was called xythion, which also meant “sword”. This name is due to the fact that this plant has straight sword-shaped leaves reaching a length of 80 cm (see “Garden Gladiolus”)

A tall slender plant with beautiful flowers collected in two rows into a pointed straight spike. The leaves are long, narrow, sticking out like sharp swords. Therefore, the plant is often called fudge. The scarlet inflorescences of some varieties are like droplets of congealed blood. There are many legends and beliefs associated with these beautiful flowers. They were credited with medicinal properties.

Traditionally, gladiolus is a masculine flower, reminiscent of chivalry, the true “King of Victory”; It is believed that this was the first German name for gladiolus. These flowers are rarely given to women, especially young girls; they look good in bouquets intended for business partners, winners and award winners. But still, many women adore these flowers and gladly accept them as a gift (see “The Language of Flowers”).

As legend has it, gladioli grew from the swords of Thracian warriors captured by the Romans. There was a war between the Romans and the Thracians and the Romans won. A cruel Roman commander captured Thracian warriors and ordered them to be turned into gladiators. Longing for their homeland, pain over lost freedom, humiliation from the position of slaves, bound two young captives Sevt and Teres with strong friendship. Wanting to entertain the public, the cruel commander forced his loyal friends to fight against each other, promising the winner a reward - a return to their homeland. For the sake of freedom they had to give their lives.

And in South Africa they tell a different story about the origin of gladioli. In former times, wars were commonplace, and one day enemies descended on a small village, hoping to take their opponents by surprise. They captured many, but the elder managed to escape, having previously hidden the main values of the community from the invaders. The elder's beautiful daughter was tortured for a long time to find out where her father was hiding, but she did not say a word to her enemies. Then they decided to execute her in front of all her fellow countrymen, but at that moment, when the sword was supposed to touch the girl’s neck, the gods turned it into a beautiful flower with purple-red buds. Seeing this miracle, the invaders realized that the gods were condemning them, and hastily left this village, saving the life of the brave girl.

That same day, Iolus went in search of his beloved. He came to the castle of the Evil Wizard with a request to teach him magic and was accepted. But for this, the prince had to serve the Evil Wizard and restore order in his castle. One day, when the Evil Wizard was not in the castle, Iolus opened the door of the treasured room and saw in it a girl of unprecedented beauty. They looked at each other and immediately fell in love. Hand in hand, they ran away from the castle. Glad and Iolus were already far away when the Evil Wizard overtook them. And he turned them into a flower, which he placed in his garden. The long stem of the flower resembles a slender Iolus, and the beautiful delicate buds resemble Glad. Later, people named the flower “Gladiolus”, in honor of the strong love of two hearts that died but did not want to part.

The history of gladiolus dates back to ancient times; references to it are found in the works of ancient Roman thinkers. Shamans and healers prescribed magical properties to this flower. An ancient Roman legend says that if you hang the roots of a gladiolus on your chest like amulets, they will not only protect you from death, but will also help you win a fight. In medieval Europe, landsknechts wore gladioli corms as amulets, as they believed that they made them invincible and protected them from injury. It was believed that the magical power of corms lies in the mesh “armor” - the rib of dead covering leaves.

Before its cultivation, gladiolus was not an ornamental plant. During Theophrastus's time, around 300 BC, it was considered a troublesome weed of grain crops, but its ground bulbs could be baked into flat cakes with the addition of flour. In the 17th and 18th centuries, healers attributed medicinal properties to gladioli. Corms were recommended to be added to milk for infants and used against toothache. Currently, a large amount of vitamin C has been found in gladioli. Petals of black and red gladioli are part of some medicinal preparations that increase human immunity.

Gladiolus first gained popularity only in the 18th century, when South African species of these flowers, which were distinguished by greater brightness and beauty, were brought to Europe. And when in 1902 an English engineer brought home an elegant creamy-yellow flower found at a waterfall near the Zambezi River, gladiolus literally became widespread throughout the world in just a few years. The flowers were so spectacular that they immediately won the love of European flower growers. In 1837 The Belgian gardener G. Bedzinghaus developed the so-called “Ghent gladiolus” (G. gapdavepsis), from which the history of modern gladioli began. In the year of Halley's Comet (1910), the Halley variety appeared on Dutch markets and was a huge success. For several corms of this variety they paid up to 4 thousand guilders. To date, almost 70,000 varieties of gladiolus are known, and about a hundred new ones are registered in international lists every year!

