Romulea columnae: Difference between revisions
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'''''Romulea columnae''''' ('''Sand crocus''') is a herbaceous perennial in the family [[Iridaceae]]. |
'''''Romulea columnae''''' ('''Sand crocus''') is a herbaceous perennial in the family [[Iridaceae]]. |
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It is a small plant, which has small white or pale lilac pointed flowers with darker veins. It is from Europe |
It is a small plant, which has small white or pale lilac pointed flowers with darker veins. It is found a wide area ranging from Europe to North Africa. |
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==Description== |
==Description== |
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Common name: Sand crocus |
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Height: Up to 4 cm |
Height: Up to 4 cm |
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Habitat: Cliffs and short, sandy grassland, beside the coast |
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Flowers: Six pale purple, equally-sized petals, pointed at the tip, crossed by a dark midvein and a pair of lighter lateral veins; up to 10 mm in diameter. Sometimes more uniformly darker purple, or pink. Greenish-yellow at the centre. Usually solitary; occasionally in pairs. There are three stamens, topped by yellow anthers |
Flowers: Six pale purple, equally-sized petals, pointed at the tip, crossed by a dark midvein and a pair of lighter lateral veins; up to 10 mm in diameter. Sometimes more uniformly darker purple, or pink. Greenish-yellow at the centre. Usually solitary; occasionally in pairs. There are three stamens, topped by yellow anthers |
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Leaves: Linear, up to 10 cm long and 2 mm wide, curly and somewhat wiry, growing from the base |
Leaves: Linear, up to 10 cm long and 2 mm wide, curly and somewhat wiry, growing from the base |
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Within Africa, it is found in the [[Madeira Islands]], [[Canary Islands|Canarias]], [[Algeria]], [[Morocco]] and [[Tunisia]].<ref name=Grin/> |
Within Africa, it is found in the [[Madeira Islands]], [[Canary Islands|Canarias]], [[Algeria]], [[Morocco]] and [[Tunisia]].<ref name=Grin/> |
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It is found in the Asian countries of [[Cyprus]], [[Israel]], [[Lebanon]], [[Syria]] and western [[Turkey]].<ref name=Grin/> |
It is found in the Asian countries of [[Cyprus]], [[Israel]], [[Lebanon]], [[Syria]] and western [[Turkey]].<ref name=Grin/> |
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Within Europe, it is found in south west [[England]], [[Greece]] (including [[Crete]]), [[Italy]] (including the isles of [[Sardinia]] and [[Sicily]]), [[France]] (including the island of [[Corsica]]), [[Spain]] (incl. the [[Balearic Islands]]) and [[Portugal]].<ref name=Grin/> |
Within Europe,<ref name="Biking"/> it is found in south west [[England]], [[Greece]] (including [[Crete]]), [[Italy]] (including the isles of [[Sardinia]] and [[Sicily]]), [[France]] (including the island of [[Corsica]]), [[Spain]] (incl. the [[Balearic Islands]]) and [[Portugal]].<ref name=Grin/> |
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It has [[naturalized]] with the [[Azores]].<ref name=Grin/> |
It has [[naturalized]] with the [[Azores]].<ref name=Grin/> |
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===Habitat=== |
===Habitat=== |
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It is found growing on free draining sandy soils that make up coastal cliffs slopes,<ref name=Jarvis/> and coastal grasslands.<ref>Nick C. Davidson and Nature Conservancy Council {{google books|8RASAAAAYAAJ|Nature conservation and estuaries in Great Britain (1991)|page=108}}</ref> Including [[golf courses]],<ref name=Green/> such as Dawlish Warren course in [[Devon]] which is classified as a [[Site of Special Scientific Interest]] (SSSI).<ref>Robert Stephen Taylor (Editor) {{google books|DWaadZefPHIC|A Practical Guide to Ecological Management of the Golf Course (1995)|page=13}}</ref> |
It is found growing on free draining sandy soils that make up coastal cliffs slopes,<ref name=Jarvis/> and coastal grasslands.<ref name="southwest"/><ref>Nick C. Davidson and Nature Conservancy Council {{google books|8RASAAAAYAAJ|Nature conservation and estuaries in Great Britain (1991)|page=108}}</ref> Including [[golf courses]],<ref name=Green/> such as Dawlish Warren course in [[Devon]] which is classified as a [[Site of Special Scientific Interest]] (SSSI).<ref>Robert Stephen Taylor (Editor) {{google books|DWaadZefPHIC|A Practical Guide to Ecological Management of the Golf Course (1995)|page=13}}</ref> |
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==Cultivation== |
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We keep this under alpine glass as it is a diminutive species, easily lost sight of in the garden and we enjoy its very early flowers inside, where we have it in small pans of well-drained, loam-based compost, dried off in early summer once the leaves yellow. A trouble-free little plant not needing a whole lot of attention but giving abundant rewards in miniature.<ref name="rare"> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 22:17, 17 June 2020
| Romulea columnae | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Iridaceae |
| Genus: | Romulea |
| Species: | R. columnae
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| Binomial name | |
| Romulea columnae | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Romulea columnae (Sand crocus) is a herbaceous perennial in the family Iridaceae.
