Kew Scientist / April 1998: Issue 13
Snowdrops & Snowflakes
The rarely cultived Galanthus ikariae, from the Aegean Islands, flowered at the end of January, rather than the usual late February. The plants were found in Kew's Arboretum and transfered to the Rock Garden in 1995. Several species of snowdrop emerged 2-3 weeks earlier than expected due to the mild weather conditions.
Kew's living collections of snowdrops and snowflakes (Galanthus and Leucojum) are being increased to provide material for several research projects. Dr Aaron Davis has used the collections for morphological and molecular investigations as part of a revision of Galanthus, to be published as a Curtis's Botanical Magazine Monograph this year. In a larger project on Amaryllidaceae, the molecular phylogenetics of both genera are being studied by Dr Mike Fay and co-workers. Based on ITS sequence data, Leucojum falls into groups corresponding to the subgenera Acis, Ruminia, Aerosperma and Leucojum. Galanthus shows a high level of sequence divergence and requires further study.
Richard Wilford is overhauling the living Galanthus collections and plant labels are being updated in accordance with recent taxonomic work. Of the 18 recognised species, 14 are grown at Kew. These range from the autumn-flowering G. reginae-olgae and the widely grown G. nivalis, to the less commonly seen G. gracilis from Turkey and the Balkans, one of several species threatened in the wild due to over-collection. Included in the new plantings are some of the more distinct examples of the 600 plus Galanthus cultivars. These are presently receiving a revival of interest not seen since the showdrop mania of the late 19th Century.
Contact: Richard Wilford (0181-332 5961) or Dr Aaron Davis (0181-332 5285)
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