Romulea season 2010

[David Nicholson]

I like them all.  I have several pots of seedlings that I hope will flower next year.  A very underrated genus.

Lovely pictures Oron.

Like Arthur I have lots of pots of Romulea seedlings and I can't wait for them to flower. All of them were from seed obtained from the Exchanges but my excitement is somewhat tempered by a comment Darren Sleep made some time ago about all the Romuleas he had grown from Exchange seed turning out to be R. bulbocodium of one kind or another!!

Whilst browsing through my seed frame today I found a pot of R. obscura subtestacea (not sure if this is a subspecies or a variety?) I had sown in December 2008 without germination had finally got it's act together giving me a nice potful (as long as I don't kill them in the meantime!)

[TheOnionMan]

A very interesting genus.  For those who haven't taken a look yet, I recommend the Romulea photo galleries at the Pacific Bulb Society wiki pages.  They have broken down the galleries into European-Mediterranean species and South African species.

http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Romulea

[Oron Peri]

Thanks Arthur and David,

I like the subpalustris Oron, very nice indeed!

Hristo,

Var. subpalustris has a real unique and rare color, i would say a bluish lilac.
I know this variant only from one location in North Israel where it grows in flooded area together with the common Var. leichtliniana.

The 'striped' form i have shown is a natural cross between the two variants.

Brian Mathew describes var. subpalustris from the Cyclades.

[Oron Peri]

Here it is in its natural habitat, a bit damaged by the rain but the color is more evident.

[Hristo]

Very attractive indeed, how many Romuleas are native to Israel and are they all localised in a few areas?
Cheers
Chris

[Oron Peri]

Very attractive indeed, how many Romuleas are native to Israel and are they all localised in a few areas?
Cheers
Chris

There are four species: R. bulbocodium [3 varieta], R. nivalis, R. columnae [extreemly rare], R. tempskyana [described in flora palestina as R. phoenicia].
 
Lately we have discovered a fifth sp., growing in the Golan Heights [Syrian teritory] and one location in the upper Galilee growing above 800m and in large quantities above 1000m, it has its style under the stamens as in R. columnae but flowers are much bigger and colorful.

[Hristo]

A very nice find! Thanks for the distribution info.

[ashley]

[... my excitement is somewhat tempered by a comment Darren Sleep made some time ago about all the Romuleas he had grown from Exchange seed turning out to be R. bulbocodium of one kind or another!!
...

the ones that aren't gigantea or similar you mean David

That var subpalustris is very special Oron.

[fermi de Sousa]

[... my excitement is somewhat tempered by a comment Darren Sleep made some time ago about all the Romuleas he had grown from Exchange seed turning out to be R. bulbocodium of one kind or another!!
...

the ones that aren't gigantea or similar you mean David

I have managed to get R. hartungii, R. sabulosa true to name  from one or the other Seedex, but got R. discifera or some other yellow species instead of R. cruciata, and have never got R. requienii true to name.
cheers
fermi

[Darren]

They were mostly R columnae David. But i can report that much exchange seed has been true to name. R hirta, saldanhensis, rosea, tetragona have all been correct. A couple of others with distinct foliage look like being correct too. I think that one year I was very unlucky.

[Oron Peri]

Romulea petraea was first described in the early 90's by Al-Eisawi,
finally i had the opportunity to see and photograph it in the location where it was first found.
Al-Eisawi indicates that the color of the throat is the same as the perianth segments.

In my opinion it is not else but the common E. Mediterranean, R. tempskayana, but it is surprising to see it in the desert.

[David Nicholson]

Think you are right Oron!

[Hristo]

Nice pics guys!

[K-D Keller]

Hello,

Romuleaseason has started. Here three of my early Romuleas this year. Winter outside in the garden, summer in the greenhouse.

K-D


Romulea amoena 0068
Romulea citrina 0435
Romulea cruciata 0060
Opuntias with snow 0106

[Maggi Young]

Hello, Klaus-Dieter, welcome!
The bright colour and fine markings in the throat of R. amoena are delightful. .....  I feel sorry for the Opunbtias out in the snow!