Romulea macowanii var. macowanii

Romulea macowanii var. macowanii is a cormous perennial. The plant grows long, very narrow leaves, less than 1 mm wide and grooved.

Some Romulea species have flowers so alike that examination of the corm is required for accurate identification. Corms are often asymmetrical with woody coats.

Several Romulea species are indigenous in parts of Europe, some particularly in Italy and near Rome. The city that was named for Romulus also links with this plant genus.

The local common name for several Romulea species is froetang, a corruption of the Portuguese word fruta, meaning fruit. The young fruits of several Romulea species are eaten, mainly by children.

The distribution of this variety is in the Eastern Cape, the Free State and Lesotho.

The habitat is grassland and semi-arid scrub flats and slopes. The variety is not considered threatened in habitat early in the twenty first century (Manning, 2009; http://redlist.sanbi.org).