PERIANTH COLOR IN THE GENUS TULIPA L. (LILIACEAE) AND ITS TAXONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE WITH EMPHASIS TO SPECIES FROM KYRGYZSTAN

Abstract

Tulipa L. is a genus of perennial ephemeroid geophytes, which belongs to the lily family (Liliaceae). Kyrgyzstan is a relatively small country with a high level of specific and taxonomic diversity of tulips, where 28 species from 3 of 4 existing subgenera are found. The Tulipa genus belongs to a taxonomically “difficult” group of plants, where the distinctive interspecific characters are not well established. One of the characters, differently interpreted by researchers, is a color of perianth. It is assumed that the color of the tepals in the genus Tulipa depends on the taxonomic position of the species. To approve this assumption and determine the taxonomic significance of the perianth color character in the Tulipa genus, its variation within a separate species, as well as in different taxonomic groups of the genus Tulipa with of emphasis species growing in Kyrgyzstan are considered. It has been established that one types of perianth color is in the subgenus Orithyia, two - in the subgenus Eriostemones, and four - in the subgenus Tulipa. Perianth color in the genus Tulipa can be characteristic of a group of species as well as as well as to be different within the same species. The greatest variability in perianth color within a singl species is observed in representatives of the subgenus Tulipa, although in some regions there are large monochromatic populations. To such group of species belong T. kaufmanniana and T. ostrowskiana. Based on the above, flower color can be used as an additional taxonomic character in combination with other characters only. When establishing interspecific differences, should be considered range of the perianth color within the species.