Romulea unifolia M.P. de Vos

Manning, John C. & Goldblatt, Peter, 2001, the Arabian Peninsula and Socotra including new species, biological notes, and a new infrageneric classification, Adansonia (3) 23 (1), pp. 59-108 : 105

72. Romulea unifolia M.P. de Vos

S. African J. Bot. 53: 247 (1987) . — Type: Oliver 8933, South Africa, Northern Cape, Roggeveld Escarpment, Farm Fransplaas (holo-, NBG!; iso-, K!, MO!, NBG!, PRE).

Plants 15-30 cm high, stem subterranean; corm rounded at base with curved acuminate teeth. Leaves 1(2), basal, curved, somewhat spongy, broadly 4-grooved, 2-4 mm diam.; outer bracts keeled with narrow white membranous margins, inner bracts 2-keeled with white membranous margins. Flowers orange-red with black and yellow blotches at the edge of the cup, unscented, tepals obovate-cuneate, 28-45 mm long; filaments 5-6 mm long, anthers 9-12 mm long. Fruiting peduncles straight. Flowering: Aug.-Sep.

Romulea unifolia was originally known only from the mid Roggeveld escarpment between Middelpos and Sutherland, where the plants have orange flowers, but a red-flowered population was recently located between Nieuwoudtville and Calvinia on the Bokkeveld Escarpment (sight record). The plants occur on dolerite flats in heavy clay soil. The species is recognized by the single, or rarely two foliage leaves and large orange or reddish flowers. The thick, widely grooved leaves suggest that it is most closely related to R. subfistulosa , which has four or more leaves and a magenta flower.