Centaurea gracilenta
Centaurea gracilenta Velen.
Asteraceae – Daisy family
Conservation status. Endangered [EN B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii)]. BDA.
Morphology and biology. Biennial. Stems up to 40 cm, with numerous, long branches. Leaves setose, grey green, lower leaves pinnate with linear, up to 0.5 mm wide lobes. Capitula single, terminal. Involucre 6–11 mm long, 4–6 mm wide. Involucral bracts triangular. Appendages light brown, with scarious auricles at base, with 4–6 fimbriae on both sides, and an apical, 2 mm long mucro. Florets pink. Achenes c. 3 mm long; pappus ca. 2 times shorter than the achene. Fl. VI–VII, fr. VII–VIII. Reproduction by seeds.
Habitats and populations. Grows in grassy and stony places in the lowlands. Participates in the composition of steppe communities. Populations strongly fragmented, with ca. 50–200 individuals. Some of the localities disappeared and the area of others is strongly reduced.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Black Sea coast (southern – Burgas district, near Izvorishte, Cherni Vrah and Banevo villages), Balkan Range (eastern – Sliven district), Rhodopi Mts (eastern), Toundzha Hilly Country; up to 1800 m alt.
General distribution. Balkan Peninsula (E Bulgaria and E Romania).
Threats. Construction activities; ploughing of new areas for agricultural purposes; grazing; low migration potential of the species; destruction of the specific habitats to which the species is adapted; restricted distribution.
Conservation measures taken. The species is protected by the Biodiversity Act. The population in the Balkan Range is within the borders of Sinite Kamani Nature Park. Some localities are within sites of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Monitoring of the species populations; collection of seeds for the National Seed Genebank in Bulgaria.
References. Dostál 1976; Ninova 1984; Grozeva et al. 2004.
Author: Svetlana Bancheva
