In 2009, Dr Ben Zonneveld conducted research on the genome size of wild tulips. For that research, more than 400 wild tulips from Europe and Asia were obtained. One of the species discovered in the study was T. lemmersii from the Mashad pass in Kazakhstan, found by J. de Groot, A. Peterse and B. Zonneveld. It is named after Mr W. Lemmers, an eminent connoisseur of tulips in the wild. Soft yellow flowers with a pinkish-red blush on the outside.