Romulea tetragona 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 : 82

20. Romulea tetragona M.P. de Vos

Fl. Pl. Africa 29: pl. 1136 (1952); J . S . African Bot., Suppl. 9: 259 (1972); Fl. S . Africa 7(2), fasc. 2: 65 (1983). — Type: de Vos 1569, South Africa, Western Cape, Ceres, Theronsberg Pass (holo-, NBG!) .

Plants 8-30 cm high, stem subterranean; corm with a crescent-shaped basal ridge. Leaves 4-6, basal, 4-winged, ciliate, 1.5-7 mm diam.; outer bracts with narrow membranous margins widening above and the apex membranous, hairy on the lower part, inner bracts with wide membranous margins. Flowers with hairy peduncles, rose to lilac or pink with dark bands around the yellowish cup, unscented, tepals elliptic to oblanceolate, 12-28 mm long; filaments 3-4 mm long, diverging at the tips, anthers 2-6 mm long, mostly dark brown, occasionally yellow, curving inward. Fruiting peduncles hairy, curved, later straightening. Flowering: Aug.-Sep.

Romulea tetragona occurs on stony clay soils in the western karoo of Northern Cape Province and Cold Bokkeveld of Western Cape Province, extending from the Hantamsberg to Tweedside. It is readily recognized by its unusual winged leaves, hairy peduncles and pink flower. Originally placed with R. hirta by DE VOS (1972) in sect. Hirtae on account of their similar leaf structure, R. tetragona has the corm typical of subgenus Romulea sect. Ciliatae and is accordingly placed here.