Centaurium maritimum
Centaurium maritimum (L.) Fritsch
Gentianaceae – Gentian family
Conservation status. Critically Endangered [CR B1ab(ii,iii,v)+2ab(ii,iii,v)]. BDA.
Morphology and biology. Annual herbs. Stem 10–20 cm high, solitary, erect, simple or branched above, glabrous, ribbed. Basal leaves in rosette, early deciduous, cauline leaves elliptical, with entire edge and rounded apex. Flowers single or 2–5. Corolla tubular, yellow, lobes free, elliptical, shorter then tube. Calyx as long as or ¾ of the length of the corolla tube. Fruit capsule. Fl. VI–VII, fr. VII–VIII. Reproduction by seeds.
Habitats and populations. Herbaceous places, in forest meadows and bushes at the sea level. The populations are fragmented, with single individuals.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Black Sea Coast (Southern – Atanasovsko Lake, between Tsarevo and Ahtopol, and between Sinemorets and Rezovo).
General distribution. S Europe, Balkan Peninsula, N Africa, SW Asia.
Threats. Destruction of the individuals due to active tourism, waste deposition, and construction activities.
Conservation measures taken. Protected species according to the national Biodiversity Act. Some occurrences of the species are within Atanasovsko Lake Managed Reserve. The localities are in sites of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Investigation of the numerical strength and area of the populations, biology and ecology of the species and development of an Action plan. Collection of seeds for the National Seed Genebank of Bulgaria.
References. Kozhuharov & Petrova 1982, Petrova 1984; Grozeva 2005.
Authors: Dimitar Peev, Sonya Tsoneva