It is a small plant, which has small white or pale lilac pointed flowers with darker veins. It is found a wide area ranging from Europe to North Africa.
Description
Height: Up to 4 cm
Flowers: Six pale purple, equally-sized petals, pointed at the tip, crossed by a dark midvein and a pair of lighter lateral veins; up to 10 mm in diameter. Sometimes more uniformly darker purple, or pink. Greenish-yellow at the centre. Usually solitary; occasionally in pairs. There are three stamens, topped by yellow anthers Leaves: Linear, up to 10 cm long and 2 mm wide, curly and somewhat wiry, growing from the base Season: March to May[2]
This is also a rare native of parts of southern Britain, whence the name ‘Sand Crocus” has arisen, from it’s earliest known habitats and its superficial similarity to the latter plant.[3]
Each tiny corm makes one or two basal leaves and several cauline (stem) leaves which are very narrow, wiry and quite inconspicuous. One to three flowers are made per corm and these are made almost at ground level or on a very short stem, early in the year, from February onwards with us. The flowers are funnel-shaped.
In this stock, raised from seed traceable only to the eastern Mediterranean, the flowers are coloured with violet throughout the petals, though this is darker towards the petal tips and there is some strong and beautifully feathered veining. The interface between the deep, golden-yellow throat and the violet of the petals is clearly marked out with a pale, whitish-violet. Externally the darker colouration continues and the petals are lined and stained deep purple-brown.
We keep this under alpine glass as it is a diminutive species, easily lost sight of in the garden and we enjoy its very early flowers inside, where we have it in small pans of well-drained, loam-based compost, dried off in early summer once the leaves yellow. A trouble-free little plant not needing a whole lot of attention but giving abundant rewards in miniature.[3]
The stout and recurved leaves are 2-3 inches long. It has a perianth which is nearly white with one purple stripe. The style is shorter than the stamens.[4]
Romulea's are related to crocus and look very similar but the big difference is that crocus flowers are stemless, growing directly from the corm. Though the flowers are held above the ground on a long perianth tube, there is no green stem (scape). The leaves are also different and romuleas do not have the white grove in the centre of their leaves. Romulea's hold their flowers on a green scape of various lengths and in Romulea columnae this can be up to 20cm high. The species is found throughout Europe (including the UK where it is found in south Devon and the Channel Isles) but, as far as I can ascertain, in the Canaries it is represented by Romulea columnae ssp. grandiscapa which is distinct by the flower colour I think and all the plants I saw were a bright lavender or lilac rather than the paler shades more typical of the species. [5]
Taxonomy
It is commonly known as sand crocus[3][2] and occasionally as dune crocus',[6] In Malta it is known as the Lesser sand crocus due to other endemic Romulea species.[7]
The Latin specific epithet columnae refers to column.[8]
It was published and described by Sebast. & Mauri in Fl. Roman. Prodr. vol.18 in 1818.[1][9][10][11]
R. columnae was verified by United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service on 4 April 2003,[10] and it is an accepted name by the RHS.[12]
There are 2 known subspecies;
- Romulea columnae subsp. grandiscapa (Webb) G.Kunkel, Monogr. Biol. Canar. 3: 25 (1972).[13] a native to the Canary Islands,[14] with a flower that is purple with a yellow throat.[15]
- Romulea columnae subsp. rollii (Parl.) Marais, Kew Bull. 30: 707 (1975 publ. 1976).[16][17]
Distribution and habitat
Romulea columnae is native to various temperate areas of western Asia,[12] Africa and Europe.[10]
Range
Within Africa, it is found in the Madeira Islands, Canarias, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia.[10] It is found in the Asian countries of Cyprus, Israel, Lebanon, Syria and western Turkey.[10] Within Europe,[5] it is found in south west England, Greece (including Crete), Italy (including the isles of Sardinia and Sicily), France (including the island of Corsica), Spain (incl. the Balearic Islands) and Portugal.[10]
