Romnalda

Taxobox
name = "Romnalda"
status =


image_caption =
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Liliopsida
ordo = Asparagales
familia = Laxmanniaceae
genus = "Romnalda"
species =
binomial =
genus_authority = P.F.Stevens

"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.

pecies

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. [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]
*"R. grallata" is a species restricted to cloud forests on a few misty peaks in the Daintree Rainforest in Northern Queensland. [*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 [http://www.nhbs.com/title.php?tefno=137215] )]
*"R. papuana" is a species found only in a handful of locations in Papua New Guinea including the island of New Britain. [Papua New Guinea National Herbarium, Lae, Morobe Province, Poster Ecology and Conservation of "Romnalda papuana".] 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.

References

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