Festuca thracica
Festuca thracica (Acht.) Markgr.-Dann.
Festuca duriuscula L. f. thracica Acht.3
Poaceae – Grass family
Conservation status. Endangered [EN B1ab(ii,iii,iv)+2ab(ii,iii,iv)]. Balkan endemic.
Morphology and biology. Perennial, caespitose plant. Stems up to 40 cm high, erect, subglabrous. Leaves filiform, involute, up to 1 mm wide, rigid, glaucous, with scattered hairs. Panicle with scabrid branches, 5–10 cm long. Spikelets with 3–4 fertile florets, ca. 8 mm long. Glumes 4–5 mm long, subequal, narrowly lanceolate, acuminate, pubescent. Lemma 5–6 mm long, densely pubescent with 3–4 mm long, terminal, scabrid awn. Caryopsis oblong-obovoid. Fl. IV–V, fr. V–VI. Reproduction by vegetative means and seeds.
Habitats and populations. Grows on dry, sandy and stony soil in open, xerophytic herbaceous communities or at oak forest margins. Populations are compact, with high number of individuals.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Valley of Struma River (southern), Slavyanka Mt, Pirin Mts (southern), Rhodopi Mts (central); 100–1000 m alt. The species is reported also for Thracian Lowland in the literature.
General distribution. Balkan Peninsula (S Bulgaria, N Greece, R Macedonia).
Threats. Grazing and tramping by domestic animals close to urban areas; habitat fragmentation and loss as a result of the development of various plant plantations, ploughing of land; fires (natural and anthropogenic); restricted distribution.
Conservation measures taken. Part of the localities are within the borders of Alibotush Strict Nature Reserve in Slavyanka Mt and Chervenata Stena Strict Nature Reserve in Rhodopi Mts as well as in sites of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Restriction of grazing in the already known localities; study of the area and number of individuals per population, biology and ecology of the species and existing and potential threats.
References. Markgraf-Dannenberg 1980; Strid 1991; Petrova & Vladimirov 2010.
Author: Stoyan Stoyanov
