Herbaceous non-climbing bulbous plants. Bulbs consisting of a single scale. Anthers pseudo-basifixed. fruit consists of a loculicidalcapsule, seeds not winged. Tetrasporicembryo-sac formation with 7–8 nuclei. Nucella having a short base. Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae (VAM) non-Clintonia type. Chromosomes large - 2–11 μm (1–6 μm in Gagea). Genome size (3)4–25(70) pg, x = (9)12. Polyploidy common.[2]
Taxonomy
Tulipeae remained a core group of the Liliaceae, containing the type genus, Lilium for most of its taxonomic history. For instance, Bentham and Hooker (1883),[3] placed Lilium together with Tulipa and five other genera in Liliaceae tribe Tulipeae.
In the modern era, Takhtadzhi︠an described the tribe as having four genera:[4]
Later only Tulipa and Erythronium were included, and Gagea was added. Tulipeae has been variously constructed, chiefly as either a tribe of the subfamily Lilioideae,[5] or a subfamily of Liliaceae itself (Tulipoideae).[6] However it has been proposed that Gagea should be in its own tribe, the Lloydieae.[7]
The evolutionary and phylogenetic relationships of Tulipeae within Liliaceae are shown in the following Cladogram.
Phylogenetic tree reflecting relationships based on molecular phylogenetic evidence. *=Liliaceae sensu Tamura; EA=Eurasia NA=North America
Here, Tulipeae is shown as a clade within the broader construction of Lileae (sensu lato), or as a separate biogeographical tribe if the narrow sense of Lileae (sensu stricto) is adopted, with Lileae and Tulipeae as sister groups. The continuing use of Tulipeae as a separate tribe is supported by several authors.[7][2]
Bentham, G.; Hooker, J.D. (1862–1883). "Tulipeae". Genera plantarum ad exemplaria imprimis in herbariis kewensibus servata definita (in Latin). Vol. 3. London: L Reeve & Co. pp. 759–760.
Brands, S.J., ed. (25 April 2017). "Tribe Tulipeae". Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
Duby, Jean Étienne (April 1828). "Tulipaceae". Botanicon Gallicum; seu, Synopsis plantarum in flora Gallica descriptarum 2 vols. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). pp. 461–463.
F. Buxbaum (1937), "Die Entwicklungslinien der Lilioideae. II. Die systematische Stellung der gattung Gagea", Botanisches Archiv (in German), vol. 38, pp. 305ff
Peruzzi, L. (11 January 2016). "A new infrafamilial taxonomic setting for Liliaceae, with a key to genera and tribes". Plant Biosystems. 150 (6): 1341–1347. doi:10.1080/11263504.2015.1115435. S2CID88042387.