Tulipa biflora
Tulipa biflora Pall.
Tulipa biflora, the two-flowered tulip, is a species in the Liliaceae family, native to regions across Central Asia, the Middle East, and parts of Europe and Asia. It is characterized by its bulb, glabrous stem, and star-shaped flowers with white and yellow perigone segments. The species occurs in saline deserts, clayey cliffs, and plains, typically below 100 m elevation. It is a variable species, with differences in flower size and number. Tulipa biflora is found in Afghanistan, East European Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, and other regions, but not in the Kyzylkum and Karakum deserts. The species has been subject to taxonomic debate, with some forms considered synonyms or potential new species.
Description
Tulipa biflora is a bulbous plant with an ovoid bulb, 1.5–2.0 cm thick, and a tunic that is brown or reddish-brown, papery, and woolly at the apex. The stem is 10–20 cm long and glabrous, with 2 mostly scattered, deflexed leaves. The flowers are 1–2 (up to 6), star-shaped, with white perigone segments yellow at the base. The outer segments are lanceolate and violet outside, while the inner are oblong to oblong-ovate. The ovary is short-styled, and the capsule is short-beaked. It is found in saline deserts, clayey cliffs, and plains, typically below 100 m elevation. The species is variable and has been the subject of taxonomic discussion, with some forms considered synonyms or potential new species in Central Asia.
Distribution
Afghanistan · East European Russia · Egypt · Iran · Iraq · Kazakhstan · Kirgizstan · Krym · Lebanon-Syria · North Caucasus · Pakistan · Palestine · Saudi Arabia · Sinai · South European Russi · Tadzhikistan · Transcaucasus · Turkey · Turkmenistan · Uzbekistan · West Siberia · Xinjiang · Yugoslavia
Synonyms
Liriopogon biflorusOrithyia bifloraPodonix albifloraTulipa koktebelicaTulipa halophilaTulipa prolongataTulipa polychromaTulipa androssowiiTulipa crispatulaTulipa binutansTulipa buhseanaTulipa bucharicaTulipa sogdianaTulipa turcomanicaTulipa mariannaeTulipa humilis var. crispatulaTulipa biflora var. majorTulipa sylvestris var. bifloraTulipa biflora var. buhseanaTulipa biflora var. grandifloraTulipa humilis var. ornataTulipa biflora unranked afghanica
