Species name :

Romulea variicolorMifsud
Published in Webbia 70(2): 257 (2015)

Synonyms :
(basionym or principal syn.)

No Main Synonyms

Plant Family :

Iridaceae Juss. (The Iris Family)
23 species from the Iridaceae family are recorded from the Maltese Islands.

English name(s) :

Maltese Sand Crocus

Maltese name(s) :

Żagħfran tal-blat ta' Malta

Status for Malta :

Subendemic. Found in Malta and neighbouring territories such as in Sicily, Lampedusa, Pantelleria, and other islands.

Frequency :

Very Common     Common    Frequent    Scarce     Rare    Very rare    Extinct

Growth form :

Germination type [info]: Monocotyledon
Raunkiaer lifeform [info]: Geophyte ( perennials bearing underground bulbs, tubers, rhizomes, stolons, etc. )

Legal Protection :

Not legally protected till the last update of this website (22/Aug/2025)

Red List (1989) :

Not listed in the Red Data Book of the Maltese Islands

Flowering Time :

February – April

Colour of Flowers:

Violet or Lilac

Toxicity:

Not particularly toxic

Name Derivation :

Romulea: A Genus named for Romulus, a legendary leader of the Romans and founder of Rome. (Roman origin)

variicolor: ()

Planting in rural areas :

Can be planted in rural areas according to ERA Guidelines

Remarks :

Described in 2015 for plants previously referred to as Romulea ramiflora. Three varieties have been ascribed, var. mirandae having the lower surface of the tepals completely green; var. martynii having them completely violet and var. variicolor with intermixed violet and green colours, amongst other minor differences. Romulea ramiflora differs primarily in having slightly smaller and less variable flowers with a distinct yellow throat, leaves erect and longer flowering stalks. R. variicolor is amongst the most variable Meidterranean Romulea speices, although all individuals have a white or whitish throat and probably had evolved from the closely Sicilian-endemic R. linaresii.