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Literature review
membranous margins while the inner bracts are slightly shorter with broad, brown
streaked, membranous margins (DE VOS, 1983; MANNING & GOLDBLATT, 2001).
R. citrina flowers from August to September with 1 to 4 flowers (DE VOS, 1972;
MANNING & GOLDBLATT, 2001). These plants reach a height of 80 to 350 mm, and
sometimes reach up to 450 mm. The stem is subterranean or reaches 20 mm above
the ground. The plant has 3 to 4 filiform leaves of which the lower two are basal (DE
VOS, 1983; MANNING & GOLDBLATT, 2001). The leaves are narrowly grooved with
4 grooves. They are compressed cylindrically and curve outward (MANNING &
GOLDBLATT, 2001).
This species occurs in wet sites with sandy or stony ground in Namaqualand where it
is common in the Kamiesberg area (DE VOS, 1983; MANNING & GOLDBLATT,
2001). lt also occurs at lower elevations and is found around Grootvlei, west of
Kamieskroon (MANNING & GOLDBLATT, 2001). MANNING & GOLDBLATT (2001)
places this species in the subgenus Romulea.
2.2.5 Romulea cruciata
Flowers are magenta-pink to lilac-pink in colour. There are dark blotches around a
dark or golden yellow to orange cup (DE VOS, 1983; MANNING & GOLDBLATT,
1996; MANNING & GOLDBLATT, 2001). The flower is unscented with elliptic to
oblanceolate tepals. The fruiting peduncles remain erect or spread slightly. The
bracts are greenish or purplish red with the outer bracts having narrow inconspicuous
membranous margins and the inner bracts submembranous which are commonly
brown-flecked (MANNING & GOLDBLATT, 2001). Its flowering period is between
July and September during which a plant may have 2 to 4 flowers (DE VOS, 1972;
MANNING & GOLDBLATT, 2001). These plants are 150 to 400 mm in height with a
totally subterranean stem (DE VOS, 1972; MANNING & GOLDBLATT, 2001). The
plant has 2 to 8 filiform leaves which are all basal (MANNING & GOLDBLATT, 2001).
R. cruciata is most common in the south western Cape from Nieuwoudtville to
Riversdale (MANNING & GOLDBLATT, 1996; MANNING & GOLDBLATT, 2001). Its
distribution spreads from the Bokkeveld Mountains of the Northern Cape Province in
the north to the Gourits river in the Western Cape Province in the east where it is
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