Dracunculus vulgaris
Dracunculus vulgaris Schott
Araceae – Lords-and-Ladies family
Conservation status. Critically Endangered [CR B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii); C2(ii)]. BDA.
Morphology and biology. Perennial herbaceous plant with subterranean tuber. Stems up to 60 cm long, erect. Leaves with up 50 cm long petioles, palmate lobes, with up to 13–15 elongate-elliptic or oblanceolate lobes. Spadix with dark purple appendage. Flowers unisexual, male flowers above the female. Spathe 30–50 cm long and 10–20 cm wide, dark purple, with pronounced smell of rotten meat during flowering. Fruits berries. Fl. IV–V, fr. VI–VII. Reproduction by seeds.
Habitats and populations. Sunny, rocky, southern slopes. Growing individually or in small groups in communities of Paliurus spina-christi L. on shallow eroded soils. Population is with low number of individuals (less than 200).
Distribution in Bulgaria. Valley of River Struma (southern – Maluk Kozhuh Hill, district Petrich), at 100–150 m alt.
General distribution. S Europe, Balkan Peninsula, Asia Minor.
Threats. Limited distribution, destruction and littering of the habitats, trampling by domestic animals, destruction of plants during illegal excavations by treasure-hunters.
Conservation measures taken. Protected species by the national Biodiversity Act.. The only known locality is situated in Kozhuha Protected Site.
Conservation measures needed. Conservation of the locality and monitoring of the populations.
References. Stojanov & Achtarov 1951; Bondev 1984.
Authors: Boris Assyov, Cvetomir M. Denchev
