Romnalda

Romnalda is a small genus of monocotyledonous plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Lomandroideae.^[1] (It has also been placed in the Xanthorrhoeaceae.) The name Romnalda is an anagram of Lomandra, a related though more common genus of sedge-like plants. The genus Romnalda differs from Lomandra in growing exclusively in rainforests and having sparsely branched inflorescences with no spines. Plants have strap-like leaves and grow up to one meter (3 feet) tall often with a trunk and stilt roots reminiscent of a miniature Pandanus. Species of Romnalda can be found in Australia and New Guinea.

Species

Currently there are three formally named species:

• R. strobilacea is a vulnerable species restricted to basaltic soils north of Brisbane in South East Queensland Australia.^[2]
• R. grallata is a species restricted to cloud forests on a few misty peaks in the Daintree Rainforest in Northern Queensland.^[3]
• R. papuana is a species found only in a handful of locations in Papua New Guinea including the island of New Britain.^[4]

There is at least one additional species from lowland tropical rainforests in the Wet Tropics of North Queensland that is yet to be given a formal scientific name (R. species little Cooper Ck). These plants are rather unusual as garden subjects though most species are protected and little cultivated.

References

1. ^ Stevens, P.F. (2001 onwards), Angiosperm Phylogeny Website: Asparagales: Lomandroideae, http://www.mobot.org/mobot/research/apweb/orders/asparagalesweb.htm#Laxmanniaceae 
2. ^ S.G.A.P.(Qld Region)Logan River Branch Inc (2005) Mangroves to mountains. Volume 2. A field guide to the native plants of south-east Queensland Browns Plains, Qld.:Logan River Branch SGAP (Qld Region) Inc.581.99432 MAN
3. ^ *Wendy Cooper and William T Cooper (2004)Fruits of the Australian Tropical Rainforest, 616 pages, col plates.Nokomis Publications ISBN 0-9581742-1-0 (available at [1])
4. ^ Papua New Guinea National Herbarium, Lae, Morobe Province, Poster Ecology and Conservation of Romnalda papuana.

• Henderson, R. J. F. (1986).In: George, A. S. (ed.) Flora of Australia, Vol. 46. Canberra: Australian Government Publishment Service, pp. 91-92