Tulipa orphanidea, Boiss. ex Heldr.

2. T. orphanidea Boiss. ex Heldr. View in CoL , Gartenfl. 11: 309 (1862)

( T. hageri Heldr. , T. thracica Davidov , T. hellespontica Degen ).

Bulb 20-47 x 8-22 mm; tunic leathery, lined with a few straight hairs inside towards the apex. Stem 8-27 cm, glabrous or finely pubescent above the uppermost leaf. Leaves (2-)3-7, up to 32x1-6 cm, linear-lanceolate to linear, canaliculate, glabrous. Flowers l(-3); perianth bright orange or orange-red, the segments with a darker, oblong basal blotch inside, the outer 30-49 x 8-16 mm, elliptical, subacute, usually tinged with green outside, the inner 30-47 x 10-19 mm, elliptical-oblanceolate, obtuse or shortly apiculate. Filaments 9-12 mm; anthers 5-10 mm. Ovary glabrous or rarely pubescent. 2«=24, 36, 48. Stony ground and cultivated fields. Aegean region and E. part of Balkan peninsula. Bu Cr Gr Tu.

Variable; a number of taxa have been recognized horti- culturally, but it is not possible to maintain these here.

Plants occur in Greece with stems up to 43 cm and it is likely that these are hybrids between 1(b) and 2. Their flowers are very variable in colour, from yellowish-orange to orange-red or brownish-red; the outer perianth-segments are 45-65x 10-16 mm, narrowly elliptical, acute to acuminate, and the inner 45-62 x 12-20 mm, broadly elliptic-oblong, acuminate to apiculate.