Tulips of the genus Amana
are found in eastern Asia. They are very similar to the Tulips of Western Asia
and Europe, which are placed in the genus Tulipa,
differing only in the presence of bracts on the upper part of the flowering
stem, and not all botanists have recognised the two genera as distinct. However
modern genetic studies appear to support the separation of the two groups, as
closely related but distinct genera with different geographical ranges.
In a paper published in the journal Phytotaxa on 27 August 2014,
Bangxing Han of the Research Center of Research and Development of Traditional
Chinese Medicine at West Anhui University and the National Resource Center for
Chinese Materia Medica at the China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, Ke Zhang
of the Department of Pharmacy at Anhui University of Chinese Medicine and Luqi
Huang, also of the National Resource Center for Chinese MateriaMedica at the
China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, describe a new species of Tulip from Ningguo
County in Anhui Province, eastern China.
The new species is named Amana
wanzhensis, meaning ‘from Wanzh’, though no explanation of this is given.
It is a 15-30 cm high perennial herb growing from 1.5-2.5 cm bulbs, producing
white flowers with brown stripes and green bases in February and March. It is
widespread around the town of Xianxia, where it grows in moist Bamboo forests
and meadows, at altitudes of 600-800 m above sea-level.
Amana wanzhensis.Yun-Xi
Zhu in Han et al. (2014).
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