Romulea albomarginata 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 : 95-96

51. Romulea albomarginata M.P. de Vos

J. S. African Bot., Suppl. 9: 177 (1972); Fl. S. Africa 7(2), fasc. 2: 43 (1983). — Type: de Vos 1999, South Africa, Western Cape, 37 km N of Gydo Pass (holo-, NBG!) .

Plants 12-25 cm high, stem usually subterranean or sometimes reaching 5 cm above ground; corm with a crescent-shaped basal ridge of fibril clusters. Leaves 3-4, basal and cauline, narrowly 4-grooved, 1 mm diam.; outer bracts with narrow membranous margins, inner bracts with wide white membranous margins. Flowers white or pink to magenta with dark veins around the orange-yellow cup, tepals elliptic, 15-25 mm long; filaments 4-5 mm long, anthers 4-7 mm long. Fruiting peduncles spreading at first, later suberect. Flowering: Aug.-Oct.

Closely allied to Romulea setifolia , R. albomarginata is distinguished from that species by the white or pink flowers. The outer tepals are often darkly wine-colored on the outside, recalling the flowers of R. saxatilis from the same area, but may also be colored dull greyish green. Originally known only from sandstone flats in the Cold Bokkeveld in Western Cape Province, the species has recently been collected high on the Hex River Mountains some distance to the south.

ADDITIONAL SPECIMENS EXAMINED. — SOUTH AFRICA. Western Cape:3319 (Worcester), Hex River Mountains ( BC-BD), Oliver & Oliver 11322, 19 Aug. 1999 ( NBG) .

ROMULEA subg. SPATALANTHUS (Sweet) Baker

Fl. Capensis 6: 37 (1896), as Spathalanthus. —

Spatalanthus Sweet, Brit. Fl. Gard. 3: plate 300 (1829). — Type: Spatalanthus speciosus Sweet [= Romulea monadelpha (Sweet) Baker]. Romulea subg. Lomurea M.P. de Vos, J. S. African

Bot., Suppl., 9: 285 (1972). — Type: Romulea

syringodeoflora M.P. de Vos ; syn. nov.

Corms rounded or pointed at the base and lacking a basal ridge, the tunics splitting along preformed lines of weakness into long straight or recurved basal teeth. Leaves rarely without secondary bundles, usually with vascular girders and rib marginal strands, with or without rib marginal bundles. Flowering stem always branching underground at anthesis.

ROMULEA subg. ROMULEA sect. 5. CRU- CIATAE (M.P. de Vos) J.C. Manning & Goldblatt, comb. et stat. nov.

Romulea subsect. Cruciatae M.P. de Vos, J. S. African Bot., Suppl. 9: 259 (1972). — Type: Romulea cruciata (Jacq.) Baker (= Ixia cruciata Jacq. ).

Corms pointed, without a basal ridge, tunics bearing straight basal teeth.