The Danube is not a border for geophytes: Ornithogalum refractum (Asparagaceae) discovered in Slovakia
Journal: Biologia
Year: 2026

Abstract Current number of species of Ornithogalum s. lat. in Slovakia is eight. We here report the discovery of a ninth species, Ornithogalum refractum Kit. ex. Willd. The species was first discovered in the vicinity of Štúrovo town in southern Slovakia in April 2023. We used a multi-method biosystematic approach to demonstrate its difference from morphologically similar species O. divergens Boreau. Flow cytometry and chromosome counting revealed that pentaploids and hexaploids of O. refractum