New snowdrop species

[Alan_b]

Welcome Galanthus bursanus, a new snowdrop species: https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs12225-019-9806-5.pdf

[Gail]

Thanks Alan.  Fascinating article - interesting snowdrop & the comparison of bulbs photo is useful.

[Alan_b]

I wonder if this is the first new species to be discovered on Facebook?  I believe that the discovery was the result of a picture of the snowdrop posted on a Facebook group devoted to the flora of Turkey, "Türkiye Florası".  The picture was posted by Yildiz Konca and spotted by Dimitri Zubov who recognised its significance.  This would make a good article for a writer on botany. 

[Maggi Young]

Testament  to  Dima  Zubov's  "eye"! 
Dima and  Janis  Ruksans  are  also just  about  to publish a  new  fessia  species  in the  International Rock Gardener, issue  113 - online  on 31st  May.

[Blonde Ingrid]

It is a very beautiful plant and has a strong fragrance, almost up there with the strongest Gr-os.

[Mariette]

Thank You, Alan, for that link - this is definitely the most beautiful of autumn-flowering snowdrops, reminding of my favourite species, G. gracilis. Being strongly scented, too, it will be impossible to beat!

[Oakwood]

 

[Maggi Young]

Photo of this  lovely  species, posted  on Facebook ....



G. bursanus (acq. 12263), seed origin Unçukuru Turkey. Blooming Oct. 29, 2019, Virginia, USA.

A reminder  of the  article  describing the  species ....
Kew Bulletin Volume 74, Issue 2, June 2019
ISSN: 0075-5974 (Print) 1874-933X (Online)   
Galanthus bursanus (Amaryllidaceae): a new species of snowdrop from the Marmara Sea region, NW Turkey
Dimitri A. Zubov, Yıldiz Konca, Aaron P. Davis

- https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs12225-019-9806-5.pdf

[David Lowndes]

My G.bursanus are flowering now.  I have them in pots for the moment in a cold greenhouse.  They have a distinct, strong honey/musky smell to my nose.  As a result of random sniffing I have discovered that G.peshmenii is also similarly scented. I have three varieties and they are all scented.  I guess I shouldn’t be surprised as many snowdrops are scented but I can’t find any reference to peshmenii being scented anywhere so I am surprised!

[Maggi Young]

My G.bursanus are flowering now.  I have them in pots for the moment in a cold greenhouse.  They have a distinct, strong honey/musky smell to my nose.  As a result of random sniffing I have discovered that G.peshmenii is also similarly scented. I have three varieties and they are all scented.  I guess I shouldn’t be surprised as many snowdrops are scented but I can’t find any reference to peshmenii being scented anywhere so I am surprised!

Quite  surprising how  often scented  flowers  or  even  foliage  have  no mention made  of that  - I think  we should all be  sniffing to be  sure  we're  getting  all of the  details  of our  flowers!

[TCalkins]

Thanks for sharing my photo of G. bursanus from Facebook, I've been remiss in my postings here.  I am surprised and pleased by the vigor of these plants.  The plant shown was one bulb planted in 2017, and this fall it is showing 5 blooms.  A photo of the same plant, taken Nov 2, 2019 shows the 3 open blooms and 2 more coming.  Also attached, two other bursanus currently blooming here in Virginia.

[Maggi Young]

Thanks for sharing my photo of G. bursanus from Facebook, I've been remiss in my postings here.  I am surprised and pleased by the vigor of these plants.  The plant shown was one bulb planted in 2017, and this fall it is showing 5 blooms.  A photo of the same plant, taken Nov 2, 2019 shows the 3 open blooms and 2 more coming.  Also attached, two other bursanus currently blooming here in Virginia.

A  pleasure to see these  robust  little  plants, Timothy!

[Diane Whitehead]

Is there a source for seeds?

[Alan_b]

....  This would make a good article for a writer on botany.

There was subsequently a very brief and uncredited article published in the September edition of the RHS magazine "The Garden".

The chronology here is very strange.  The paper suggests a discovery in 2014 but that must have been confined to local author Yıldiz Konca.  The Facebook post that alerted Dimitri Zubovwas was in November 2016 and yet I have seen multiple reports of mature specimens in snowdrop collections, often a clump of several flowering bulbs.  I wonder how the original bulbs were obtained so quickly after the discovery?

[Maggi Young]

More  on this  story......

Dima's  fame  reaches the  pages  of the  Press and  Journal, a  Scottish newspaper  (long established  and   UK regional newspaper  of the  year!!) ....



And the  similar  story in the  Guardian .....

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2019/dec/17/amazing-new-plants-fungi-discoveries-2019-royal-botanic-gardens-kew-in-pictures?fbclid=IwAR17_tjDUS8UdBdroIcpIoqkVloX2j8S1g26ZQVeJUOM-IVLL5N2SCxRBWY