Gagea spathacea

Gagea spathacea is a bulbous perennial plant, usually 15 to 20 cm, up to 25 cm high. The two bulbs are inequal, ovoid, 10 to 18 mm long, 6 to 10 mm wide, and they are wrapped in a coriaceus bright-brown common tunic. Up to 54 small lateral bulbils Gagea minima differs from Gagea spathacea by its unique, basal non-fistular leaf, and by its spathe-shape. ==Taxonomy==

Among the subdivision of the genus Gagea into at least 14 sectional units, the section Spathaceae Levichev comprises a sole species, G. spathacea. Friedrich Gottlob Hayne first described this species in 1797, and named it Ornithogalum spathaceum. The plant that allowed this first description came from a hardwood, named "Hindschenfelder", located at one mile of Hamburg. ==Biology==

Gagea spathacea reproduces by vegetative propagation. The plant invests more resources into creating bulbils rather than increasing the size of the main bulb, and that reduces the possibility of flowering. Even when the plant flowers, the inflorescence only attracted 6.1% of nitrogen, against 18.3% for the bulbils: Moreover, only 16.3 ± 22.8% of the pollen grains are viable. The number of pollen grains per anther seems to be smaller, grains are often malformed and stick together. Many populations don't develop seeds. Although no publication attests to sexual reproduction, it can not be totally excluded, since some grains pollen are viable. Finally, parthenogenesis or outcrossing with other gageas are possible, especially as the hybridization is observed in the genus, however, not with Gagea spathacea as parent. A study of the European populations shows the exclusivity of vegetative reproduction. 138 samples from 52 populations covering most of the species’ distribution range: Netherlands (2), Belgium (1), Sweden (4), Italy (2), Russia (2) and Germany (41). 136 of 138 samples were assigned to a single clone, the two deviating plants originated from one German population and from the Caucasus. This might be explained by either the high ploidy level (nonaploidy : 9x=108) A short dispersal of bulbils may be only explained by translocation of substrate through tree falls, through digging or wallowing activities of animals. For larger dispersal distances, a transport with water streams is possible. ==Disease==

Gagea spathacea may be infected by the smut fungus Vankya ornithogali (J.C. Schmidt & Kunze) Ershad. ==Distribution and habitat==

This perennial bulb plant is distributed across northern, central, and eastern Europe. It is most common in northern Germany and adjacent regions (southern Scandinavia, Poland). Large proportions of the world populations of G. spathacea are located in Germany (and especially in the federal state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania). It is more rare in the western and southern parts of the continent. It has been reported from Denmark, Sweden, France, most of Central Europe, the former Yugoslavia, Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia including the northern Caucasus. ==Bibliography==