Ben Zonnenveld asked about the origin of garden tulips, in particular if they originate from one species. I can't give an expert opinion, but I can give some carefully considered speculation. When sixteenth-century Europeans became aware of tulips, the tulips they knew were evidently garden tulips, not wild tulips. The primary hybridizations (i.e. the species x species crosses) which led to garden tulips were presumably done in Turkey and may well have been inadvertent. When modern taxonomy was developed, a name was needed for tulips, and the name Tulipa gesneriana was widely used for them. But even in the old days, long before anyone had an inkling of twentieth century taxonomic concepts such as population genetics, this name was widely regarded as an artifice. A category was needed, and the category had to have a name. I don't think there has ever been doubt that this "Tulipa gesneriana" was a polyphyletic concept. The late nineteenth century and early twentieth century tulip experts also understood the significance of the so-called Neotulipae, and did not point to them as the source of garden tulips. I've often wondered if the old (reputedly eighteenth century) hybrid 'Keizerskroon' has Tulipa kaufmanniana or a related species somewhere in its background. The flower does not look like that of a typical kaufmanniana hybrid, but there is something about the bulb, the foliage and the general vigor under our conditions which makes me wonder. While we are on the topic of old garden tulips, is there a consensus on just what Clusius introduced to the Netherlands: were they bulbs or seeds? Please keep us posted on what your research turns up about garden tulips, Ben. Jim McKenney jimmckenney@jimmckenney.com Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, USDA zone 7 where it's been raining finally - just in time to soak the first flush of autumn crocus. My Virtual Maryland Garden http://www.jimmckenney.com/ BLOG! http://mcwort.blogspot.com/ Webmaster Potomac Valley Chapter, NARGS Editor PVC Bulletin http://www.pvcnargs.org/ Webmaster Potomac Lily Society http://www.potomaclilysociety.org/