Family |
Iridaceae
Romulea columnae
Sebast. & Mauri
Romulea columnae Sebast. & Mauri
First published in Fl. Roman. Prodr.: 18 (1818).
(Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 1, p. 322, Pl. C, 7; 1966)
Description
Life-form & habit: Small perennial with an oval corm enclosed in cracked, leathery tunics and a short stem bearing 1–3 flowers.
Leaves: Slender, compressed, rush-like leaves, reaching 15 cm and overtopping the stem.
Inflorescence & flowers: Flower stalks may stand upright or bend so that the flowers lie near the ground. The lower spathe is herbaceous with a narrow scarious margin; the upper is scarious in local plants. The white, rarely lilac perianth is 5–7 mm long locally, with oblong-lanceolate segments. Filaments are hairy at the base; anthers exceed the style.
Flowering and habitat
Phenology: Flowering January–February.
Distribution
Lebanese distribution: Saida, Beit Chai, Borj Brajne, Beirut, Jall ed Dib, Nahr el Kalb, Tripoli, northeast of Skandaroune, below Beit Meri and Kfertay.
Syrian distribution: Hama.
Native range: Algeria, Azores, Baleares, Canary Is., Corse, Cyprus, East Aegean Is., France, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, Kriti, Lebanon-Syria, Libya, Madeira, Morocco, Palestine, Portugal, Sardegna, Sicilia, Spain, Tunisia, Türkiye, Türkiye-in-Europe.