Description: Small perennial herbs with annual leaves and flowers; corm globose to bell-shaped with a hard, smooth tunic; aerial stem short or absent.
Leaves few–several, basal, filiform, terete, flat or compressed, rarely 1 or 2 leaves cauline on a short stem. Scapes erect, 1–several, shorter than leaves; spathe bracts subequal, acute, inner one often scarious or with hyaline margins; spathes 1-flowered.
Flowers actinomorphic. Perianth tube short, narrowly funnel-shaped; lobes equal, spreading, narrow-elliptic to obovate. Stamens free. Style 3-branched; branches deeply 2-fid, filiform.
Capsule oblong to ovoid; seeds numerous, compressed-globose, brown.
Distribution and occurrence: World: c. 90 species, Africa, Europe, Mediterranean region. Australia: 4 species (naturalized), N.S.W., Vic., S.A., W.A.
Text by T. A. James & E. A. Brown
Taxon concept:
| | Key to the species | |
| 1 | Flower entirely yellow: inner bract hyaline | Romulea flava |
| Flower not yellow except inside perianth tube; inner bract green with scarious margins or wholly scarious | 2 |
| 2 | Flower 8–15 mm long; perianth lobes obtuse | Romulea minutiflora |
| Flower 15–30 mm long; perianth lobes acute
Back to 1 | Romulea rosea |
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