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Romulea bulbocodium

Common name:		Family:	Iridaceae
Author:	(L.)Sebast.&Mauri.	Botanical references:	200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	S. Europe - Spain, Portugal, Bulgaria, to N. Africa.
Habitat:	Sandy and rocky places near the sea, also in scrub to 1000 metres[90].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	1	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	Ixia bulbocodium[G]
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	bulbocodium = wooly bulb;
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Liliales. Iris family

Physical Characteristics

Corm growing to 0.15m by 0.05m . It is hardy to zone 7. It is in flower in May. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. We rate it 1/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

By Walls, By South Wall, By East Wall, By West Wall.

Edible Uses

Root.

Root. It is said to be eaten by shepherds[183], but no more details are given.

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Requires a well-drained very sandy soil in full sun[90, 200]. Easily grown in a bulb frame but plants are not very long-lived outdoors in Britain[90].
Plants are fairly hardy, tolerating short periods of temperatures down to about -10°c, or perhaps a bit lower[200].
Plants need to be kept dry in the summer when they are dormant[90, 200].
Very variable in flower colour and size[90].
Individual flowers are short-lived, lasting about 3 days and only opening from midday to early evening[200]. Flowers can be of 2 sizes, the smaller ones being pollen-sterile[90].

Propagation

Seed - sow the seed in spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Division in late summer when the plants are dormant[200].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Iridaceae.

[CHINA] Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[90] Phillips. R. and Rix. M. Bulbs Pan Books 1989 ISBN 0-330-30253-1
Superbly illustrated, it gives brief details on cultivation and native habitat.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

Readers Comments

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Bibliography

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Romulea+bulbocodium
This page (US) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Romulea+bulbocodium

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We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.