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True
image of spring days, tulip is one of the most common flower bulb. Mostly created by dutch breeders since the last four hundred years, about six thousands of horticultural varieties are now listed. Most of them are available through specialized trade, and, in fact, no one, being professional or not, would accept to do without them. However, this fame is not at all related to the almost 150 botanical species existing round the world. And, if most of the wild tulips originate from Central Asia, we are proud of the almost fifteen wild species growing in France. But how long will it last ? |
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The genus Tulipa is split into two main sections : |
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Among
these two main sections, many subgenus have been created, out of which
four are present in France. |
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Eriostemones
tulips are represented only by two very close species belonging to the
Australis subgenus : T. australis and T. sylvestris.
With its yellow flower with reddish outer petals, Tulipa australis
is certainly the only spontaneous tulip in our country. This tulip loves
mountain growing and we found it mainly down South. It naturalizes widely
but with average blooming as this plant privileges vegetative reproduction.
With its entirely yellow flower T. sylvestris is without any
doubt our most popular wild tulip. |
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| We
meet it frequently all over the country, however scarcely in the North.
Like T. australis, some population do not bloom much, or not
at all, and are consequently hard to see when growing next to others
herbaceous plants. Besides these two species T. gallica and T. alpestris are sometimes mentioned. Even if the T. gallica flowers are slightly smaller, we classified this tulip as a local form of T. sylvestris, native from the Var region, down South of France. Regarding T. alpestris, adapted to the upper summits, it turned out to be a particular for of T. australis. When growing in plains, these miniature tulips are returning to their previous size over a few years (however we advise to check this out). At the end we can add to the above list T. celsiana. Known as doubtful, this tiny species with a steady blooming is now only mentioned as a synonym of T. australis (T. alpestris). Nevertheless, even rather difficult to be distinguished from T. alpestris, its availability in dutch catalogues, guaranteeing of its steadiness, raise some question about its recent invalidation. |
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Plants
belonging to the Leiostemones section are far more numerous. Let’s begin by the very complex but so fascinating section including Neo-tulips. Recently introduced in our country (probably during the seventeenth century), this section is composed of eight taxons : T. aximensis (bright red flower), T. billietiana (yellow flower with a red edge), T. didieri (its red flower slightly remind lily tulips), T. marjolettii (yellow flower turning ivory with a red edge), T. mauriana (red flower with a yellow center), T. montisandrei (red), T. planifolia (red with a black centre) and T. plastystigma (lilac flower). Even if ten species really exist. Also, regarded as a temporary form, T. sarracenica (red flower) has recently been assimilated to T. planifolia. Once again, we should say that regularly available in dutch catalogues we can doubt of this theory and consider this species still valid. Beyond this, a non described species, with a very pleasant reddish flower with small and uncertain basal yellow blotch, widely black margined, is generally confused with T. mauriana which is however easily to identify by it red fleuron with huge yellow basal blotch very clean looking. We call it Tulipa sp. ‘Villarclément’. |
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Concerning
the « true » T. mauriana, described by Jordan in
1858, it has not been observed in the wild since the beginning of the
twentieth century but we still find it in some historical Botanic Gardens,
and also in some horticultural catalogues under the name of T. planifolia.
Why be simple… |
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Beyond
T. platystigma, native from the upper Alps, all these tulips
originate from Savoy. Like our traditional garden tulips, they belong
to the complex « T. gesneriana », a very variable species section, cultivated since time immemorial. These tulips are a true problem for most of the specialists. Are-they old cultivars which have run away from culture, gardens, or the result of natural hybridizing between these cultivars ? Nobody knows ! Whatever the answer is, these plants are now part of our national flora. At this title, they absolutely have to be protected. In spite of this, some botanists think that these sub-spontaneous plants are not of a real interest. From our point of view, we are wondering why they could not be considered with the status of historical plants. In fact, very few people are aware of their existence, except in Savoy where they are considered as part of the flora patrimony. They are represented in embroidery, drawings, and also on some paintings in church villages |
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Seven
species are already extinct in the wild. Fortunately, five of them are
still cultivated in Botanical Conservatories but also in Netherland’s,
or by some tulips lovers, closely concerned by their protection. Therefore
T. mauriana (under the name T. planifolia, T.
didieri, T. sarracenica, T. aximensis and T.
marjolettii are available through catalogues. Nevertheless we must
point out that only this last one is under a regular and large cultivation.
