Romulea is a genus in the Iridaceae family of about 90 species that is found both in South Africa and in Europe. Rootstock is a corm, globose, bell shaped to top shaped, compressed or asymmetric with a circular to crescent shaped basal ridge. This genus has flowers reminiscent of Crocus. Many are quite striking, especially the South African species and there is a great variation in colour and markings of the flowers. They are easy to grow in pots and many are easy from seed, flowering rather quickly in some cases.

Romulea engleri is exotic to South Africa occurring exclusively in endemic Morocco growing in wet meadows, sandy pastures, Mediterranean forest, woodlands, woodland clearings, peat bogs and scrub. Growing from 15-30 cm this tuberous geophyte prefers dry to moist humid well drained sandy, loamy soils. It grows in full sun, light to mid-shade and flowers between December and March. It is found in a sub-humid Mediterranean bioclimate.