Tulipa pulchella

Tulipa pulchella (syn. Tulipa humilis Herb.) is a dwarf tulip native to Iran and Turkey. It has a bulb 1–2 cm diameter, which produces a flowering stem up to 20 cm tall. The leaves are glaucous-green, 10–15 cm long. The flowers are reddish-purple, with six tepals 3 cm long and 1.5 cm broad.

Tulipa pulchella
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
Order:	Liliales
Family:	Liliaceae
Genus:	Tulipa
Species:	T. pulchella
Binomial name
Tulipa pulchella Fenzl et Regel

Tulipa pulchella 'Persian Pearl'

Taxonomy

In horticulture often used synonymously with Tulipa humilis.

Cultivation

It was introduced to Europe in the early 19th century, where a small number of cultivars are grown as ornamental plants in gardens. It is one of the few species with a considerable number of cultivars. These include 'Persian Pearl' (purple inside, red outside), 'Eastern Star' (magenta with yellow base), and 'Obalisque' (red inside, purple out). Varieties include var. violacea (purple with black base).