Gagea, Salisbury, 1806

Zarrei, Mehdi, Wilkin, Paul & Chase, Mark W., 2011, Gagea Salisb. (Liliaceae) in Iran: an updated species checklist, Phytotaxa 15, pp. 33-43 : 34-36

Diagnostic key to the representative species of Gagea in Iran

A diagnostic key is presented below based on morphological characters. However, in several cases the outline of transverse sections of the radical leaves has been utilized for better separation of species in the relevant couplets of the key.

1a. Radical leaf flattened or grass-like, triquetrous in transverse section outline .............................................................. 2

1b. Radical leaf terete, semicircular, circular, sinuate, or pentagonal in transverse section ............................................... 7

2a. Tunics leathery, dark in color; tepals acute to obtuse at the tip..................................................................................... 3

2b. Tunics fibrous to reticulate, grey in color; tepals long-acuminate at the tip ................................................................. 6

3a. Tepals 5–8 mm long; inflorescence branches flexuous-geniculate ....................................................... G. dschungarica

3b. Tepals 9–15(–18) mm long; inflorescence branches not flexuous-geniculate .............................................................. 4

4a. Radical leaves 2–4 mm broad; pedicels hairy ................................................................................................. G. chanae

4b. Radical leaves more than 4 mm broad, rarely narrower; pedicels glabrous ................................................................. 5

5a. Radical leaves hooded at the apex, abruptly narrowing into a narrow tip; plant of open woods and scrublands; usually growing in shade; radical leaf and bracts glaucous............................................................................................ G. lutea

5b. Radical leaves not hooded, gradually tapering towards apex; plant of open alpine habitats, usually growing near melting snow; radical and cauline leaves dark green in colour ........................................................................... G. confusa

6a. Peduncles 1–1.5 cm long, inserted to pedicels at soil level, longest pedicels always longer than the peduncle, restricted to northeastern Iran......................................................................................................................... G. vegeta

6b. Peduncles 4–8 cm long, inserted on stem above soil level, pedicels all shorter than the peduncle, restricted to northwestern Iran.............................................................................................................................................. G. commutata

7a. Bulbils present in axils of cauline leaves and bracts ..................................................................................................... 8

7b. Bulbils absent (from axils of cauline leaves and bracts)............................................................................................. 12

8a. Bulbils present in axils of lower cauline leaves, bracts without bulbils........................................................................ 9

8b. Bulbils present in axils of lower cauline leaves as well as of bracts............................................................................ 10

9a. Inflorescence umbel-like; tepals (9–)12–15(18) mm long; radical leaves 1–3 mm broad, linear.................... G. villosa

9b. Inflorescence cymose; tepals 6–7 mm long; radical leaves 0.4–0.6 mm broad, filiform ................................ G. tenera

10a. Bulbils in clusters in the axils of cauline leaves and bracts; tepals 4–7 mm; radical leaf usually absent ..................... .................................................................................................................................................................. G. gageoides

10b. Bulbils solitary in the axils of cauline leaves and bracts; tepals longer than 10 mm; radical leaf usually present ....... ................................................................................................................................................................................... 11

11a. Inflorescence umbel-like; cauline leaves whorled and bracteate; tepal apices acuminate .............................. G. bergii

11b. Inflorescence cymose; cauline leaves alternate; tepal apices acute ........................................................... G. bulbifera

12a. Radical leaf hollow, fistulous .................................................................................................................................... 13

12b. Radical leaf terete, semicircular, circular or pentagonal in transverse section ......................................................... 14

13a. Inflorescence cymose ............................................................................................................................ G. chomutovae

13b. Inflorescence umbel-like ............................................................................................................................ G. fragifera

14a. Tepal apices long-acuminate ..................................................................................................................................... 15

14b. Tepal apices obtuse or acute....................................................................................................................................... 21

15a. Inflorescence compound and umbel-like ................................................................................................... G. calcicola

15b. Inflorescence simple and umbel-like ........................................................................................................................ 16

16a. Bulb tunic with distinct, elongate neck (> 20 mm) ................................................................................................... 17

16b. Bulb tunic with short, indistinct neck (<20 mm) ..................................................................................................... 18

17a. Radical leaf indumentum puberulent, bulbs solitary ..................................................................................... G. robusta

17b. Radical leaf glabrous or with scabrid indumentum, bulbs clustered, rarely solitary ..................................................... ............................................................................................................................ G. reticulata (including G. tenuifolia )

18a. Radical leaf indumentum puberulent .................................................................................................... G. graminifolia

18b. Radical leaf glabrous or with scabrid indumentum................................................................................................... 19

19a. Tunic with short neck (up to 15 mm) ........................................................................................................... G. setifolia

19b. Tunic with no neck .................................................................................................................................................... 20

20a. Style to 6 mm long; base of peduncle usually yellow, plant of sandy areas ............................................. G. anonyma

20b. Style more than 6 mm long; base of peduncle usually not yellow, plant of wet areas................................................... ................................................................................................................ G. alexeenkoana (including G. caroli -kochii)

21a. Bulb tunic leathery, dark in color; bulbils present under tunics ............................................................................... 22

21b. Bulb tunic fibrous to fibrous-reticulate, grey in color; bulbils absent ...................................................................... 25

22a. Inflorescence umbel-like; pedicels often covered with long villous hairs (hairs longer than 1.0 mm) ........................ ................................................................................................................................................................................... 23

22b. Inflorescence cymose; pedicels glabrous or covered with hairs <1.0 mm long....................................................... 24

23a. Cord-like roots entwining bulbs ....................................................................................................................... G. dubia

23b. Cord-like roots absent .................................................................................................................................... G. villosa

24a. Lower cauline leaves broadly lanceolate, flattened, differentiated from radical leaves in shape and width ................. ........................................................................................................................................................................ G. tenera

24b. Lower cauline leaves filiform or narrowly lanceolate, not differentiated from the radical leaves ................................ ............................................................................................................................................................. G. kunawurensis

25a. Inflorescence 1(–3)-flowered; tepals apically purple; plants of high elevations (above 2500 m) ................................ .................................................................................................................................................................... G. uliginosa

25b. Inflorescence multi-flowered; tepals lacking purple apices, plants of lower elevations (less the 2000 m, except G. exilis ).......................................................................................................................................................................... 26

26a. Ovary pyriform, with a conspicuous stipe at the base............................................................................................... 27 26b. Ovary ovoid, without a distinct stipe ........................................................................................................................ 29

27a. Tepals 5–7 mm long ......................................................................................................................................... G. exilis 27b. Tepals 10–15 mm long .............................................................................................................................................. 28

28a. Plant 3–8 cm tall....................................................................................................................................... G. wendelboi 28b. Plant 10–20 cm tall........................................................................................................................................ G. iranica

29a. Bulbs not entwining with cord-like roots, tunics not separating into fibres............................................ G. chlorantha 29b. Bulbs entwining with cord-like roots, tunics readily separating into fibres ............................................................. 30

30a. Tepals 9–12 mm long ................................................................................................................................ G. afghanica 30b. Tepals 6–9 mm long ......................................................................................................................................... G. olgae