Anchusa stylosa
Anchusa stylosa M. Bieb.
Boraginaceae – Borage family
Conservation status. Critically Endangered [CR A1a; B1ab(ii,iii)].
Morphology and biology. Annual with tapering root. Stems 10–40 cm, sparingly branched. Leaves lanceolate to elliptical-lanceolate, entire or irregularly dentate, rigidly setose. Flowers in a terminal, short inflorescence. Calyx 6–8 mm long. Corolla violet blue. Style ca. 2–3 times as long as the calyx. Nutlets 4, grey. Fl. V–VI, fr. VI–VIII. Insect pollination. Reproduction by seeds and vegetative means.
Habitats and populations. Occurs in dry, stony, open grasslands both on limestone and silicate, often as a weed in cultivated fields and field stubbles. Populations are with good density and number of individuals. Participates in herbaceous communities together with Poa bulbosa, Festuca valesiaca, Koeleria brevis, Astragalus ononbrychis, etc. In the valley of Struma river participates in formations of Juniperus excelsa.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Black Sea coast (northern – Balchik, Yailata locality near Kamen Bryag village, Chirakman locality near Kavarna and Bozhurets village, southern – Burgas), NE Bulgaria, Danubian Plain (Nikopol), Znepole Region (between Zemen and Choklyovo village), valley of Struma River (northern – Dolna Dikanya village, southern – Kresna pass, Kozhuha and Rupite localities), Thracian Lowland (Besaparski Hills – Novo Selo village, Dzhendem tepe and Ostrova locality in Plovdiv), Toundzha hilly country (Yambolski Bakadzhik hill, Nova Zagora, Ovcharitsa dam, near Kameno railway station, Burgas district; between Shtit and Matochina villages, Svilengrad region); in the belt of xerothermic oak forests from 0 up to 300 m alt.
General distribution. SE Europe and Asia Minor.
Threats. Anthropogenic: building of hotels, golf playgrounds, highways, and roads through most of the species localities.
Conservation measures taken. Some of the localities are within the borders of protected areas (Kaliakra and Tisata Strict Nature Reserves, Yailata and Ognyanovo-Sinitevski Rid Protected Sites, Mladezki Halm Nature Monument), as well as in sites of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Protection of the existing field stubbles; restriction of construction activities along the Black Sea Coast; termination of the exploitation of the marbel quarry at Besaparski Hills.
References. Stojanov et al. 1967; Vihodcevski 1987; Kozhuharov 1989; Gussev & Dimitrov 1995.
Author: Dimitar Dimitrov
