Romulea multisulcata 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 : 86

31. Romulea multisulcata M.P. de Vos

J. S. African Bot., Suppl. 9: 139 (1972); Fl. S. Africa 7(2), fasc. 2: 34 (1983). — Type: de Vos 2183, South Africa, Northern Cape, between Vanrhyn’s Pass and Nieuwoudtville (holo-, NBG!) .

Plants 30-50 cm high, stem reaching 6-25 cm above ground; corm with a crescent-shaped basal ridge. Leaves 3-4, lowermost 2 basal, narrowly 6-8-grooved, 1-2 mm diam.; outer bracts with narrow membranous margins, inner bracts with wide colorless or brownish membranous margins. Flowers yellow or white with yellow cup and lower part of the tepals, tepals obovate, 15- 25 mm long; filaments 4-6 mm long, anthers 6-8. Fruiting peduncles widely spreading. Flowering: Aug.-Sep.

Romulea multisulcata was described from seasonal pools on the Bokkeveld Mountains near Nieuwoudtville in Northern Cape Province but is now known also from the foot of the nearby Gifberg–Matsikamma massif, in Western Cape Province, and from the coastal flats near Hondeklip Bay in central Namaqualand. The latter populations have white flowers with a yellow center, unlike the Bokkeveld plants, which are uniformly yellow. In this respect they approach R. aquatica , a closely allied species which shares with R. multisulcata both the aquatic habit and leaves with more than 4 longituduinal grooves. Romulea multisulcata is a more robust species with 2 basal leaves, larger flowers with the style 12-15 mm long and widely spreading fruiting peduncles while R. aquatica has a single basal leaf, flowers with the style 4-8 mm long and distinctive short erect fruiting peduncles.

ADDITIONAL SPECIMENS EXAMINED. — SOUTH AFRICA. Northern Cape:3019 (Hondeklipbaai), Le Roux 2643, 15 km east of Hondeklipbaai , 17 Aug. 1980 ( JONK) . Western Cape: 3118 (Vanrhynsdorp), Oliver 4968, temporary pool on the flats below the Gifberg flats ( DD), 15 July 1974 ( MO, NBG) ; Oliver 4996, 31 Aug. 1974 ( NBG) ; Snijman 1052, 20 Aug. 1986 ( NBG) ; Helme 1356, 14 Aug. 1997 ( NBG) .