Campanula latifolia
Campanula latifolia L.
Campanulaceae – Bellflower family
Conservation status. Endangered [EN B1ab(ii,iii); C2a(i)]. BDA.
Morphology and biology. Perennial herb. Stem up to 150 cm tall. Leaves 7–18 cm long, ovate, serrate, glabrous or hairy on the veins; basal cordate, long-petiolate; cauline short-petiolate to subsessile. Inflorescence racemose, terminal; corolla infundibuliform-campanulate, large, dark to pale blue, rarely white. Capsule coriaceous. Fl. VII–VIII, fr. VIII–IX. Insect pollinated. Reproduction by seeds.
Habitats and populations. Grows in shady and moist places in mixed deciduous forests, on brown forest soil. Populations are small.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Balkan Range (western – Chiprovska Mt.; central – very limited distribution area ranging from Etropolska Mt to Kaloferska Mt eastwards); from 1200 to 1600 m alt.
General distribution. Europe (absent from the northernmost parts and the Mediterranean area), the Caucasus, W Siberia.
Threats. Wood cutting, mountain tourism and trampling, picking of specimens for bunches of flowers have negative impacts on the habitats and populations states. Potential treats are climate aridisation and forest fires.
Conservation measures taken. Protected species according to the national Biodiversity Act. The localities in Central Balkan Range are situated in Central Balkan National Park. All known localities lie within sites of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Populations monitoring aimed at optimization of their protection regime; deposition of seeds to the National Seed Genebank in Bulgaria; designation of a protected territory comprising the species occurrence in Western Balkan Range.
References. Fedorov 1976; Simeonovski 1984; Vladimirov 2001; Ančev (in press).
Authors: Valentina Goranova, Mincho Anchev
