How many species of tulips of the subgenus Orithyia (Tulipa, Liliaceae) are in Southern Siberia?

Abstract

The subgenus Orithyia in the genus Tulipa is considered one of the least studied. It includes the most eastern species of tulips. Previously, three species of tulips from this subgenus, T. heteropetala, T. uniflora, and T. mongolica were reported for the territory of Southern Siberia. The morphological analysis showed that studied plants, from populations previously reported in Southern Siberia under the name T. heteropetala, are large individuals of T. uniflora. There was a high level of morphological differences between all populations of T. uniflora and T. mongolica. Karyotype analysis showed that T. mongolica, T. uniflora, and T. siniangensis have similar karyotype structures. In T. heterophylla, in comparison with them, a lower level of intrachromosomal asymmetry was noted. Molecular genetic analysis confirms previous data and separates the subgenus Orithyia among other subgenera in the genus Tulipa. Molecular data confirmed taxonomic affiliation of specimens from the Zabaykalsky Territory (Russia) previously assigned by morphological characters to T. mongolica. Thus, it was confirmed that two species of tulips of the subgenus Orithyia, Tulipa uniflora and T. mongolica, grow in the studied area.