Romulea Maratti

From Romulus, the legendary founder of Rome.

Perennial herbs, dormant in summer. Corms globose with smooth brown tunics. Leaves narrow-linear. Stem much shorter than leaves, or absent. Spathes green, 1 flowered on slender leafless stalks. Perianth tube short; lobes equal. Stamens erect in centre of flower. Style branches each divided into two thread-like arms.

Southern Africa, extending to Mediterranean Europe.

Seed.

Star-shaped flowers close to ground, closing at night; thread-like leaves.

de Vos (1972).

Source: Cooke, D. (2005). Iridaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5. Flowering plants. Monocotyledons. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.

Hero image
kingdom Plantae
phylum   Tracheophyta
class    Magnoliopsida
superorder     Lilianae
order      Asparagales
family       Iridaceae
Higher taxa
Subordinate taxa
species         Romulea flava (Lam.) M.P.de Vos
species         Romulea hirta Schltr.
species         Romulea rosea (L.) Eckl.