Cicuta virosa
Cicuta virosa L.
Apiaceae – Carrot family
Conservation status. Critically Endangered [CR B1ab(ii,iii)+2ab(ii,iii)]. BDA.
Morphology and biology. Perennial, with short, cylindrical rhizome, septate. Stem 50–150(200) cm high, erect, glabrous. Basal and cauline leaves with hollow petioles, 2–3-pinnate, with up to 30 cm long, triangular-rhomboid lamina. Peripheral leaflets linear or lanceolate, sessile or shortly petiolate, acutely and deeply serrate. Compound umbels semi-spherical, with long peduncles, the upper umbel with 10–25 rays, bracts absent or 1–2 linear. Simple umbels globose, with 30–40 flowers, with 8–12 linear-lanceolate bracteoles. Petals ca. 1 mm long, white. Fruit subglobose, up to 2 mm long, with yellow brown ribs. Fl. VI–VII, fr. VII–VIII. Pollinated by insects. Reproduction by seeds.
Habitats and populations. Occurs in Srebarna lake, near Silistra, in hygrophytic communities of Phragmites communis, mainly on the floating islands of common reed (called “kochki”). Populations with small number of individuals.
Distribution in Bulgaria. NE Bulgaria (Srebarna lake).
General distribution. Europe and Asia.
Threats. Bulgaria is on the periphery of the distribution area of the species. The draining of the Danubian lakes; changes in the water regime of Srebarna lake; climate disasters (strong winds, floods), which cause movements of the reed islands.
Conservation measures taken. The species is protected by the national Biodiversity Act. The locality of the species is within the borders of Srebarna Managed Nature Reserve and in a site of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Study of the number of individuals and size of the population in Srebarna lake; biology and ecology of the species. Elaboration of an action plan for the species. Monitoring of the population state and collection of seeds for the National Seed Genebank in Sadovo.
References. Kochev & Jordanov 1981; Assenov 1982; Kovachev 1984.
Author: Rossen Tzonev