The two other ones, T. billietiana and T. planifolia, are only cultivated in the frame of conservatories managed by the National Alpine Botanical Conservatory. Regarding the three Neo-tulips species still existing in the wild T. platystigma, T. montisandrei and Villarclément tulip, they are still in a very worrying situation. But once again, ex-situ cultivation should allow enlarging left-over population, very often composed of only a few plants. |
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Prerogative
of the South of France, the Paleo-tulips group is composed of three
red flower plants : T. agenensis, T. raddii (formerly
T. praecox) and T. lortetii. This last one is sometimes
wrongly listed as a variant of T. agenensis. Its last station
is particularly vulnerable, and the few bulbs which have been lifted
for ex-situ cultivation are now under the responsibility of Botanical
Conservatories. Introduced in France 2000 years ago during the roman invasions, these species were very abundant until the sixties but now, year after year, these populations are becoming less and less important. If things do not change we are afraid that they will disappear in the next two or three decades. |
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Things
are getting worse with another factor and not the smallest : further
to cultivation next to horticultural varieties ill, some population
are showing discouraging symptoms of viruses attacks. The beautiful
T. raddii appears to be the most fragile. |
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Clusianae
group is solely represented by T. clusiana, also called “lady
tulip” by Anglo Saxon people, out of which many horticultural
varieties. Some very rare stations, very vulnerable, are subsisting
in South East. Some have been reported in the South West of France,
near the town of Toulouse, were the only existing station seems also
to be seriously endangered. |
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Most
of the tulips in France have an oriental origin (Asia Minor or South
West Asia, Caucasus). In spite of any hypothesis about their introduction,
man has certainly contributed to their introduction. Neo-tulips ancestors
were probably imported with Crocus sativus bulbs, formerly
cultivated in some regions in France The other species might have been introduced with grape-vine cargo, stuck or hidden between the roots. These species, like other ones, have benefited during centuries of grainlands which were the ideal frame to grow and perfect conditions for wide naturalizing. |
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Today,
even if most of wild tulips are protected (law dated January 20, 1982
and modified by law dated August 31, 1995) our tulips are threatened
to be extinct. In one hand, they suffer from they fantastic beauty and
are cut or dug out in a criminal way and, in the other hand, they are
suffering from new culture techniques using very dangerous herbicides
and are killed by deeper ploughing. |
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Other
problems arise with urbanization and can be considered as the direct
cause of the fact that some species are now missing. Regarding Neo-tulips
groups, the only one T. aximensis station disappeared from
its original site in 1974, further to housing construction. T. didieri
cannot be found anymore in Tarentaise since its site has been replaced
by an industrial zone, idem for T. billietiana in Centron.
In 1996, Robert Fritsch was reporting a unique plant in bloom (Bulletin
de la Société d’histoire naturelle de la Savoie,
nov. 1996). |
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As
already said some Conservatories are trying ex-situ cultivation
and re-introduction of some species. Unfortunately, adaptation to new
conditions is not so obvious, neither as simple as that : viruses are
appearing among some stocks (Neo-tulips in particular are very vulnerable),
and this is reducing the successful issue of this kind of operation.
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The
only parades truly efficient are the following : - to warrant an optimal cultivation to encourage vegetative reproduction, - a Thorough and daily watching of the cultivation ex-situ : chasing aphid, looking for symptoms like unusual stains or alterations on foliage, - if necessary, instantly destruction of any plant showing such symptoms but also destruction of all other ones sharing the same pot, - multiplication of the culture units’ ex-situ (far to be the case) and multiplication of the reintroduction stations, ensuring that plants re-introduced are totally healthy. |
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It
will be the price to pay, not to beat but to stop the viruses for a
while. Let’s hope that tenacity, good sense and love for these
plants will allow us to see soon blooming of these beautiful wild tulips
back in our countryside. |
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If
Botanical Conservatories are multiplying and re-introducing with a moderate
success french tulips, dutch growers, as already seen, are cultivating
since a long time species like T. aximensis, T. didieri
or T. sylvestris. |
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Production
of these stocks will never equal the one of horticultural varieties.
However, allowing tulip lovers to get easier some of these would directly
contribute in increasing the small number of existing plants. T. marjolettii case is a reference: missing since about 50 years from its natural habitat, it is now availalble in garden centers. Its future is no longer compromised. It is generally admitted that the protection of a species is directly related to the preservation of its natural habitat and it is true, of course! In spite of this, some urgent cases interfere with such principles. For instance, trade of french stocks through some dutch breeders or from their resellers, is an unexpected way for a garden open to biodiversity which also contributes to the conservation of species. |
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>
Laurent Lieser - Translation : Catherine Adam |
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Photos
: T. platystigma, T. celsiana, T. agenensis
& T. clusiana |
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