One center of distribution of the genus Romulea is in western Europe and the area around the Mediterranean basin. Species from this area are pictured on this wiki page.
South African Romulea A-D - South African Romulea E-K - South African Romulea L-N - South African Romulea O-S - South African Romulea T-Z - Romulea index
Romulea bulbocodium is found in rocky or sandy places in the Mediterranean. The flowers are usually bluish lilac with a yellow center and are shaded purple or green on the outside. Here is a photo of a dark flowered form in cultivation in the UK. It seeds around gently in the garden and breeds true. The first photo by Tony Goode. The plants in the next photos below look identical to the one photographed by Tony. They were grown from seed exchange seed misnamed Romulea linaresii and Romulea ramiflora . Most people consider these plants to be a form of Romulea bulbocodium even though some books describe that species as having a stigma that overtops the stamens and these flowers have short stigmas about the same height as the stamens. Until there is a more definitive monograph or revision describing these plants as aff. to Romulea bulbocodium seems like a good choice. The first photo by Bob Rutemoeller and the second two by Mary Sue Ittner. The first of those shows the flower below is being pollinated the first day it opened and the second illustrates the bracts and the markings on the back of this form.
A series of photo of this species in habitat followed by a last photo of one in cultivation in open ground in a semi-wild way. All photos by Angelo Porcelli
This form was acquired from Jane McGary as Romulea bulbocodium ssp. zahnii. The origin of this plant name is not clear. Photo by Bob Rutemoeller showing the stigma overtopping the stamens which is a feature of this species and photos by Mary Sue Ittner show the colorful back of the tepals and the corms.
Romulea bulbocodium var. bulbocodium is considered by some to be the correct name for a plant known as Romulea bulbocodium var. clusiana or Romulea clusiana by others. It is a large flowered lilac romulea with a deep yellow center from southern Europe. The first photograph was taken by Bob Rutemoeller and the second by Nhu Nguyen.
Romulea bulbocodium var. crocea , sometimes referred to as Romulea crocea or just Romulea bulbocodium is a yellow form from Turkey and Syria where it grows in sandy soils. Photos by Mary Sue Ittner.
Romulea columnae has small white or pale lilac pointed flowers with darker veins. This is a very short plant form Europe, Great Britain, and North Africa. This one came in with seed of Crocus corsicus (ex wild) and is photographed by Tony Goode.
Romulea engleri photo by Lauw de Jager is of northwest African origin
Romulea grandiscapa is called by several different names (syn. Romulea columnae ssp. grandiscapa, syn. Romulea hartungii). It is native to the Canary Islands, purple with a yellow throat, and is easy to grow in cultivation in summer-dry conditions. First photo by Mary Sue Ittner. Second photo by Michael Mace, showing a form that is darker in the throat and almost white at the tepal tips.
Romulea ligustica is found in Sardinia and Liguria and also said to occur on the Western Mediterranean coasts of Northern Africa and Southern Spain. It is a winter flowering species with a lovely soft shade of lilac and pale blue, without any marking in the throat. Photo by Angelo Porcelli.
Romulea nivalis Upright growth and smallish flowers are distinctive features of this species. Native of Syria and Lebanon. Photograph by Tony Goode is rather dark - a better picture can be found in Bulbs By Rix and Phillips p31.
South African Romulea A-D - South African Romulea E-K - South African Romulea L-N - South African Romulea O-S - South African Romulea T-Z - Romulea index