Romulea namaquensis 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 : 78-80

14. Romulea namaquensis M.P. de Vos

J. S. African Bot. 21: 103 (1955) ; J. S. African Bot., Suppl., 9: 76 (1972); Fl . S. Africa 7(2), fasc. 2: 20 (1983). — Type: Pearson sub Sladen Expedition 6656, South Africa, Northern Cape, Kamiesberg, Witsand to Leliefontein (holo-, BOL!; iso-, K) .

Plants to 20 cm high, stem subterranean or reaching 10 cm above ground; corm with a crescent-shaped basal ridge. Leaves 3-5, the lower 2-3 basal, filiform, narrowly 4-grooved, straight or curved; outer bracts with narrow membranous margins, inner bracts with wide transparent or brown-flecked margins. Flowers pink to coppery salmon, rarely white, unscented, tepals elliptic, 16-40 mm long; filaments inserted above the middle of the tube, 4-10 mm long, often dark

Romulea ( Iridaceae : Crocoideae )

ADANSONIA, sér. 3 • 2001 • 23 (1)

79 brown, anthers 5-10 mm long. Fruiting peduncles suberect. Flowering: July-Sep. — Fig. 2G .

Romulea namaquensis grows on sandy, granitic soil in Namaqualand in Northern Cape Province, extending from Steinkopf in the north to the Kamiesberg in the south. The species has large, pink to coppery red flowers and is distinctive in having the filaments often dark brown and inserted above the middle of the perianth tube.

Figures

Fig. 2. — Flowers of Romulea species: A, R. tabularis; B, R. saldanhensis; C, R. tortuosa; D, R. sabulosa; E, R. eximia; F, R. sulphurea; G, R. namaquensis; H, R. komsbergensis.