Delphinium balcanicum
Delphinium balcanicum Pawl.
Delphinium halteratum Sibth. & Sm.1, Delphinium halteratum var. balcanicum (Pawl.) Simeon. & Penev3
Ranunculaceae – Buttercup family
Conservation status. Endangered [EN B1ab(iii)]. Balkan endemic.
Morphology and biology. Annual. Stem 15–80 cm, appressed, pubescent, branched. Basal leaves shortly petiolate, 2–3-palmatisect; lobes linear-lanceolate. Bracts lanceolate. Inflorescence lax, branched raceme; each branch with 3–50 flowers. Flowers blue violet. Sepals 7–12 mm long, shortly pubescent. Lateral perianth segments from the outer circle broadly cordate, with long patent hairs, abruptly narrowed into a long claw. Follicles 7–10 mm long, with long patent hairs. Fl. VII–X, fr. VIII–X. Reproduction by seeds.
Habitats and populations. Occurs in dry grasslands in the lowlands and the belt of xerothermic oak forests, in Mediterranean scrub communities of Juniperus excelsa, J. oxycedrus, Paliurus spina-christi, etc. Populations are mosaic and fragmented.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Valley of Struma River, Belasitsa Mt, Slavyanka Mt, valley of Mesta River, Pirin Mts (southern), Rhodopi Mts (Western, Central), Thracian Lowland, Toundzha Hilly Country; from 100 up to 700 m alt.
General distribution. Balkan Peninsula (Bulgaria, N Greece).
Threats. Adaptation to a specific habitat; restricted area of distribution.
Conservation measures taken. Part of the locality in the valley of Struma River is within the borders of Tisata Strict Nature Reserve. Most localities are within sites of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Protection of the species by the Biodiversity Act; monitoring of the population state.
References. Simeonovski & Penev 1970; Koeva 1984; Pavlova 2004; Petrova 2010.
Author: Svetlana Bancheva
