Romulea viridibracteata 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 : 104

70. Romulea viridibracteata M.P. de Vos

J. S. African Bot., Suppl. 9: 247 (1972); Fl. S. Africa 7(2), 2: 68 (1983). — Type: Salter 3652, South Africa, Western Cape, Pakhuis Pass (holo-, BOL!; iso-, BM, K!) .

Plants 10-30 cm high, stem subterranean; corm rounded at base with curved acuminate teeth. Leaves 3-5, basal, filiform, narrowly 4- grooved, 1-2 mm diam.; outer bracts usually keeled above, with narrow, often brown-dotted membranous margins, inner bracts 2-keeled with colorless or brown-dotted membranous margins. Flowers yellow with dark brown markings at the edge of the cup, tepals obovate, 20-35 mm long; filaments 4-5 mm long, anthers 6-9 mm long. Fruiting peduncles at first spreading, later suberect. Flowering: Aug.- Sep.

Romulea viridibracteata occurs on sandstone slopes in the mountains of Western Cape Province, South Africa. Although there is a single early record from Nieuwoudtville all subsequent collections have been made on the Pakhuis Pass above Clanwilliam. The only yellow-flowered species of series Spatalanthus , R. viridibracteata appears to be most closely allied to the red-flowered R. sabulosa , with which it shares fairly narrow leaves.