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I bought a plant as R. campanuloides from an AGS show in 2007. It should be
a small flowered species from South Africa . There are some doubts about its hardiness, but it seems to have grown without trouble here from seed,
though recent winters have been rather mild! It is always possible that a harsh winter will finish it off. Unfortunately the situation is rather complicated. Plants of the Word online lists R. campanuloides as a synonym of R. camerooniana and says: "The native range of this species is Cameroon, S. Ethiopia to S. Africa. It is a tuberous geophyte and grows primarily in the montane tropical biome." The Pacific Bulb Society say: "Romulea camerooniana Baker, syn. Romulea campanuloides Harms, Romulea campanuloides var. gigantea (M.P.de Vos) M.P.de Vos, and Romulea thodei Schltr, grows in highlands ranging across a huge swath of Africa, stretching from the Drakensberg Mountains in South Africa to Kenya, Sudan, southern Ethiopia, and Cameroon. ... large flowers, most of them magenta with a yellow center, and white and blue feathering in between. Some other specimens are reportedly smaller than these, and ... some are white. Although this ought to be a summer-growing plant, I have been growing it mistakenly as a winter-grower, and it seems very happy. It blooms in mid to late spring in California (late April)." Which is all very useful, and clearly not my plant. My best guess at present is that this is R. gigantea, but it is worth pointing out that my guesses can be wild and are not always well informed. If it is R. gigantea the POWO says: "The native range of this species is SW. & S. Cape Prov. It is a tuberous geophyte and grows primarily in the subtropical biome." The Pacific Bulb Society says: "Romulea gigantea Béguinot is a species that has small white, lilac, or blue flowers with a yellow greenish cup and is found in moist places in the South African Cape. It bloomed the second year from seed in March in Northern California and was then properly identified. It is a weedy species and probably offered in exchanges under the wrong name as it sets seed easily. " Romulea gigantea is the name I am going with for now. |
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| 25th April 2007 | ||
