In early Spring, gardens across the temperate regions of the world are stirring with the first signs of growth. Among the best-loved flowers at this time of year are the smaller bulbs, including the snowdrops, winter aconites and crocuses that brave the sleet and driving rain and charm us by spreading their petals wide at the first hint of sunshine.
Given a little shelter in the open garden, or a minimum of pampering in a cold greenhouse, a collection of spring bulbs can be greatly extended to include a few lesser known species. One of these is Romulea tempskyana, a floral treasure from the easterm Mediterranean whose beauty belies its hardiness.
Romulea - Cousins of the Crocus
The genus Romulea contains around 90 species and is named after Romulus, the legendary founder of the city of Rome. It is closely allied to that much more familiar group of cormous plants, the crocuses, to which many have a superficial resemblance: some species of Romulea are, in fact, known as sand crocuses. Romuleas differ in several important aspects, however.
Their linear, grooved foliage lacks the characteristic white central line of the crocuses, and the flowers are carried on distinct stems. Also, the globular corms of romuleas have a distinctive circular or semi-circular "heel" or plate on their base.
Romuleas also come in a greater range of colours and shapes than the crocuses, and some of these are very striking indeed. The genus is is primarily South African and Mediterranean in distribution, and some larger species from the Southern hemisphere are famed for their brilliant red, gold or violet colouration. Indeed, afficionados of the genus often concentrate exclusively on the African species at the expense of the European romuleas.
The Turkish Treasure
The Mediterranean romuleas are distributed from Portugal and Spain, through Italy and into Turkey and the Middle East. While many of them are small and discrete in colouration, they are all beautiful and some are easily as vivid as their African cousins.
One of these is Romulea tempskyana. This species ocurrs naturally in southern Turkey, Cyprus, the Aegean islands and Palestine where typical habitats include open pine forests, hillsides and maquis.
It is not a large plant but what it lacks in size, it makes up for with its vivid, deep violet flowers. These have recurved tepals with a silky sheen, pale yellow centre and prominent yellow stamens. Each corm can produce several flowers, which appear from January to March: these open wide in sun then close tightly again during cloudy weather and at night.
Unexpected Assets
Not only is Romulea tempskyana extremely beautiful, but it may prove to have medicinal applications as well. Recent research in Turkey suggests that an extract of the fresh corms of this species may have anti-oxidant and cancer inhibiting properties.
Cultivation
Cultivation is extremely straightforward and it is surprising that this species and other Mediterranean romuleas are not more popular. Romulea tempskyana is remarkably hardy, given its southerly distribution, and if it is provided with excellent drainage, shelter and a little protection against excessive winter cold and wet, it is possible to grow it in a suitable location in the garden such as a rockery.
Growing In Pots
Given its stature, however, it is much better to grow it in a pot of gritty compost in a cool, bright greenhouse, close to eye-level where it can be appreciated. Plant the corms at a depth of 6 cm, with the same distance between them. Covering the surface with a layer of fine gravel will show the plants off better, and improve drainage.
Water them well during growth, but do not allow the pots to become permanently saturated. In summer, the plants are dormant and the corms should be stored completely dry.
Propagation
Romulea tempskyana increases vegetatively by producing offset corms, and it can also be grown from seed. If sown thinly in Autumn using a free-draining compost, these can germinate in 4-6 weeks, although sometimes the seedlings do not appear until their second year.
Seed is the best way of building a larger collection of romuleas, as only a few species are regularly available in the horticultural trade as corms. However, as they can flower in as little as two years from seed, it is possible to create a respectable collection of these delightful little plants in a surprisingly short time.
References
Marjorie Blamey, Christopher Grey-Wilson: Wild Flowers of the Mediterranean A and C Black Publishers Ltd; London 2004: ISBN 0 7136 7015 0
Ozkan A, Erdogun A: PubMed.com: Antioxidant and anticancer activity of fresh corm extract from Romulea tempskyana (Iridaceae) www.ncib.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed
Pacific Bulb Society: European and Mediterranean Romuleas: Romulea tempskyana www.pacificbulbsociety.org
Peter Ashby - Peter Ashby lives near Granada in southern Spain, is an expert on natural history, and a dedicated traveller, writer and hispanist.
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