In the 50-60s of the last century, gladiolus was on the crest of a wave of popularity in such a flower country as Holland. At this time, Dutch breeders developed many new varieties. Some of them have proven themselves very well in terms of the sum of their characteristics and are still popular (for example, Oscar, Red Ginger and others). Gladioli are widespread in England and their popularity in this country is stable. It was in this country that the first society of gladioli growers in history was created. Now gladiolus is one of the five most common cut crops in the world.

The Legend of Gladiolus Plants

Gladiolus is a sword flower, it is also the king of victory, a magnificent duelist. There are many legends and beliefs associated with these beautiful flowers. They were credited with medicinal properties.

A tall slender plant with beautiful flowers collected in two rows into a pointed straight spike. The leaves are long, narrow, sticking out like sharp swords

Traditionally, gladiolus is a masculine flower, reminiscent of chivalry, the true King of Victory; It is believed that this was the first German name for gladiolus. These flowers are rarely given to women, especially young girls; they look good in bouquets intended for business partners, winners and award winners. But still, many women adore these flowers and gladly accept them as a gift.

The name gladiolus comes from the Latin word gladius - sword. Translated from Latin, gladiolus also means small sword. In Ancient Greece, gladiolus was called xythion, which also meant sword. This name is due to the fact that this plant has straight sword-shaped leaves, reaching a length of 80 cm. Among the Romans, it was considered the flower of gladiators.

As legend has it, gladioli grew from the swords of Thracian warriors captured by the Romans.

There was a war between the Romans and the Thracians and the Romans won. A cruel Roman commander captured Thracian warriors and ordered them to be turned into gladiators. Longing for their homeland, pain over lost freedom, humiliation from the position of slaves, bound two young captives Sevt and Teres with strong friendship. Wanting to entertain the public, the cruel commander forced his loyal friends to fight against each other, promising the winner a reward - a return to their homeland. For the sake of freedom they had to give their lives.
Many curious citizens came to the military spectacle. When the trumpets sounded, calling the brave to battle, refusing to fight for the amusement of the Romans, Sevt and Teres stuck their swords into the ground and rushed to each other with open arms, ready to accept death. The crowd roared indignantly. The trumpets sounded again, demanding a duel, but the warriors did not satisfy the expectations of the bloodthirsty Romans. They were put to death. As soon as the bodies of the defeated touched the ground, their swords took root and blossomed, turning into tall, beautiful flowers. In honor of the noble gladiators they were called gladioli. And to this day they are a symbol of friendship, loyalty, nobility and memory.

An ancient Roman legend says that if you hang the roots of a gladiolus on your chest like amulets, they will not only protect you from death, but will also help you win a fight.

In medieval Europe, landsknechts wore gladioli corms as amulets, as they believed that they made them invincible and protected them from injury. It was believed that the magical power of corms lies in the mesh armor - the rib of dead covering leaves.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, healers attributed medicinal properties to gladioli. Corms were recommended to be added to milk for infants and used against toothache.

Gladiolus, or swordweed (Gladiolus) got its name for the peculiar shape of its leaves, reminiscent of a sharp sword (gladius in Latin means sword). Legend about gladiolus forever linked the origin of the proud flower with gladiatorial battles.

In ancient Rome, gladiolus was credited with magical properties; gladiators considered it their flower: gladiators wore the root-bulb of the gladiolus as an amulet on their chests and believed that it always brings victory.

According to another legend it was believed that in gladioli The swords of two faithful gladiator friends Sevta and Teres, who did not fight each other to please the emperor, were transformed and were put to death for this.

