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Common Name:

General Information

Romulea bulbocodium is a Corm up to 0.15 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. Europe - Spain, Portugal, Bulgaria, to N. Africa.

Habitat

Sandy and rocky places near the sea, also in scrub to 1000 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Corm
Height	0.15 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

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

Edible Uses

Root. It is said to be eaten by shepherds[], but no more details are given. The corm is quite small, up to 3cm in diameter, but is very tasty with a nut-like flavour[]. It makes a delicious wayside nibble[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

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[].