 |
A South African species that I obtained as R. hybrida. I haven't been able to locate a good description, and I am not sure if this is the real thing, or another of those
wonderful Romulea surprises that arrive at the door of anyone who grows them from seed.
It is a pretty enough, but you wouldn't set out on a noble quest and slay a dragon to get it. (Fortunately, not required on this occasion)! Plants of the World tells me that R. hybrida is a synonym of R. schlechteri, about which it says: "The native range of this species is WSW. & SW. Cape Prov. It is a tuberous geophyte and grows primarily in the subtropical biome." The Pacific Bulb Society has a description: "Romulea schlechteri Bég. grows in sandy soils, often along streams or in seasonally wet places, in the Western Cape. It grows from 8 to 45 cm high and has lilac or mauve to white flowers with deep yellow to orange cups. The outer segments are purplish or greenish or irregularly blotched or striped. The inner bracts have wide white membranous margins. Corms have an oblique basal crescent-shaped ridge of fibril clusters." They also show some pictures, which could be the same thing as my plant, allowing a little for cultivation conditions, but I am not filled to overflowing with exuberant confidence. The Hermanus Botanical Society have a description that says: "Cormous geophyte 8-30cm high; corm with an oblique basal ridge; stem usually branching above ground. Basal leaves 2, narrowly 4-grooved, sometimes minutely hairy, 0.5-1.5mm in diameter. Flowers lilac to mauve to white with deep yellow cup, tepals elliptical; inner bract with wide white membranous margins. Coconut and honey scented. Friedrich R. R. Schlechter (1872-1925), German botanist and plant colletor in South Africa, assistant to Harry Bolus the founder of Cape Town's Bolus Herbarium." Coconut and honey scented. That's bold. |
|
| 27th March 2007 | ||
