Gagea sect. Plecostigma (Turcz.) Pascher

Zarrei, Mehdi, Wilkin, Paul, Ingrouille, Martin J. & Chase, And Mark W., 2011, A revised infrageneric classification for Gagea Salisb. (Tulipeae; Liliaceae): insights from DNA sequence and morphological data, Phytotaxa 15, pp. 44-56 : 47

Gagea sect. Plecostigma (Turcz.) Pascher

Both Pascher (1904, 1907) and Levichev (2006) accepted Gagea sect. Plecostigma . However, the species they included in this section were different. For example, G. afghanica Terracciano (1904: 3) and G. olgae Regel (1875: 292) were placed under G. sect. Platyspermum by Pascher (1907) and subsequently by Uphof (1958 – 1960), whereas Levichev (2006) believed these three species should be classified under G. sect. Plecostigma . Molecular analysis of Zarrei et al. (2009) and Peterson et al. (2008) confirmed Levichev's treatment of the section. Moreover, based on molecular data ( Zarrei et al. 2009) G. wendelboi Rechinger (1986: 291) , G. exilis Vvedensky (1946: 236) and G. chlorantha (M.Bieb.) Schultes & Schultes (1829: 551) should be transferred to G. sect. Plecostigma .

Palynomorphological data also support Levichev's treatment of the section because all members of the section have a foveolate or perforate pollen type and similar basal leaf transverse sections ( Zarrei & Zarre 2005). The possession of a cymose inflorescence and fibrous-papery tunic are synapomorphies for this section.