geophyte
A storage organ is a part of a plant specifically modified for storage of energy
(generally in the form of carbohydrates) or water. Storage organs often grow underground, where they are better protected from attack by herbivores. Plants that have ...
from South Africa. It has pink flowers with dark marks at the edges of the yellow center.
Description
''Romulea hirsuta'' is a
corm
Corm, bulbo-tuber, or bulbotuber is a short, vertical, swollen, underground plant stem that serves as a storage organ that some plants use to survive winter or other adverse conditions such as summer drought and heat (perennation).
The word ''c ...
ous plant which grows to a height of tall. The stem may be found underground or be up to tall. It has between two and six basal leaves that usually grow along the stem. They have four grooves and may be ciliate. The bell-shaped corm is symmetrical and has a fibrous basal rim.
Unscented flowers are present in August and September. They are usually pink or red in colour and frequently have darker markings around the yellow cup in the center. The tepals range between in length. The coppery orange coloured population found growing on mountains between Clanwilliam and
Hermanus
Hermanus (; originally called ''Hermanuspietersfontein'', but shortened in 1902 as the name was too long for the postal service
lack the darker markings around the center. These flowers may resemble ''
Romulea triflora
''Romulea'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae, first described as a genus in 1772. It is found in Europe, the Mediterranean, the Arabian Peninsula, and Africa.
Distribution and habitat
This species is endemic to the
Western Cape
The Western Cape ( ; , ) is a provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the List of South African provinces by area, fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , an ...
of
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
. It is widely distributed in the region, where it is found growing between Clanwilliam and the Agulhas Peninsula. It prefers sandy and granite substrates, but may sometimes be found growing on clay.
Ecology
This species is insect pollinated and is most frequently visited by
monkey beetle
Monkey beetles are scarab beetles, a group of around 70 genera and 850 described species within the tribe Hopliini. The placement of this tribe within the family Scarabaeidae is uncertain between Melolonthinae and Rutelinae. Many species visit ...
s. Two important pollinators in Darling are '' Lepisia rupicola'' (a species of monkey beetle) and an unidentified species of colletid bee. While the former visits more frequently, the latter carries a higher pollen load.