Anthemis orbelica
Anthemis orbelica Pančić
Anthemis thracica var. orbelica (Pančić) Stoj. & Acht.
Asteraceae – Daisy family
Conservation status. Endangered [EN B1ab(ii,iii,iv,v)+2ab(ii); C2a(i)]. IUCN(R), BDA. Bulgarian endemic.
Morphology and biology. Herbaceous biennial. Stem 30–80 cm high, sparsely hairy to subglabrous. Leaves up to 8 cm long, 1–2-pinnatisect, segments narrowly linear. Capitula semi-globose, solitary, terminal, disk 10–11 mm in diameter. Involucral bracts yellowish green, ovate-lanceolate, glabrous, with narrow pale brown, somewhat dentate, scarious margin. Receptacular scales acuminate, glabrous, with a pale apex. Ligules white, 10–12 mm long; tubular florets yellow. Achenes obpyramidal, with an acute rim. Fl. VI−VII, fr. VII−IX. Wind and insect pollination. Reproduction by seeds.
Habitats and populations. Grows in rocky and grassy places. Population is strongly fragmented; fragments are spatially isolated from each other, comprising solitary individuals or small groups of plants.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Balkan Range (above Sopot), Pirin Mts (valley of Razslankovitsa river), Rila Mts (above Rila town, Dobro Pole and Marina Vapa localities, Rila Monastery, by Drushlyavitsa river, Suhoto Ezero Lake, above Kirilova Polyana locality, Yosifitsa peak, Kostenetski Balkan), Sredna Gora Mts (Ihtiman), Rhodopi Mts (Velingrad, Kamenishtka Mt, Dryanovo village, Cherna River); up to 2000 m alt.
General distribution. Bulgaria.
Threats. Soil erosion; very limited distribution and small population sizes.
Conservation measures taken. Protected species by the Biodiversity Act. Included in 1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants as ‘rare.’ Most populations are in protected areas (Rila, Pirin and Central Balkan National Parks; Centralen Rilski Strict Nature Reserve; Rilski Manastir Nature Park) and in sites of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Studies on the species reproductive biology and the factors affecting population size, and based on these results, adaptation of the conservation measures; collection of seeds for the National Seed Genebank in Bulgaria.
References. Fernandes 1976; Thin 1980; Kuzmanov 1984a, b; Walters & Gillet 1998; Bondev 2006.
Author: Lyuba Evstatieva