In the Middle Ages, flour from gladioli corms was added to flour when baking bread.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the Englishman W. Herbert obtained the first interspecific hybrids of gladioli by crossing several South African species of gladioli. It was then that decorative interest in gladioli arose. Nowadays, gladioli are simply ornamental plants.

Today's variety of shapes and colors of gladioli is the result of many years of painstaking work by gardener breeders. The first corrugated gladioli were bred at the beginning of the 20th century in the USA by breeder A. Kunderd.

This majestic and graceful flower has long settled in our hearts and gardens. Many interesting events are associated with this flower. It combines the charm of antiquity, modernity and sophistication. The majestic arrows with the bells of the inflorescences make it one of the most recognizable flowers in the world.

It has come a long way from a wild flower to a garden flower. It was first described by the Greek physician Dioscorides as a wild lily. Europeans have long considered gladiolus to be a wild flower of the Mediterranean. In 1689, the writer John Parkinson called the Turkish Gladiolus byzantinus a garden weed, and although gladiolus could still be found in European gardens, it would soon be replaced by new exotic flowers.

In the mid-18th century, fashion changed again and everyone started growing gladioli. Since then, fortune has not changed for gladiolus. Beautiful, lush varieties of gladiolus filled the gardens of Victorian England. Gladioli have attracted the attention of celebrity gardeners such as Claude Monet and Gertrude Gecko.

The beauty of the gladiolus is breathtaking, and the diversity obtained by crossing just a few European, Asian and African species is amazing. More than 180 species and over 10 thousand cultivated varieties of gladiolus can decorate any garden.

Gladiolus belongs to the iris family. Stems with socketed inflorescences make it recognizable and unique. The edges of the flower can be wavy or smooth. The stem can grow from 50 cm to 2 meters in length. The diameter of the flowers, arranged in two rows along the trunk, is from 2.5 to 20 cm. The flowers open first at the base of the trunk, then the lower ones fade and the upper ones bloom. More than 20 flowers can bloom on the stem of a healthy gladiolus.

Pliny the Elder, an ancient Roman military leader and scientist, was the first to call it gladiolus - the flower of gladiators. Gladiolus comes from the Latin 'gladius' - small sword. The sharp leaves of the plant resemble the swords of Roman legionnaires who conquered Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

Gladioli were brought to England in 1620 by John Tradescant, a plant hunter who later became the chief gardener at the court of Charles I. From his trip to the Mediterranean, Tradescant brought many plants, including gladiolus.

In the 18th century, gladioli were supplied from South Africa, which is how different types of gladioli came to Europe. At the same time, European gardeners began to breed flower hybrids. One of these hybrids attracted the attention of Queen Victoria in 1853. She asked that the flower be sent to her gardener at the Osborne estate on the Isle of Wight. Already in 1870, the catalogs of James Kelway's nursery in Somerset listed 800 cultivars of gladioli. Kelvey planted almost 3.5 hectares of gladioli.

By the beginning of the 20th century, experts realized that the potential for crossing known species was practically exhausted. And then an event occurred that changed the fate of gladiolus. Quite by accident, a new species of gladiolus was found deep in the African jungle. During the construction of a bridge in Rhodesia, engineer Sir F. Fox found a small flower of Gladiolus primulinus in dense thickets near Victoria Falls. Experts immediately saw the brilliant possibilities that this graceful yellow-orange flower provided. Such shades were not then in the color line of gladioli. New varieties of gladiolus were created at breakneck speed.

In North America, gardeners continue to cultivate gladiolus in the hope of producing larger, more beautiful flowers. In Canada this tradition is especially strong. The Canadian Gladioli Club is the oldest in the world. Canada produced several famous species of gladiolus, including the first miniature wavy-edged gladiolus.

These small varieties were born by accident in 1930. An 18-year-old boy from Toronto bought a package of mixed varieties of gladiolus. The beauty born from a cheap packet of seeds marked the beginning of a family business that has lasted more than 80 years.

Gladiolus is a sword flower, aka the king of victory,
an excellent duelist. Among the Romans he was considered
gladiator flower. Gladiolus name
comes from the Latin word gladius -
"sword". Translated from Latin gladiolus
also means "small sword". In Ancient
In Greece, gladiolus was called xythion, which
also meant "sword". This name is associated
with the fact that this plant has straight
sword-shaped leaves reaching a length of 80 cm.

