Romnalda

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Romnalda

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Liliopsida
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Laxmanniaceae
Genus:	Romnalda

Romnalda is a small genus of monocotyledonous plants in the family Laxmanniaceae (Though often placed in families Lomandraceae or 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.

[edit] 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.^[1]
R. grallata is a species restricted to cloud forests on a few misty peaks in the Daintree Rainforest in Northern Queensland.^[2]
R. papuana is a species found only in a handful of locations in Papua New Guinea including the island of New Britain.^[3]

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 subects though most species are protected and little cultivated.

[edit] References

^ 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
^ *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])
^ Papua New Guinea National Herbarium, Lae, Morobe Province, Poster Ecology and Conservation of Romnalda papuana.