''Prospero hierapytnense'' is an

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

of the family

Asparagaceae Asparagaceae (), known as the asparagus family, is a family of flowering plants, placed in the order Asparagales of the monocots. The family name is based on the edible garden asparagus, '' Asparagus officinalis''. This family includes both ...

, subfamily

Scilloideae Scilloideae (named after the genus ''Scilla'', "squill") is a subfamily of bulbous plants within the family ''Asparagaceae''. Scilloideae is sometimes treated as a separate family Hyacinthaceae, named after the genus ''Hyacinth (plant), Hyacinthus ...

that is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

Crete Crete ( ; , Modern Greek, Modern: , Ancient Greek, Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the List of islands by area, 88th largest island in the world and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fifth la ...

, Greece. This autumn-flowering plant produces nodding rosy-pink blooms on slender stems that emerge after its grass-like leaves appear. First collected in 1981 from the Kavousi Gorge in eastern Crete at elevations of 100–230 metres, it was formally recognized as a distinct species in 2000 and is distinct among its relatives for its unique

chromosome A chromosome is a package of DNA containing part or all of the genetic material of an organism. In most chromosomes, the very long thin DNA fibers are coated with nucleosome-forming packaging proteins; in eukaryotic cells, the most import ...

count.

Description

''Prospero hierapytnense'' arises from a small, ovoid underground

bulb In botany, a bulb is a short underground stem with fleshy leaves or leaf basesBell, A.D. 1997. ''Plant form: an illustrated guide to flowering plant morphology''. Oxford University Press, Oxford, U.K. that function as food storage organs duri ...

1.5–2 cm long and 0.9–2 cm wide, its flesh pale pink to white and enclosed in a brown papery . From the base emerge branched roots and, in autumn before flowering, six to nine narrow, grass-like leaves up to 10–12 cm long and 1–2 mm wide. When in bloom, one or two leafless flowering stems () 7–15 cm tall and about 1.2–1.5 mm thick carry between six and fourteen nodding flowers. Each flower has six rosy-pink segments (the combined and ) measuring 5.5–6.5 mm by 2–2.5 mm. The bear lance-shaped ( filaments 3–4 mm long, each arising from a white base. The ovoid is violet-tinged, about 2 mm long and 1.6 mm wide, topped by a 1.5–1.8 mm in length. After

fertilisation Fertilisation or fertilization (see spelling differences), also known as generative fertilisation, syngamy and impregnation, is the fusion of gametes to give rise to a zygote and initiate its development into a new individual organism or of ...

the plant produces a spherical seed capsule about 3 mm in diameter that contains black seeds roughly 1.6 mm long and 1.2 mm wide.

Chromosome A chromosome is a package of DNA containing part or all of the genetic material of an organism. In most chromosomes, the very long thin DNA fibers are coated with nucleosome-forming packaging proteins; in eukaryotic cells, the most import ...

analysis indicates a diploid count of 2''n''=26.

Taxonomy

''Prospero hierapytnense'' belongs to the family

and is one of several autumn-flowering bulbous species placed in the genus ''

Prospero Prospero ( ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of William Shakespeare's ''The Tempest''. Character Twelve years before the play begins, Prospero is usurped from his position as the rightful Duke of Milan by his brother Antonio, ...

'', which was split from ''

Scilla ''Scilla'' () is a genus of about 30 to 80 species of bulb-forming perennial plant, perennial herbaceous plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. Sometimes called the squills in English, they are native to woodlands, subalpine ...

'' after detailed studies showed consistent distinctions in floral and bulb anatomy as well as chromosome numbers. It was formally described by the Austrian botanist

Franz Speta Franz Speta (22 December 1941 – 5 December 2015) was an Austrian botanist. He specialized in bulbous plants, especially the Hyacinthaceae. Career Speta worked as an apprentice for a clerk. He then studied at the University of Vienna in the De ...

in 2000 based on populations from Crete that differed from other ''Prospero species'' in bulb size, tunic colour and root branching, and was distinct for its comparatively high diploid chromosome count of 2''n''=26. The

holotype A holotype (Latin: ''holotypus'') is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of s ...

was collected on 21 May 1981 from the Kavousi Gorge at 100–230 m elevation in eastern Crete and is preserved at the Biologiezentrum Linz herbarium.

References

{{Taxonbar , from1=Q15502379 , from2=Q93293709 Scilloideae Endemic flora of Crete Plants described in 2000