Bassia hirsuta
Bassia hirsuta (L.) Asch.
Chenopodiaceae – Goosefoot family
Conservation status. Endangered [EN C2a(i)]. BDA.
Morphology and biology. Annual, glaucous to greenish glaucous, pubescent plant. Stems 10–50 cm high, ascending, branched. Leaves alternate, sessile, linear, fleshy. Flowers hermaphrodite or female, in 2–3-flowered head-shaped, sessile, axillary groups. Perianth 5-lobed, tubular, 2–2.5 mm wide, with dorsal appendages. Seeds small, black, smooth. Fl. VII–VIII, fr. VIII–IX. Reproduction by seeds.
Habitats and populations. Occurs on saline sands and clay soils along the Black Sea coast and the shores of saline lakes at the Black Sea coast, rarely on rocks facing the sea (Primorsko). Populations consist of 20–100 individuals on an area of 50–300 m2.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Black Sea coast (from Durankulak village to Primorsko).
General distribution. S Europe, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Russia, Caucasus, Siberia, Sinai.
Threats. Destruction of the habitats by intensive building of tourist facilities; disturbance of the ecological equilibrium of the coastal ecosystems and direct destruction of plants by the tourist flow; use of unregulated areas with species occurrences for sunbathing; restricted area and number of individuals of the populations; annual fluctuation in seed production and number of plants.
Conservation measures taken. The species is protected by the Biological Diversity Act. Two of the localities are within protected areas (Atanasovsko Ezero Managed Nature Reserve, Durankulak Nature Monument, which are protected by the Ramsar Convention). Some localities are within sites of the European Ecological Network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Strict control on the construction activities for the application of the environmental legislation; monitoring of the state of populations and their habitats.
References. Jordanov & Kuzmanov 1966.
Author: Milka Stoeva
