Galanthus panjutinii -who knew?

[Alan_b]

Reading Evolution Plants' 'Snowdrops and Hellebores 2012' I came across a reference to a new Galanthus species 'panjutinii' that I had never heard of before.  Does anyone know more than the information given in the reference below?

http://www.mapress.com/phytotaxa/content/2012/f/p00050p063f.pdf

[Maggi Young]

Dimitry Zubov, who described this species with Aaron Davies, is a Forumist, Alan, so I expect he can tell us more.  I'll drop him a line.
 Olga Bondareva also found the plant, as mentioned in the paper.

[evolutionplantsman]

I have a pdf of the paper describing the species (Phytotaxa 50: 55–63), which I'll happily email to anyone who wants it. Send me a PM. The species is closely related to G. platyphyllus and G. krasnovii but is said to be distinct enough to warrant a name...

[emma T]

I have a Russian friend on Facebook who grows it and also has a nice yellowish form. She said they were buliding the winter olympics site on a place were she found her plants   

[Maggi Young]

I have a Russian friend on Facebook who grows it and also has a nice yellowish form. She said they were buliding the winter olympics site on a place were she found her plants   

 Bad news for its habitat - but it shows it must be good and hardy to grow in a place suitable for the winter olympics.   Not much of a comfort!
 

[Natalia]

Colleagues!
It really grows in the area of carrying out Olympic Games. However there is a population located in other place which absolutely not hasn't been mentioned by building:)
If I am not mistaken - the snowdrop was found by Panyjushin and  was originally called - Galanthus valentinae...

[Oakwood]

Please, find here the differencies, that aren't only on morphological level, but also on nrDNA level:

Galanthus  panjutinii differs from  G. krasnovii in the following characters: leaves narrowly oblong to
narrowly oblong-oblanceolate (vs. leaves narrowly-oblanceolate to oblanceolate, or oblanceolate-spathulate);
inner perianth segments obovate (vs. oblanceolate); apex of each inner perianth segment bluntly rounded,
with a barely noticeable uncharacteristic notch (or notch rarely absent) and with margins flat (vs. apex more or
less acute, entire (i.e. lacking a notch), and margin undulate); base of each inner perianth segment with a
diffuse greenish basal mark (vs. basal mark absent or greenish in the middle of segment). Galanthus panjutinii
is restricted to the Tuapse-Adler region of southwestern Russia and nearby sites in northwestern Abkhazia,
near Gagra, whereas G. krasnovii is found in Abkhazia (where it is apparently rare), Ajaria (Adzharia) in
southwestern Georgia and the Artvin Province of northeastern Turkey.

Galanthus panjutinii differs from G. platyphyllus in the following: narrowly oblong to narrowly oblong-oblanceolate leaves (vs. leaves narrowly-oblanceolate to oblanceolate); each anther tapering to a distinct
apiculum (vs. anther apex blunt, without an apiculum); flowers narrowly pyriform (elongated pear-shaped) at
the beginning of flowering (vs. ovoid (more or less egg-shaped)); leaf apex revolute (vs. straight). Galanthus
platyphyllus occurs in the Greater Caucasus (Central Caucasus, Western and Central Transcaucasia, eastwards
from Abkhazia to central Georgia and the republic of North Ossetia-Alania in southwestern Russia.

The plant pics made in my garden.

[Oakwood]

G. platyphyllus pics from my garden for comparing....

[Oakwood]

G. krasnovii pics from my garden for comparing....

[Maggi Young]

Dima, many thanks for this crucial information.  Wonderful to have this chance to hear from you on the subject. 

[Brian Ellis]

Thanks Dima, that is most interesting.  The Galanthus  panjutinii pictures 2 and 3 are amazing.

[Oakwood]

Dima, many thanks for this crucial information.  Wonderful to have this chance to hear from you on the subject.

Maggi - you're always welcome!  About Sakhalin BG visiting - any information from me, sorry, may be we could also ask to Moscow  Natalia here above.

[Maggi Young]

From this Kew Press release in December.....http://www.kew.org/about-kew/press-media/press-releases-kew/new-discoveries-2012.htm

                Press releases - Kew

"From Russia with Love: New Russian snowdrop leads 2012 Kew discoveries
20 Dec 2012

A new species of snowdrop from Russia and a healthy, new chemical compound found in coffee leaves are among some of the discoveries made by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and its partners in 2012.

Following in the footsteps of their famous botanical predecessors, such as Sir Joseph Banks, Sir Joseph Hooker, and Charles Darwin, botanists at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew continue to explore and study the world’s plant diversity, making astonishing discoveries every year. Their work involves a combination of fieldwork in remote and exotic parts of the world, research in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew’s Herbarium, and a vast scientific collection of over seven million dried plants specimens perhaps the largest of its kind in the world.

David Simpson, Acting Head of the Herbarium, Library, Art and Archives, says, “To most people it is surprising that scientists are still discovering new species of plants and fungi. In fact, we think there are many more still to be found.

“Each year, Kew’s scientists make a very significant contribution to the discovery and description of new species. These discoveries are not just limited to our work in the field. In our laboratories, scientists are delving deeper in order to further our understanding of these new species and how they are related to species that are already known.”

 

The White Russian
A new species of snowdrop, endemic to the alpine meadows of a mountain ridge in south-west Russia, has been described and named by Dimitri Zubov and Kew’s Aaron Davis. Named Galanthus panjutinii (Panjutin’s snowdrop), the snowdrop was spotted by Dimitri as it looked unlike any other growing in that region of the Caucasus Mountains. It was determined to be a new species and named in honour of the climber and naturalist Platon Sergeevich Panjutin, who was known for his love for and collections of the flora of the Caucasus Mountains. The species is classed as endangered, as it grows in only five known locations.  "

[kentish_lass]

Wow....great photos Dimitri and what a fantastic discovery.  It's incredible that new species are still being found.