Tulipa auliekolica Perezhogin

Tulipa auliekolica Perezhogin, Novosti Sist. Vyssh. Rast. 45: 145 (2014). Fig. 9 Type. Kazakhstan • Prov. Kostanay, Auliekol distr., 25 April 2009, Yu. Perezhogin s. n. (LE). General distribution. Endemic to Kazakhstan (Kubentayev et al. 2024). Distribution in Kazakhstan and habitat. Tobol-Ishim and Turgay. This species grows in cereal steppes on plains. Conservation status. The IUCN conservation status of this species requires assessment. Phenology. Flowering in April; fruiting expected from May to June. Notes. Tulipa auliekolica was first described in 2013 by Yu. V. Perezhogin from Kostanay region, Northern Kazakhstan. Morphologically, this species is similar to T. biflora but differs in its darker blackish-brown bulb tunics and yellow flower petals (Perezhogin 2013). The independence of this species raises doubts, as the known morphological characteristics are insufficient to assign the species rank. Additionally, T. biflora and T. auliekolica were placed in the same clade on the phylogenetic tree constructed using data from GenBank (Fig. 3). Accordingly, we consider it necessary to conduct phylogenetic and morphological studies to establish the taxonomic position of T. auliekolica in Tulipa genus. New localities of this species were established in Northern Kazakhstan during this study, according to herbarium collections of Yu. V. Perezhogin in the herbarium of the KSPI. Previously, the distribution of this species was only reported for two localities, including the type locality (15 km from the Karamendy turnoff) (Perezhogin 2013) and FR Turgay, north of the Akkuma sands (Perezhogin et al. 2015).