Alkanna tinctoria
Alkanna tinctoria (L.) Tausch
Boraginaceae – Borage family
Conservation status. Endangered [EN B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)+2ab(ii,iii,iv)]. BDA.
Morphology and biology. Herbaceous, setose-hispid perennial, with a woody stock. Stems few to several, (5)10–25(35) cm, with a leaf-rosette at base. Rosette leaves 2–5 cm × 2–4 mm, linear-elliptic to linear-lanceolate, narrowed at base; lower cauline leaves similar to basal; upper leaves elliptic-lanceolate or lanceolate, sessile. Inflorescence a terminal cyme. Calyx lobed almost to the base. Corolla glabrous outside, blue, limb bell-shaped, 6–7(8) mm in diameter. Nutlets c. 3 mm in diameter, irregularly reticulate-tuberculate. Fl. III–IV, fr. IV–VI. Insect and wind pollination. Reproduction by seeds.
Habitats and populations. Grows in dry, sunny grasslands in the lowlands. Population is strongly fragmented and isolated from each other; fragments comprising scattered solitary individuals or small groups of plants.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Danubian Plain, valley of Struma River, Pirin Mts, Rhodopi Mts, Thracian Lowland, Tundzha Hilly Country, Strandzha Mts; up to 600 m alt.
General distribution. S and C Europe, Mediterranean area, Caucasus, SW Asia (Asia Minor).
Threats. Limited distribution; small populations; erosion; collecting for medicinal use; grazing and trampling by livestock.
Conservation measures taken. Protected species by the Biodiversity Act. Some localities are within sites of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Study on the species reproductive biology; experimental work for ex situ and in situ cultivation; research into the factors affecting population size and based on the results, adaptation of the conservation measures; collection of seeds for the National Seed Genebank in Bulgaria.
References. Kožuharov 1989; Genova et al. 1997; Petrova et al. 2004.
Author: Lyuba Evstatieva
