Romulea pudica in numbers

This stand of Romulea pudica plants in bloom were seen in August, their normal flowering season, on the Matjiesfontein flower farm near Nieuwoudtville.

The plants are short, the flowers varying in age and therefore the spread of their tepals. The broader leaves in picture belong to another bulb species not presently flowering. R. pudica leaves are longer and very narrow.

Nieuwoudtville, a village 400 km from Cape Town on the Bokkeveld Plateau is not called the Bulb Capital of the World for no reason. Numerous bulbous plant species live only here or appear here in greater abundance.

They respond to winter rain in a spectacular pageant of spring flowers, keeping visitor cameras busy. Some visitors grow a need to learn some flower names, others are satisfied to only enjoy the yafs (yet another flower).

Depending on rain, there may also be an autumn flowering season in this region revealing more species (Manning and Goldblatt, 1997; iNaturalist; www.turtlesa.com; www.pacificbulbsociety.org).