It only occurs on sandy clay on renosterveld west of Nieuwoudtville in the Northern Cape province South Africa.

[1] Romulea sabulosa is a low to medium height perennial geophyte of 12–40 cm (4.7–15.7 in) high, that has a subterranean stem, that develops from a corm with a rounded base that is wrapped in a brown tunic with curved pointed teeth.

The scentless, trimerous flower itself is dark red, sometimes pink, and has black blotches in a creamy green cup.

The tepals that are fused in a tube at their base are inverted egg-shaped with a slightly indented tip 2½–4 cm (1–1.6 in) long.

[1] Romulea sabulosa is limited to the Bokkeveld plateau along the escarpment west of Nieuwoudtville where it grows in large swarms on a light sandy clay called tillite.