Description
This name Romulea ramiflora has been plagued with misidentification in horticulture. Firstly, there is a true species called Romulea ramiflora. However there are at least two imposters.
Romulea ramiflora in its true botanical sense, is fairly small-flowered with a pale violet (or very rarely white) flower, each petal marked with a central violet stripe as well as a few (usually 2 or 4), shorter, thinner violet stripes in a zone towards the petal base. The colour from these infuses sideways to further suggest a violet zone in the neck of the cup formed by the petals. Below this purple zone sits a white throat which can be infused with yellow, or sometimes it simply reflects the yellow of the anthers which sit in a circle, also within the throat. The style is white and split into three with each division being further cleft into two.
The small stature of this species (which has small corms) makes it useful in a pot or pan where the corms can be clustered quite closely together. The flowers present more or less at ground level with the leaves, early in the year and it is, despite its size, capable of making a lovely display, especially in good light and with the warmth of the sun the flower petals open fully and reflex back to display the colours well.
Sandy, well-drained, loam-based compost, dry in summer.
Stock raised from a seed collection made on Mallorca and grown on to parenthood, from whence this seed originated
This new stock introduced to our lists April 2024
