''Romnalda'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

monocotyledonous Monocotyledons (), commonly referred to as monocots, ( Lilianae ''sensu'' Chase & Reveal) are grass and grass-like flowering plants (angiosperms), the seeds of which typically contain only one embryonic leaf, or cotyledon. They constitute one of ...

plants in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Asparagaceae, subfamily

Lomandroideae Lomandroideae is a subfamily of monocot flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, order Asparagales, according to the APG III system of 2009. The subfamily name is derived from the generic name of the type genus, '' Lomandra''. The group ...

. (They have also been placed in the

Xanthorrhoeaceae ''Xanthorrhoea'' () is a genus of about 30 species of flowering plants endemic to Australia. Species are known by the name grass tree. Description All are perennials and have a secondary thickening meristem in the stem. Many, but not all, ...

.) four formally named species are known and accepted by botanical science. The name ''Romnalda'' is an anagram of '' Lomandra'', a related though more common genus of hard–leaved lily-like plants. The genus ''Romnalda'' differs from Lomandra in growing exclusively in

rainforests Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainforest ...

and having sparsely branched

inflorescences An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed ...

with no spines. Plants have strap-like leaves and grow up to one metre (3 feet) tall often with a trunk and stilt roots reminiscent of a miniature '' Pandanus''. Species of ''Romnalda'' grow naturally in

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

and

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

Species

* '' R. grallata'' – restricted to

cloud forests A cloud forest, also called a water forest, primas forest, or tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF), is a generally tropical or subtropical, evergreen, montane, moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud ...

on a few misty peaks in the

Daintree Rainforest The Daintree Rainforest is a region on the northeast coast of Queensland, Australia, north of Mossman and Cairns. At around , the Daintree is a part of the largest continuous area of tropical rainforest on the Australian continent. The Daintr ...

, Wet Tropics region, north-eastern Queensland. * '' R. ophiopogonoides'', synonym: ''Romnalda'' sp. Cooper Creek (P.I.Forster+ PIF4402) Qld Herbarium – only found in a few isolated locations around

Cooper Creek The Cooper Creek (formerly Cooper's Creek) is a river in the Australian states of Queensland and South Australia. It was the site of the death of the explorers Burke and Wills in 1861. It is sometimes known as the Barcoo River from one of its t ...

, Wet Tropics region, north-eastern Queensland; and has obtained the

government's official conservation status listing of "vulnerable" species. * '' R. papuana'' – only found in a handful of locations in

including the island of New Britain. * '' R. strobilacea'' – restricted to

basaltic Basalt (; ) is an aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the surface of a rocky planet or moon. More than 90% of a ...

soils north of Brisbane in

South East Queensland South East Queensland (SEQ) is a bio-geographical, metropolitan, political and administrative region of the state of Queensland in Australia, with a population of approximately 3.8 million people out of the state's population of 5.1 million. Th ...

, Australia; and has obtained the Australian national and

governments' official conservation status listings of "vulnerable" species.

References

* Henderson, R. J. F. (1986).In: George, A. S. (ed.) ''Flora of Australia'', Vol. 46. Canberra: Australian Government Publishment Service, pp. 91–92 Asparagaceae genera Lomandroideae {{Asparagaceae-stub