Kolpakovski’s Tulip
Status: VU. An endemic of the Northern Tien Shan with a decreasing population. An early-flowering tulip, distinguished by the beauty of its flower.
Description. The bulb is oval-shaped, up to 2 cm in diameter, covered with hard black-brown scales, with densely hairy inner scales at the top. The plant is low, ranging from 10 to 20 up to 35 cm in height, with a bare stem and peduncle. The flower is solitary, elegant, drooping in bud, up to 4 cm tall. The tepals are yellow and pointed; the outer ones are elongated-rhombic, with a greenish-purple hue on the back. The stamens are yellow, shorter than the tepals, with bare filaments that gradually narrow towards the top. The stem has 3 bluish leaves with wavy edges, up to 1.5 cm wide.
Biological features. It blooms in April-May. It reproduces by seeds. It is undemanding in cultivation. It develops well in rocky soils unsuitable for other plants.
Distribution in general and in the country. Northern Tien Shan (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan), Western China. In Kyrgyzstan - the Kyrgyz Range, Pre-Issyk-Kul area.
Habitat. The foothill plains and foothills on fine soil and gravelly soils. Population. It is noticeably decreasing in nature, and its range is narrowing.
Limiting factors. Plowing, cultivation of large areas. Mass collection of flowers, especially near populated areas.
Cultivation. Introduced in botanical gardens of Central Asia and Kazakhstan. It represents valuable breeding material. In nature, it easily hybridizes with Ostrovski’s Tulip. It forms interesting decorative forms.
Existing conservation measures. Included in the Red Book of the Kyrgyz SSR (1985).
Recommended conservation measures. Organization of botanical reserves in areas with the highest concentration of the species, prohibition of collection and sale of flowers and bulbs, grazing of livestock until seed formation.
Kolpakovski’s Tulip
Tulipa kolpakowskiana Regel
Status: VU. It is a North Tien Shan endemic species (Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan), in Kyrgyzstan it is distributed in the Alexander Mountain Range, Chui Valley, and Issyk-Kul Hollow. This plant is valuable for selection (introduced in botanical gardens in Middle Asia and Kazakhstan), an early-flowering (March - April) plant with beautiful blossoms. It makes interesting hybrids with Ostrovski’s Tulip in nature. It grows in silty and metal soils (where other plants grow weakly) in piedmonts and lowlands. Limiting factors: ploughing, excessive pasturage, and mass collection of flowers, especially around settlements. Creation of botanical wildlife areas in areas with concentrated populations, prohibition of flower and bulb collection, and prohibition of pasturage until seed formation are necessary for the preservation of the species.
