Romulea kamisensis 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 : 80-81

15. Romulea kamisensis M.P. de Vos

J. S. African Bot., Suppl. 9: 81 (1972); Fl. S. Africa 7(2), fasc. 2: 22 (1983). — Type: Stayner s.n., South Africa, Western Cape, Kamiesberg, Studer’s Pass (holo-, NBG!) .

Plants rarely exceeding 8 cm high, stem usually subterranean but sometimes reaching 5 cm above ground; corm with a crescent-shaped basal ridge. Leaves 3-5, the lower 2-3 basal, filiform, narrowly 4-grooved, mostly curving outward; outer bracts with narrow membranous margins, inner bracts with broad, whitish membranous margins. Flowers dark purple or cerise with darker veins, streaked pale in the throat, unscented, perianth tube cylindric, 17-22 mm long, tepals elliptic, 11-16 mm long; filaments inserted above the middle of the tube, glabrous, 4-5 mm long, anthers included in the tube, 4-5 mm long. Fruiting peduncles suberect. Flowering: July-Aug.

Romulea kamisensis occurs on rock outcrops and shallow, granitic sand around granite domes in central Namaqualand of Northern Cape Province. Until recently thought to be restricted to the Kamiesberg massif, it has now been collected from granite outcrops along the northern margin of the Knersvlakte, some 50 km to the south, and certainly occurs in suitable outcrops in the intervening territory. The southern population is unusual in its cerise flowers. Romulea kamisensis is immediately recognized by its dark purple or cerise flowers with a more or less cylindric perianth tube, the filaments inserted above the middle of the tube and the stamens included in the tube.

16. Romulea rupestris J.C. Manning & Goldblatt , sp. nov.

Plantae 15-30 cm altae, caule bene supra terram producto, cormo 10-15 mm diam., foliis 2 vel 3, basali solitario, filiformibus in sectione transversali ovalibus 4-sulcatis, inflorescentiae bracteis exterioribus viridibus marginibus et apice membranaceis, interioribus marginibus late membranaceis, floribus albis cupula flava , tubo perianthii infundibuliformi, 5-6 mm longo, tepalis ellipticis 25-28 × 7-8 mm, filamentis 5-6 mm longis, antheris contiguis 8-10 mm longis flavis.

TYPUS. — Goldblatt 5567, South Africa, Northern Cape, Rooiberg, granite hills at Welkom , 9 June 1980 (holo-, NBG!; iso-, MO!).

Plants 15-30 cm high, the stem reaching 5-25 cm above ground. Corm globose with a crescent-shaped basal ridge about as wide as the corm, splitting into fine parallel fibrils along the ridge, the tunics drawn into prominent fibers above, 10-15 mm diam. Leaves 2 or 3, only 1 basal, c. 1.5 mm diam., oval in section and narrowly 4-grooved, cauline leaves similar but much shorter. Inflorescence of 1 or 2 solitary flowers; outer bracts green or rarely spotted with white, with narrow membranous margins, 18- 25(-30) mm long, inner bracts with a narrow green centre and broad membranous margins sparsely streaked with brown mainly along the edges, 15-20 mm long. Flowers cup-shaped, white with a pale yellow cup, the outer tepals streaked with maroon or dark green on the reverse, perianth tube funnel-shaped, 5-6 mm long, tepals elliptic, 25-28 × 7-8 mm. Filaments inserted near the base or middle of the tube, free, 5-6 mm long, densely hairy below; anthers parallel and contiguous, 8-10 mm long. Style dividing opposite the upper third of the anthers, the branches c. 2 mm long, divided for half their length. Capsules and seeds unknown. Flowering: May-July.

Romulea rupestris is currently known from two widely separated montane localities in Northern Cape Province, South Africa, one on the Vanderster Berg in the Richtersveld, and the other on the lower slopes of the Rooiberg in the Kamiesberg. Plants grow on rocky slopes, the Kamiesberg plants in granitic ground. The species is evidently allied to three other Namaqualand species, Romulea maculata , R. neglecta and R. pearsonii , in details of leaf anatomy and in the distinctive outer bracts with membranous, brown-flecked apices and margins and inner bracts with very broad membranous margins. Romulea rupestris differs from these species in the 7-10 widely spaced veins which occupy the central green portion of the inner bracts; in the other three species the centre of the inner bracts bears c. 20 very closely set veins. Romulea rupestris is characterised by its white flowers which appear early in the season, in June and July, whereas the other species in this complex flower in August and September and have white, magenta or yellow flowers respectively.

PARATYPES. — SOUTH AFRICA. Northern Cape: 2817 (Vioolsdrif) Vandersterrberg ( AC) , Bruyns 7282, 12 July 1997 ( NBG) ; 3018 (Kamiesberg) Farm Welkom ( AC) , Saunders s. n., 22 May 2000 ( NBG) .