Tall slender plant with beautiful flowers,
assembled in two rows into a pointed straight line
ear. The leaves are long, narrow, stick out like
sharp swords. Therefore, the plant is often called
with a sword. Scarlet inflorescences of some varieties
like droplets of frozen blood. With these
many legends are associated with beautiful flowers and
believe. They were credited with medicinal properties.

Traditionally, gladiolus is a male flower,
reminiscent of chivalry, a true "King"
victory"; they believe that this is what the first sounded like
German name for gladiolus. These flowers
rarely given to women, especially young ones
for girls, it looks good in bouquets,
intended for business partners,
winners and award winners. But that's it
many women adore these flowers and with
gladly accept them as a gift

As legend has it, gladioli grew from
swords of Thracian warriors captured by the Romans...
There was a war between the Romans and Thracians and
victory went to the Romans. Brutal Roman
the commander captured the Thracian warriors
and ordered them to be turned into gladiators.
Homesickness, pain about lost freedom,
humiliation from the position of slaves, tied up two
young captives Sevta and Teresa strong
friendship. Wanting to entertain the public, cruel
the commander forced his loyal friends to fight
against each other, promising the winner a reward
- homecoming. For the sake of freedom they
had to give their lives.
Many people gathered for the military spectacle
curious citizens. When the trumpets sounded,
calling on the brave to fight, then refusing
fight for the amusement of the Romans, Sevt and Teres
stuck their swords into the ground and rushed towards each other
with open arms, ready to receive
death. The crowd roared indignantly. Pipes
sounded again, demanding a duel, but the warriors
did not satisfy the expectations of the bloodthirsty Romans.
They were put to death. As soon as the bodies of the defeated
touched the ground, their swords took root and
blossomed into tall, beautiful
flowers. In honor of their noble gladiators
called gladioli. And still they are
a symbol of friendship, loyalty, nobility and memory.

But in South Africa they tell a different story
the story of the origin of gladioli. IN
old times of war were commonplace
and one day they raided a small village
enemies, hoping to take their own by surprise
opponents. They captured many, but
the elder managed to escape, after
hiding the main values of the community from the invaders.
The elder's beautiful daughter was tortured for a long time,
to find out from her where she is hiding
father, but she didn't tell her enemies either
words. Then they decided to execute her in front of
all fellow countrymen, but at that moment when the sword must
was to touch the girl's neck, the gods turned
it into a beautiful flower with purple-red
buds. Seeing this miracle, the invaders realized
that the gods condemned them, and hastily left it
village, saving the brave girl’s life.

There is another beautiful legend about
strong love between a prince and a beautiful girl.
Once upon a time there lived a prince on earth and his name was Iolus.
In his kingdom the people lived in contentment and
joy, because Iolus was kind and
a just ruler. Only the young prince
I was often saddened by what I could not find in
beloved in his kingdom, although he traveled around it
from end to end. And then Iolus went to the Magus,
to find out where his love lives. That
told him that in the neighboring kingdom,
in prison, with an evil wizard, languishes
a beautiful girl named Glad, whom he
is going to marry. And she'd rather die
than to marry an old, evil wizard.
That same day Iolus went in search of
to your beloved. He came to the Evil One's castle
A wizard asking to teach him magic
and was accepted. But for this the prince had to
serve the Evil Wizard and direct
order in his castle. One day, when the Evil
The wizard was not in the castle, Iolus opened
the door of the treasured room saw a girl in it
unprecedented beauty. They looked at each other
friend and immediately fell in love. Holding hands
they ran away from the castle. Glad and Iolus
were already far away when the Evil One overtook them
Wizard. And he turned them into a flower,
which he placed in his garden. Long stem
the flower resembles a slender Iolus, and
beautiful delicate buds - Glad. Later,
people named the flower "Gladiolus" in honor
strong love of two hearts, dead, but not
who wished to separate.

