Romuleas in bloom

Jane McGary janemcgary@earthlink.net
Thu, 27 Feb 2003 10:59:36 PST
Mary Sue mentioned Romulea bulbocodium ssp. clusiana, which she got from me
as R. clusiana. I probably got it as seed from Monocot Nursery, whose
proprietor takes a "splitting" view of several genera he offers. There is
another fine form of R. bulbocodium called 'Knightshayes Form' -- large
dark violet flowers -- but I have lost track of it because I had it growing
only in the open, and I think it froze out. I have not found any that can
survive temperatures below 20 F in the open.

Jim SHields mentioned R. crocea being slow to develop. My seedlings
surprised me last year by flowering (I think they were about 3 years old),
and this year they are much more floriferous and larger. This is the only
yellow-flowered Mediterranean Romulea, but it is sometimes called R.
bulbocodium var. crocea, and Jim mentions having a "yellow bulbocodium," no
doubt the same thing.

I grow all of mine in the bulb frames and have to be careful to remove the
seed capsules before they drop seeds; they are all quite invasive in those
conditions.

I hope that some of you who are growing a number of South African species
will have some to trade this summer!

Jane McGary
Northwestern Oregon




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