Home › R › Romulea (Name commemorative of Romulus)

Romulea (Name commemorative of Romulus)

(a name commemorative of Romulus, the mythical founder of Rome). SYN. Trichonema. Including Spatalanthus. ORD. Irideoe. A genus of pretty, greenhouse or hardy, bulbous plants, natives of Western Europe, the Mediterranean region, and South and West Africa. Fifty-four species have been enumerated, but, according to the authors of the "Genera Plantarum," many of these are reducible to mere varieties. Mr. Baker, in his review of the genus published in the "Journal of the Linnean Society," xvi. 86, accords specific rank to thirty-six. Flowers one to a spathe, sub-sessile or shortly pedicellate; perianth funnel-shaped, with a very short, or rarely elongated, tube, and equal, erecto-patent, entire lobes; stamens affixed to the throat; spathes long-pedunculate in the axils of the floral leaves; bracts beneath the ovary at the apex of the pedicel shorter, and sometimes broader, than the spathe. Radical leaves linear, sometimes subulate, the sheaths rarely lanceo-late-dilated; cauline leaves similar, but smaller. The species described below are those best known to cultivation. They require to be planted out in a pit or frame, in a compost of sandy loam and peat. Propagation may be effected by offsets.

R. bulbocodioides (Bulbocodium-like). fl. greenish-yellow; outer spathe valve navicular-convolute, inner one very slender and dark-striped; scape terete, two-sheathed. June. l., radical ones fistular-sheathing; cauline ones binate, in threes, or rarely solitary, alternating with the peduncles. h. 6in. Cape of Good Hope, 1810. Greenhouse. (B. M. 1392, under name of Trichonema caulescens.) R. Bulbocodium (Bulbocodium).* fl. yellow below, violet above the middle, large; spathe two-valved, the outer valve ovate, carinate, the inner one broad and purple-spotted; scape simple, rarely bifid, densely leafy. March. l. linear-ensiform, furcate, channelled and sheathing at base, arcuately recurved. h. 6in. South Europe, 1739. Hardy. (FL. Ment. 93A; B. M. 265, under name of Ixia Bulbocodium.) A variety, P. Pylium, has white flowers marked with purple, borne on a many-flowered scape. (B. R. xxx. 40, Fig. 2, under name of Trichonema Pylium.) P. subpalustre is a form having white flowers margined with blue. (B. R. xxx. 40, Fig. 1, under name of Trichonema palustre.) R. Columnae (Columna's). fl. greenish outside, whitish within, with purple veins and a yellow base, one to three on a very short scape; spathe longer than the perianth tube. March to May. l. wiry, 2in. to 4in. long, recurved, sub-cylindric, grooved above. South and West Europe (Britain), &c. (Fl. Ment. 91.) SYN. Trichonema Columnae(Sy. En. B. 1492).

R. cruciata (cruciate). fl. rose-coloured, terminal, erect; outer spathe valve striated and purple-spotted, inner one dark-striped and dotted; scape simple or branched. May. l. long-sheathing at base, four-ribbed on both sides, undulately recurved. h. 6in. Cape of Good Hope, 1758. Half-hardy. (B. M. 575, under name of Trichonema cruciatum.) R. pudica (chaste). fl. pink, with violet spots at the base, terminal, pedunculate; spathe valves striate, keeled, equal; scape terete, short, simple, curved. August. l. lanceolate-linear, tricostate-bisulcate; upper ones ventricose-sheathing. h. 6in. Cape of Good Hope, 1808. Greenhouse. (B. M. 1244, under name of Trichonema pudicum.) R. ramiflora (branch-flowered). fl. yellow in the throat, rather small; outer segments yellowish outside, and deep or pale lilac in the upper part; inner segments purple in the upper part inside and out; scape elongated, two or three-flowered. May. l. 6in. to 12in. in length, stout, straight or recurved. Naples, 1830. Hardy. (Fl. Ment. 92; S. B. F. G. 596, under name of Trichonema ramiflora.) R. rosea (rosy). fl. rose-coloured, yellow at base, terminal, stalked, campanulate; spathe valves broadly ovate, acute, striated, purple-spotted; scape terete, simple, leafy. July. l. recurved, long-sheathing at base, often slenderly ciliated on the ribs. h. 6in. Cape of Good Hope, 1818. Greenhouse. (B. M. 1225, under name of Trichonema roseum.) R. speciosa (showy).* fl. rose-coloured, yellow and violet-striped at the base of the segments; outer spathe valve convolute and striate, inner one ventricose, obtuse, and broader; scape terete, simple, erect, leafy. May. l. slender, somewhat Rush-like, four-channelled, long-sheathing, slightly twisted. h. 6in. Cape of Good Hope, 1808. Greenhouse. (A. B. R. 170, under name of Bulbocodium speciosum; B. M. 1476, under name of Trichonema speciosum; S. B. F. G. 300, under name of Spatalanthus speciosus.)