Aegilops comosa
Aegilops comosa Sm.
Poaceae – Grass family
Conservation status. Critically Endangered [CR B2ac(ii,iii)].
Morphology and biology. Annual. Usually tufted plant, stems several, 15–40 cm high. Leaves 1–2 mm broad, linear-lanceolate, glabrous or sparsely hairy; lower sheath patent-villous, upper glabrous, slightly inflated. Inflorescence 1.5–3 cm (excluding awns) cylindrical spike, with 1–2 basal vestigial and 2–3 lateral normal spikelets, only top spikelet long-awned, the whole spike in fruit breaking off above the vestigial spikelet. Lateral spikelets narrowly oblanceolate, glumes 9–10 mm, scabrid or hispid, 2-dentate or sometimes with a short awn. Uppermost spikelet lanceolate or ovate, glumes gradually attenuate into 3 awns, the middle one 3–10 cm, longer and broader than the lateral awns. Lemmas of florets shortly bidentate or awned. Fruit compressed caryopsis with a ventral groove throughout its length. Fl. IV–V, fr. V–VI. Wind pollination. Reproduction by seeds.
Habitats and populations. On dry, sandy, grassy and rocky places. Forms small mosaic populations with restricted ranges.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Thracian Lowland (Besaparski Hills, around Perushtitsa town); ca. 200 m alt.
General distribution. Balkan Peninsula (Bulgaria, Greece), SW Asia (Asia Minor).
Threats. Habitat degradation (the locality is near to currently active stone-pit, land management of agricultural areas), limited distribution, low population density.
Conservation measures taken. For protection of the habitats of the species the Biological Diversity Act requires establishment of protected areas in accordance with the regulations of the Protected Areas Act. Some localities are in sites of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Studies of the number of individuals and size of population; habitats protection; deposition of seeds in the National Seed Genebank in Bulgaria.
References. Tutin & Humphries 1980; Davis 1985; Delipavlov 2003.
Author: Ana Petrova
