Romulea aquatica G.J. Lewis

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 : 86-87

32. Romulea aquatica G.J. Lewis

J. S. African Bot. 4: 8 (1938) ; M. P. de Vos , J. S. African Bot., Suppl. 9: 141 (1972); Fl . S. Africa 7(2), fasc. 2: 34 (1983). — Type: Barker 190, South Africa, Western Cape, Elandsvlei north of Piketberg (holo-, NBG) .

Plants 20-60 cm high, stem reaching 12-35 cm above ground; corm with a crescent-shaped basal ridge. Leaves 2-3, lower 1 basal, narrowly 5-8- grooved, 0.8-1.5 mm diam.; outer bracts with narrow membranous margins, inner bracts with wide colorless or brown-speckled membranous margins. Flowers white with yellow cup and lower parts of the tepals, lightly sweet-scented, tepals obovate, 16-20 mm long; filaments 2-3 mm long, anthers 3-5. Fruiting peduncles short, erect. Flowering: Aug.-Sep.

Romulea aquatica is restricted to seasonal pools on clay flats in the Swartland of Western Cape Province from Pools near Piketberg in the north to Hopefield in the south. In suitable pools the plants grow in their multitudes. Romulea aquatica is distinguished from the related R. multisulcata by the single basal leaf and smaller, scented flowers with a shallow cup, stamens and style 5-8 mm long and distinctive short, erect fruiting peduncles. The larger flowers of R. multisulcata have a deeper cup with stamens and style 10-15 mm long and longer, spreading fruiting peduncles.

— Ser. STELLATA