Morphological study of Tulipa greigii Regel in the Chatkal range

Abstract

This study presents a detailed morphological analysis of Tulipa greigii Regel (Liliaceae), a bulbous spring geophyte of high ornamental and conservation value, based on natural populations from the Chatkal Range of the Western Tian Shan, Uzbekistan. Quantitative and qualitative characters of the vegetative and generative organs — bulb, stem, leaves, perianth, androecium and gynoecium — were examined across several populations during the 2024–2025 flowering seasons. Significant variation was recorded in leaf width, tepal length and filament coloration, whereas floral symmetry and capsule structure remained stable. Multivariate analysis distinguished lowland and montane morphotypes, indicating environmentally driven plasticity along the altitudinal gradient. The results refine the morphological circumscription of the species, provide diagnostic characters for field identification, and establish a baseline for conservation monitoring of this Central Asian endemic.

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