Carduus adpressus
Carduus adpressus C.A. Meyer
Carduus rhodopaeus Velen.1, 2, 5
Asteraceae – Daisy family
Conservation status. Endangered [EN B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii)]. IUCN(R). BDA.
Morphology and biology. Biennial to perennial plant. Stem up to 100 cm, diffuse arachnoid-hairy, winged. Wings up to 10 mm, with triangular lobes and terminal, up to 2 mm spines. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, with multicellular hairs on the mid vein and 8–10 pairs of unequal lobes; each lobe with a terminal, 2–3 mm long spine. Capitula 2–3 cm in diameter, globose-ovate. Involucral bracts 0.75–1.5 mm wide, slightly narrowing towards the terminal, 0.5–1 mm spine. Florets dark pink. Achenes 4–5 mm long. Pappus 9–13 mm. Fl. VI–VII, fr. VII–VIII. Insect pollination. Reproduction mainly by seeds.
Habitats and populations. On dry, stony places, on limestone, in the belt of xerothermic oak forests. Populations are mosaic, consisting of tens of individuals.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Rhodopi Mts (Western – Yundola; Central – Chepelare and Sokolovtsi village, Smolyan district; Asenovgrad and Sitovo village, Plovdiv district); 800–2000 m alt.
General distribution. Bulgaria, Anatolia, W Caucasus.
Threats. Use of new lands for agriculture; grazing and tramping; construction activities; low population density and low reproductive potential.
Conservation measures taken. The species is protected by the Biodiversity Act and is included in 1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants as “rare.”
Conservation measures needed. Monitoring of the populations; proclamation of a protected area to save the species.
References. Amaral Franco 1976; Kovachev 1984; Walter & Gillet 1998.
Author: Svetlana Bancheva
