Galanthus plicatus

Galanthus plicatus is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae, native from Romania, Ukraine and Crimea in eastern Europe to north Turkey and the north-west Caucasus in Asia.[1]

Galanthus plicatus
In habitat in Ukraine
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily: Amaryllidoideae
Genus: Galanthus
Species:
G. plicatus
Binomial name
Galanthus plicatus
M.Bieb.[1]

Description

Galanthus plicatus is a bulbous perennial plant, growing to about 15 cm tall. Its leaves are bluish or greyish green, broader than many other species of Galanthus, up to 2 cm wide. The leaf edges are folded back away from the upper surface of the leaf, both in bud and after they expand. The nodding white flowers appear in spring and have six white tepals. The outer three are all white, 2–3 cm long; the inner three are shorter and notched, with a green mark above the notch, often extending to beyond the middle of the tepal.[2][3] In G. plicatus subsp. byzantinus, the inner tepals also have a green mark at the base.[3][4]

  • Flower and leaves
  • In habitat in Ukraine

Taxonomy

Galanthus plicatus was first described by Friedrich Marschall von Bieberstein in 1819.[1] In 1893, Baker described Galanthus byzantinus from north-western Turkey as a separate species, differing in possessing green marks at the base as well as the tip of the inner three tepals. It is now usually treated as a subspecies of G. plicatus.[4][5]

Subspecies

Two subspecies are recognized:

  • Galanthus plicatus subsp. byzantinus (Baker) D.A.Webb – north-west Turkey[6]
  • Galanthus plicatus subsp. plicatus – throughout the range of the species[7]

Distribution and habitat

Galanthus plicatus is native from eastern Europe (Romania, Ukraine and Crimea) through Turkey to the north-west Caucasus.[1] G. plicatus subsp. plicatus is found throughout the range of the species,[6] G. plicatus subsp. byzantinus only in north-west Turkey.[7] The species is found in woodland and scrub, usually in shade.[2]

Cultivation

Galanthus plicatus[8] and the cultivar 'Three Ships' [9] are both recipients of the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

References
  1. "Galanthus plicatus", World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, retrieved 2017-12-28
  2. Grey-Wilson, Christopher; Mathew, Brian & Blamey, Marjorie (1981). Bulbs : the bulbous plants of Europe and their allies. London: Collins. p. 132. ISBN 978-0-00-219211-8.
  3. Mathew, Brian (1987), The Smaller Bulbs, London: B.T. Batsford, p. 99, ISBN 978-0-7134-4922-8
  4. Beckett, K., ed. (1993), "Galanthus byzantinus", Encyclopaedia of Alpines : Volume 1 (A–K), Pershore, UK: AGS Publications, p. 512, ISBN 978-0-900048-61-6
  5. "Galanthus byzantinus", World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, retrieved 2017-12-28
  6. "Galanthus plicatus subsp. byzantinus", World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, retrieved 2017-12-28
  7. "Galanthus plicatus subsp. plicatus", World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, retrieved 2017-12-28
  8. "Galanthus plicatus". RHS Plant Selector. RHS. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  9. "Galanthus plicatus 'Three Ships'". RHS. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
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