Crucianella latifolia
Crucianella latifolia L.
Rubiaceae – Bedstraw family
Conservation status. Endangered [EN B1ab(ii,iii)+2ab(ii)].
Morphology and biology. Annual. Stem 10–30(35) cm tall. Leaves sessile, basal in whorls of 4, entire, lanceolate to obovate, middle and upper cauline in whorls of 4–6, with revolute margins, acuminate. Inflorescence a spike; flowers in pairs in the axils of the bracts; corolla 4-lobed, pale yellow, tubular; tube straight. Fruit dry, of 2 oblong-ovate, brown, tuberculate mericarps. Fl. V–VI, fr. VII. Reproduction by seeds.
Habitats and populations. Grows in dry stony and sandy grasslands in the xerothermic oak forest belts, in communities of Quercus pubescens, Fraxinus ornus, Acer monspessulanum and Paliurus spina-christi. Populations are fragmented, with uneven spatial structure; fragments are usually small, e.g. of 150–200 individuals in the eastern Rhodopi Mts.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Valley of Struma River (south of Kresna town), Rhodopi Mts (eastern – near Belopolyane and Dolno Lukovo villages, Ivaylovgrad district); from 200 up to 300 m alt.
General distribution. S Europe, Mediterranean Area, N Africa, SW Asia.
Threats. Anthropogenic pressure together with the limited reproductive potential of the species are the main threats. Changes of the land use regimes, grazing and trampling by domestic animals, wood cutting and fires have negative impacts on the habitats and populations.
Conservation measures taken. The localities are situated within sites of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Protection and maintenance of the natural conditions in the habitats by restricting the human activities in the localities; deposition of seeds to the National Seed Genebank in Bulgaria.
References. Ančev 1984, 1989; Petrova et al. 1999.
Authors: Mincho Anchev & Valentina Goranova
