Romulea sinispinosensis 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

30. Romulea sinispinosensis M.P. de Vos

J. S. African Bot., Suppl. 9: 147 (1972); Fl. S. Africa 7(2), fasc. 2: 35 (1983). — Type: de Vos 2106, South Africa, Western Cape, Vredendal, Doringbaai (holo-, NBG!) .

Plants 12-20 cm high, stem subterranean; corm obliquely flattened with a spathulate basal ridge. Leaves several, basal, narrowly 4-grooved, c. 1 mm diam.; outer bracts with narrow membranous margins, inner bracts membranous or submembranous with brown-spotted margins. Flowers cream to white with yellowish green cup, tepals elliptic, 10-12 mm long; filaments 3-4 mm long, anthers 3-4 mm long. Fruiting peduncles curved, later erect. Flowering: Aug.

Originally known from a single collection from Doringbaai on the west coast of Western Cape Province south of Elandsbaai, Romulea sinispinosensis has more recently been collected east of Velddrift (sight record). It remains a poorly known species restricted to deep sands along the Western Cape coastal plain west of the Piketberg Mountains. Romulea sinispinosensis is a polyploid species with a diploid number of 2 n = c. 50 whereas the related R. minutiflora has 2 n = 26.