2978 



ROLLINIOPSIS 



ROMNEYA 



Expedition, in the state of Bahia; R. parrijlbra (RoUinia 

 parviflora, St. Hil.)> of Rio de Janeiro; and R. lepto- 

 petala (Rottinia leptopetala, R. E. Fries), of Piauhy, 

 Brazil. See Journ. Wash. Acad. Sci., vol. 6, p. 1916. 



W. E. SAFFORD. 



ROMANOVIA (derivation unknown). Also spelled 

 Romanowia. Palmacese. A genus founded in G.C. III. 

 33:245 without generic description. R. Nicolai, Hort. 

 A calamus-like palm with mealy down on the sts., long 

 slender petioles without prickles: Ivs. pinnate with 



3425. Rolliniopsis discreta. a, Flower with a portion removed to 

 show the mass of stamens surrounding the cluster of carpels 

 beneath the minute inner petal, or corolla-lobe ( Xl 1 A) ', b, a pair of 

 Stamens, showing a pair of parallel pollen -sacs beneath the 

 expanded tip of the connective ( X5) ; c, mature carpels which 

 have fallen off the receptacle ( X H) ; d, seed ( X H). 



remote segms., tapering to a wedge-shaped base and 

 with the retuse apex divided irregularly into long 

 acutely pointed lobes, somewhat as in caryota. Habi- 

 tat not given. G.C. III. 33 :suppl. April 25, p. iii. 



ROMANZOFFIA (named in honor of Count Nicholas 

 Romanzoff). Hydrophyllacese. Low and delicate peren- 

 nial herbs with the aspect of saxifrage, suitable for out- 

 door planting. 



Leaves mainly radical, alternate, round-cordate or 

 reniform, crenately 7-11-lobed, long-petioled: infl. 

 scapose, racemosely or paniculately several-fld.; the 

 pedicels filiform; fls. pale pink or purple, varying white; 

 calyx-lobes oblong-linear or lanceolate: caps, retuse, 

 2-celled or nearly so. Ten(?) species, Alaska south- 

 ward to the coast range of Calif. 



unalaschkensis, Cham. Rootstock not tubiferpus: 

 scape erect, 3-5 in. high; the erect or ascending pedicels 

 shorter than the fls.; calyx-lobes herbaceous; corolla 

 very short-funnelform. Unalaska, and one isolated 

 station in N. Calif. 



sitchensis, Bong. Rootstocks slender and tubiferous: 

 plant sparsely pubescent or glabrate: scape filiform, 

 weak, 6 in. high; the spreading pedicels longer than the 

 fls.; calyx-lobes very glabrous; corolla funnelform. 

 Alaska south to Monterey County, Calif. G. 36 : 649. 



F. TRACY HUBBARD. 



ROMNEYA (named for T. Romney Robinson, who 

 discovered it about 1845). Papaveracex. Tall showy 

 herbs or subshrubs used for garden planting. 



Stems branching: Ivs. petioled, pinnatifid, 2 or 3 

 pairs of segms. : fls. solitary at the ends of the corymbose 

 branches, large, white and showy, 6 in. across; sepals 3, 

 with a broad membranaceous dorsal wing; petals 6, all 

 alike; stamens very numerous; stigmas numerous, con- 

 nate at base into a little ring: caps. 7-11-celled, dehis- 

 cing to the middle, the valves separating by their mar- 

 gins from the firm persistent placenta?. Two species, 

 Calif, and Mex. Monographed by Fedde in Engler's 

 Pflanzenreich, hft. 40 (IV. 104), 1909. 



Romneya grows wild in California from San Diego to 

 Santa Barbara County and also in Mexico, and in the 

 wild state it blooms chiefly in June and July, but in 

 cultivation the period of bloom is increased from May to 

 August. In the region of Los Angeles, it is said to thrive 

 best on dry rocky soil and needs only the water it 

 obtains from the winter rams. Romneya can be trans- 

 planted safely if cut to the ground before it is lifted and 

 can be raised from seed if the seed is fresh. Raising 

 from seed under artificial conditions is not very satis- 

 factory, however, as it takes a few years between the 

 germination of the seed and blooming of the seedlings. 



Romneya is difficult to transplant, due to the scarcity 

 of fibrous roots; in middle California suckers which are 

 produced in great abundance are transplanted without 

 any loss, provided a good firm ball of earth is kept 

 around the stout thick roots in transit, and if the stems 

 are cut well back, almost to the base. At San Francisco 

 it grows luxuriantly in a heavy adobe soil, producing 

 immense flowers. The name Matilija poppy (pro- 

 nounced Ma-til'li-ha) is the favorite in California. 

 It comes from the Matilija Canon, Ventura County, 

 where the plant grows in particular abundance. Miss 

 Parsons writes: "Many people have the mistaken 

 idea that it grows only in that region. It is not com- 

 mon by any means; but it is found in scattered locali- 

 ties from Santa Barbara southward into Mexico. It is 

 very abundant near Riverside, and also upon the south- 

 ern boundary and below in Lower California, where 

 the plants cover 

 large areas. It 

 not only grows 

 in fertile valleys, 

 but seeks the 

 seclusion of re- 

 mote canons, 

 and nothing 

 more magnifi- 

 cent could be 

 imagined than a 

 steep canon-side 

 covered with 

 the great bushy 

 plants, thickly 

 covered with 

 enormous white 

 flowers." Blos- 

 soms remain 

 open for many 

 days. (J. Burtt 

 Davy.) 



3426. 



Top sprig of 



Romneya 



Coulteri. 



(XH) 



