New Phylogenomic Study Redefines Tulip Taxonomy and Evolutionary History
A comprehensive phylogenomic study has provided new insights into the genus Tulipa, commonly known as tulips. The research, which involved analyzing 254 tulip plastomes representing approximately 86% of the genus's taxonomic diversity, confirms Tulipa as a monophyletic group. It also identifies Amana and Erythronium as sister genera to Tulipa. A significant finding is the proposal of a fifth subgenus, Eduardoregelia, which contains the single species Tulipa heterophylla. This species was previously tentatively included in the subgenus Orithyia but is now recognized as distinct due to morphological differences, such as its drooping flower. The study also reveals that many previously recognized sections within the subgenera Eriostemones and Tulipa are not monophyletic, leading to a recommendation to abandon the use of sections in the genus Tulipa altogether and instead recognize only subgenera. The research further suggests that the most recent common ancestor (MRCA) of tulips originated around 22.82 million...