The history of gladiolus dates back to the ancients
times, references to it are found in the works
ancient Roman thinkers. Shamans and healers
prescribed magical properties to this flower.
An ancient Roman legend tells that if
hang gladiolus roots on your chest like amulets,
they will not only protect from death, but also help
win the duel. In medieval Europe
Landsknechts wore gladioli corms as amulets, as they believed that they did
they are invincible and protected from injury. It was believed that
The magical power of corms lies in the mesh
"armor" - a rib of dead covering leaves.

Before its cultivation, gladiolus was not
ornamental plant. During Theophrastus,
around 300 BC, he was considered
a burdensome weed of grain crops,
however, from its crushed onions with
By adding flour it was possible to bake flat cakes.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, healers attributed
Gladioli have medicinal properties. Corms
advised to add to milk for infants,
used against toothache. Currently
time, a large number were found in gladioli
vitamin C. Petals of black and red gladioli
included in some medicinal preparations,
increasing human immunity.

Gladiolus first gained popularity only in
XVIII century, when they were brought to Europe
South African species of these flowers, differing
greater brightness and beauty. And when in 1902
year, an English engineer brought home
a graceful creamy yellow flower found in
waterfall near the Zambezi river - gladiolus
literally in a few years received the widest
distribution throughout the world. The flowers were so
spectacular that they immediately won love
European flower growers. In 1837 Belgian
gardener G. Bedzinghaus developed the so-called
"Ghent gladiolus" (G. gapdavepsis), from which
the history of modern gladioli began. In year
Halley's Comet (1910) appeared on Dutch markets
the Halley variety, which was a huge success. In a few
corms of this variety were paid up to 4 thousand
guilders. By now it is almost known
70,000 varieties of gladiolus, and every year
About a hundred new ones are registered on international lists!

Legends of gladiolus
"Oh, ancient Rome! Tell us the legend of Gladiolus, the flower of all Gladiators..."

Gladiolus is a sword flower, also the king of victory, a magnificent duelist. Among the Romans, it was considered the flower of gladiators. The name gladiolus comes from the Latin word gladius - "sword". Translated from Latin, gladiolus also means “small sword.” In Ancient Greece, gladiolus was called xythion, which also meant “sword”. This name is due to the fact that this plant has straight sword-shaped leaves reaching a length of 80 cm... (see "Garden Gladiolus")

As the legend says, gladioli grew from the swords of Thracian warriors captured by the Romans... There was a war between the Romans and the Thracians and the Romans won. A cruel Roman commander captured Thracian warriors and ordered them to be turned into gladiators. Longing for their homeland, pain over lost freedom, humiliation from the position of slaves, bound two young captives Sevt and Teres with strong friendship. Wanting to entertain the public, the cruel commander forced his loyal friends to fight against each other, promising the winner a reward - a return to their homeland. For the sake of freedom they had to give their lives.

Many curious citizens came to the military spectacle. When the trumpets sounded, calling the brave to battle, refusing to fight for the amusement of the Romans, Sevt and Teres stuck their swords into the ground and rushed to each other with open arms, ready to accept death. The crowd roared indignantly. The trumpets sounded again, demanding a duel, but the warriors did not satisfy the expectations of the bloodthirsty Romans. They were put to death. As soon as the bodies of the defeated touched the ground, their swords took root and blossomed, turning into tall, beautiful flowers. In honor of the noble gladiators they were called gladioli. And to this day they are a symbol of friendship, loyalty, nobility and memory.

And in South Africa they tell a different story about the origin of gladioli. In former times, wars were commonplace, and one day enemies descended on a small village, hoping to take their opponents by surprise. They captured many, but the elder managed to escape, having previously hidden the main values of the community from the invaders. The elder's beautiful daughter was tortured for a long time to find out where her father was hiding, but she did not say a word to her enemies. Then they decided to execute her in front of all her fellow countrymen, but at that moment, when the sword was supposed to touch the girl’s neck, the gods turned it into a beautiful flower with purple-red buds. Seeing this miracle, the invaders realized that the gods were condemning them, and hastily left this village, saving the life of the brave girl.