Description
''Tulipa armena'' is extremely variable. The bulb has a papery Tunica (biology), tunic that is not very hairy. The stems are between eight and 25 cm long, the 3–6 leaves are broad, scimitar-shaped, hairy or smooth and often have wavy edges. They are grey-green, but with a red overlay. They can be up to 20 cm long. The large solitary flowers are cup- or bowl-shaped and very variable. Some are red with a dark violet, black or dark green basal blotch, sometimes striped and mottled in yellow, others yellow, in the red form, sometimes the black basal blotch has a yellow border. The tepals are normally oval. The Stamen, filaments are black or blackish purple, the anthers yellow or black. ''Tulipa armena'' is placed in the subgenus ''Tulipa''. In Turkey, the subspecies ''lycica'' and ''armena'' are differentiated by the hairs on the bulb. ''Tulipa armena'' is easily confused with ''Tulipa julia'', which has a hairier tunic.Habitat
The Armenian tulip was found from Northeast Turkey through Transcaucasia (Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia (country), Georgia) to northwestern Iran. It grows on rocky mountain slopes between 1000- 2700m ASL and flowers between April and June. It also occurs on the Marmaris peninsula in Southwestern Turkey at much lower elevations. It grows in steppe areas on alkalic soils with a high humus-content.Synonyms
''Tulipa armena'' was first described by Pierre Edmond Boissier, Edmund Boissier in 1859, the Type (biology)#type locality, locus typicus is located in Northeast Turkey. Populations found in the Karabakh mountain range in Armenia and Azerbaijan have been called ''T. karabachensis'', but this is regarded as a synonym of ''T. armena''. Plants from Eastern Turkey and Northwest Iran with a hairy tunic and longer stems have been described as ''T. willmottiae'' Freyn. ''T. mucronata'' Fomin, ''T. karabachensis'' Grossh. pro parte, ''T. confusa'' Gabrielian may also be synonyms of ''T. armena''. The name ''T. galatica'' has been used for the yellow variety without basal blotch. In contrast, ''Tulipa gumusanica'' has been confirmed as a separate species.Uses
The Armenian tulip is used as a garden plant. It needs dry, hot summers and should be grown in free draining soil and full sun. In England, it flowers in April.References
Sources
* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q7852084 Tulipa, armena Flora of Iran Flora of Turkey Garden plants Taxa named by Pierre Edmond Boissier Armenian Highlands