Galanthus xvalentinei nothosubsp. subplicatus (Amaryllidaceae): A New Galanthus Hybrid from North-Western Turkey

Abstract

In Turkey, in the western part of the province of Istanbul, there are large populations of Galanthus that do not conform to any existing taxon, but instead appear to be a hybrid swarm. This hybrid was first noted by D. A. Webb, as a comment (dated 1974) on a herbarium specimen (Baytop [ & Cubukgu] ISTE 8589) held at Kew (K). Webb's note states: 'I do not think this is G. byzantinus [G. plicatus M. Bieb. subsp. byzantinus (Baker) D. A. Webb]... 'It seems to be G. nivalis [L.]. Possibly, however, some specimens at Edinburgh [herbarium, E] show the green patch [at the base of the inner perianth segment]: in this case [it] then might be a hybrid population of G. nivalis x G. graecus [= G. gracilis Celak.]'. This same note was later annotated by C. D. Brickell (dated 15 Oct. 1980), and he states: 'The leaves are clearly if narrowly plicate [explicative] in a proportion of this population, which I have seen. I would not think G. gracilis (G. graecus) was involved. ... It is much more likely to be a hybrid swarm of G. byzantinus [= G. plicatus subsp. byzantinus x G. nivalis, which would account for the plicate [explicative] margins and the variability of markings on the inner segments that occur'. Brickell (1984: 368) later wrote: 'Populations from Al (E) Kirklareli (Demirk6y forest, A. Baytop ISTE 27232!) and A2(E) Istanbul (Belgrad forest, A. Baytop ISTE 8591! & 21010! Brickell & Mathew 8543!) appear to be hybrid swarms of G. nivalis and G. plicatus subsp. byzantinus. They have narrowly linear to very narrowly oblanceolate leaves, explicative or occasionally flat [applanate] in ptyxis [vernation]; the green markings on the inner perianth segments may be apical and basal, or only apical'. Field observations and herbarium studies made by us between 1991 and 2001 confirm both of Brickell's comments. In this paper we formally recognize this