Delphinium albiflorum
Delphinium albiflorum DC.
Delphinium fissum var. alibotuschiensis Rech. f.3, Delphinium fissum subsp. albiflorum (DC) Greuter & Burder2, 4, 5
Ranunculaceae – Buttercup family
Conservation status. Critically Endangered [CR B1ab(ii)+2ab(ii)]. BDA. Balkan endemic.
Morphology and biology. Perennial herbaceous plant; roots with tubers. Stem up to 100 cm high, hairy. Leaves divided 2–3 times into 3 deep palmate lobes; lobes linear-lanceolate to linear; petioles 10 cm long, slightly broaden at base into a sheath. Raceme lax. Flowers 10–17 mm long, yellowish white or sometimes outer perianth segments bluish. Spur 10–15 mm long, longer than the perianth, usually horizontal. Bracts lanceolate, without scarious margin. Follicles up to 15 mm long, with apical thin beak. Fl. VI–VII, fr. VII–IX.
Habitats and populations. Occurs in dry, stony grasslands; in scrub and rare coniferous forests, on limestone. Populations are strongly fragmented, consisting of solitary, isolated individuals.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Slavyanka Mt (above Paril village); from 1200 to 1600 m alt.
General distribution. Balkan Peninsula (Bulgaria, N Greece).
Threats. Low migration potential of the species; restricted area of distribution.
Conservation measures taken. The species is protected by the Biodiversity Act. Part of the population is within Alibotush Strict Nature Reserve and in a site of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Study of the biology and ecology of the species; monitoring of the population state and if proven necessary, elaboration of an action plan; facilitation of the natural reproduction in situ; collection of seeds for the National Seed Genebank in Bulgaria.
References. Simeonovski & Penev 1970; Vassilev 1984.
Author: Svetlana Bancheva
