Tulipa albanica is a flowering plant in the tulip genus, family Liliaceae that is native to Albania.[2][3][4] It was discovered near the village of Surroj in Albania in 2010.[2] The plant is a critically endangered (CR) as it grows in an area smaller than 100 ha, surrounded by mining activities.
| Tulipa albanica | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Liliales |
| Family: | Liliaceae |
| Subfamily: | Lilioideae |
| Tribe: | Lilieae |
| Genus: | Tulipa |
| Subgenus: | Tulipa subg. Tulipa |
| Species: | T. albanica |
| Binomial name | |
| Tulipa albanica = Kit Tan & Shuka | |
Related species include Tulipa scardica and Tulipa schrenkii. T. albanica bears morphological similarities to both species, as well as growing in a similar environment, but can be distinguished genetically as well as by T. albanica's undulating leaf shape.[5]
Description
Tulipa albanica is a bulbous perennial reaching 15–40 cm (6–16 in) in height. The bulb is ovoid to ovoid-globose and 1.5 to 2.5 cm (5⁄8 to 1 in) in diameter. The stem is erect, glabrous, glaucous to greyish-green and the leaves, which vary from 3–5, reach a size of about 10–25 cm (4–10 in) long by 1–3.5 cm (3⁄8–1+3⁄8 in), and are glaucous to greyish-green. They grow alternately along the stem and the lowermost ones have strongly undulated edges.[5]
The stem bears a solitary large, erect, campanulate flower. It can be found in two colour: yellow to golden-yellow or carmine-scarlet to deep reddish-brown. The chromosome number is 2n = 2x = 24.[5]
Conservation
The Institute for Environmental Policy, a local NGO is carrying out monitoring and conservation actions, with the aim to propagate the plant to other locations in the region of Kukës, and secure its survival.[6]
References
Bibliography
- Shuka, Lulëzim; Tan, Kit; Siljak-Yakovlev, Sonja (2010). "Tulipa albanica (Liliaceae), a new species from northeastern Albania" (PDF). Phytotaxa. 10: 17–25. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.10.1.2.
- Wheeler, Quentin (6 Aug 2011). "New to Nature No 49: Tulipa albanica". The Guardian.
- Christenhusz, M.J.M.; Govaerts, R.; David, J.C.; Hall, T.; Borland, K.; Roberts, P.S.; Tuomisto, A.; Buerki, S.; Chase, M.W.; Fay, M.F. (2013). "Tiptoe through the tulips - cultural history, molecular phylogenetics and classification of Tulipa (Liliaceae)". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 172 (3): 280–328. doi:10.1111/boj.12061.