Tulipa systola

Alal

Plant 15-20 cm. Bulb 2-3 cm in diameter; tunics maroon-brown, papery, with a dense and thick felt-like lining; tunics from previous years persisting in dry climate. Leaves usually 4, glaucous, linear-lanceolate to elliptic, acuminate, erect or falcate; margin more or less ciliate, usually undulate; lowermost leaf 2-3.5 cin broad or broader. Flower solitary, erect; perianth segments cuneate at base, warm-scarlet , slightly paler on outside, bearing an oblong basal black blotch, sometimes but not always edged with yellow; outer segments 45-70 x 20-30 mm, ovate to rhombic, acute to cuspidate, often with a white cusp at tip; inner segments slightly shorter, obovate, very obtuse, rounded to nearly truncate, often with an abrupt ciliolate short cusp. Filaments glabrous, blackish-purple, with yellowish base and apex; anthers yellow or purplish; pollen yellow or olive-green. Ovary cylindrical, 3-gonous, generally longer than filaments. Capsule greatly varying in length, 3-quetrous, shortly beaked, straw-coloured. 2n=? Fl. end of February-April.

Hab.: Rocky calcareous hillslopes, limestone cliffs, in crevices and soilpockets; Artemisietum herbae-albae, Zygophylletum dumosi, Ziziphetum loti.

W. Irano-Turanian .