Leiden-based scientist Ben Zonneveld has discovered a new species of wild tulip. It has been named Tulipa lemmersii in honour of a valued colleague. This brings the total number of wild tulip species to 87.

Dr Zonneveld came across the tulip while he was researching the genome size - the amount of DNA in the cell nucleus - of wild tulips in his laboratory. He believes there may be more undocumented species. "The wild species come mainly from Central Asia. There are hardly any people in these thinly-populated regions. And if they do pass by, they are unlikely to associate the flowers of the field with a new tulip species."
 
The botanist travelled to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan looking for wild tulips. The DNA research took place in Leiden. As a retired university lecturer and honorary researcher for the National Herbarium of the Netherlands he says he finally has enough time to devote himself to researching the tulip and other flowers such as narcissi and snowdrops.
 
Tulip mania
The Netherlands has a close relationship with the tulip. The first wild tulips were introduced here around 1594. The climate and soil provide very favourable conditions for a number of species. Real tulip mania broke out in the 17th century with sky-high prices being paid for bulbs, which became a kind of speculative commodity. These days the Netherlands is one of the biggest exporters of tulips and tulip bulbs in the world. The cultivated versions of the flower are produced in a wide variety of colours and shapes.
 
The most common cultivated tulip varieties that we plant in our garden or buy from the florist derive from a small number of wild species, probably only two or three. Most wild tulip species cannot be grown in the Netherlands, Ben Zonneveld explains, because the summers are not hot enough. There are also many species which propagate by seed rather than by bulbs.

RNW Translation (imm)