It has naturalized with the Azores.[10]
Macaronesia, W. Europe to Medit.[11] A diminutive species spread right across southern Europe from the Azores to Turkey. It is said to occur in N. Africa as well.[3]
Habitat
It is found growing on free draining sandy soils that make up coastal cliffs slopes,[8] and coastal grasslands.[2][18] Including golf courses,[6] such as Dawlish Warren course in Devon which is classified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).[19]
Cultivation
We keep this under alpine glass as it is a diminutive species, easily lost sight of in the garden and we enjoy its very early flowers inside, where we have it in small pans of well-drained, loam-based compost, dried off in early summer once the leaves yellow. A trouble-free little plant not needing a whole lot of attention but giving abundant rewards in miniature.<ref name="rare">
References
- ^ a b "Romulea columnae Sebast. & Mauri is an accepted name". theplantlist.org. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
- ^ a b c "UK Wildflowers - Iridaceae - Romulea Columnae". www.uksouthwest.net. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
- ^ a b c d "Romulea columnae Purple – RarePlants". www.rareplants.co.uk. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
- ^ John Traherne Moggridge Contributions to the Flora of Mentone and to a Winter Flora of the Riviera, including the coast from Marseilles to Genoa (1874), p. 93, at Google Books
- ^ a b "An unexpected treat: Romulea columnae". The Biking Gardener. 4 February 2016. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
- ^ a b Bryn Green Countryside Conservation: Land Ecology, Planning and Management (1996), p. 234, at Google Books
- ^ Mifsud, Stephen (23 August 2002). "Romulea columnae (Lesser sand crocus) : MaltaWildPlants.com - the online Flora of the Maltese Islands". www.maltawildplants.com. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
- ^ a b Dr. Peter Jarvis The Pelagic Dictionary of Natural History of the British Isles (2020), p. 686, at Google Books
- ^ "Romulea columnae Sebast. & Mauri, Fl. Roman. 18". ipni.org. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Taxon: Romulea columnae Sebast. & Mauri". npgsweb.ars-grin.gov. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
- ^ a b "Romulea columnae Sebast. & Mauri, Fl. Roman. Prodr.: 18 (1818)". wcsp.science.kew.org. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
- ^ a b "Romulea columnae, sand crocus". rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
- ^ "Romulea columnae subsp. grandiscapa (Webb) G.Kunkel is an accepted name". theplantlist.org. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
- ^ "Romulea columnae subsp. grandiscapa". rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
- ^ "Pacific Bulb Society | European And Mediterranean Romuleas". www.pacificbulbsociety.org. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
- ^ "Romulea columnae subsp. rollii (Parl.) Marais is an accepted name". theplantlist.org. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
- ^ "13 records retrieved". wcsp.science.kew.org. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
- ^ Nick C. Davidson and Nature Conservancy Council Nature conservation and estuaries in Great Britain (1991), p. 108, at Google Books
- ^ Robert Stephen Taylor (Editor) A Practical Guide to Ecological Management of the Golf Course (1995), p. 13, at Google Books
Other sources
- Botanical Society of the British Isles. BSBI taxon database (on-line resource).
- Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
- Hansen, A. & P. Sunding. 1993. Flora of Macaronesia: checklist of vascular plants, ed. 4. Sommerfeltia vol. 17.
- Izquierdo Z., I. et al., eds. 2004. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
- Jahandiez, E. & R. Maire. 1931-1941. Catalogue des plantes du Maroc.
- Meikle, R. D. 1977-1985. Flora of Cyprus.
- Mouterde, P. 1966-. Nouvelle flore du Liban et de la Syrie.
- Silva, L. et al. 2005. Listagem da fauna e flora terrestres dos Açores. Lista des plantas vasculares (Pteridophyta e Spermatophyta).
- Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
- Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan. 1966-. Flora palaestina.