View/Open - ResearchSpace - University of KwaZulu-Natal
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2 Literature review<br />
Leef van daad en woord dan so gepas,<br />
Dat jy nooit wens dat môre gister was<br />
Live <strong>of</strong> word and deed then in such a becoming way,<br />
That you never shall wish tomorrow was yesterday<br />
Pierre André Swart Senior<br />
2.1 MORPHOLOGY, DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT<br />
There are approximately 90 species <strong>of</strong> Romulea (MANNING & GOLDBLATT,<br />
2001). These species are mainly confined to sub-Saharan Africa and the<br />
Mediterranean (DE VOS, 1972; MANNING & GOLDBLATT, 2001). Twelve to 15<br />
species occur in the Mediterranean basin, Canary Islands, the Azores, and<br />
southern Europe (MANNING & GOLDBLATT, 2001). The remaining species<br />
occur in sub-Saharan African, which includes the Arabian Peninsula and<br />
Socotra (MANNING & GOLDBLATT, 2001). It is reported that 3 species occur in<br />
tropical Africa and 2 are endemic in East Africa and the Peninsula (MANNING &<br />
GOLDBLATT, 2001). The genus has its centre <strong>of</strong> diversity in the winter-rainfall<br />
zone <strong>of</strong> southern Africa; here 73 species are now recognized (MANNING &<br />
GOLDBLATT, 2001). The distribution <strong>of</strong> 7 species used in the propagation<br />
experiments are shown in Figure 2.1. Within the summer-rainfall zone <strong>of</strong><br />
southern Africa the species are restricted to upland and montane habitats<br />
(MANNING & GOLDBLATT, 2001). Those within the winter rainfall part <strong>of</strong><br />
southern Africa occur from sea level to high altitudes, being especially common<br />
in medium to high altitudes (MANNING & GOLDBLATT, 2001). Winter-rainfall<br />
species generally flower during the spring (August to September, with a few in<br />
May and June) and summer-rainfall species flower from September to February<br />
(MANNING & GOLDBLATT, 2001) as shown in Figures 2.2 to 2.4.<br />
6