Galanthus elwesii
Galanthus elwesii Hook.
Galanthus nivalis auct. bulg.1
Amaryllidaceae – Amaryllis family
Conservation status. Endangered [EN B1ab(ii,iii,iv,v)+2ab(ii); C2a(i)]. BDA.
Morphology and biology. Herbaceous bulbous perennial. Leaves 2, basal, in bud with incurved margins, 6–7 × 1.7–2.2 cm. Scape bearing a dropping flower. Perianth segments 6; the outer 3 segments white, 15–25 mm long, obovate to oblong, the inner segments nearly twice shorter, elongate obovate to subrectangular, with green patches both at apex and base. Stamens 6, in 2 rows. Ovary inferior, subglobose or ellipsoid, 3-locular. Seeds ellipsoid, with strophiole. Fl. I–IV, fl. IV−V. Insect and wind pollination. Reproduction by seeds and vegetative means.
Habitats and populations. Grows in scrubland, forests, rocky grasslands on limestone bedrock, on rich alluvial soil by rivers; in the lowlands and lower mountain regions.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Rare throughout most of the country (not reported for the following floristic regions: Black Sea coast, Belasitsa Mt, Strandzha Mts); up to 2000 m alt.
General distribution. C and SE Europe (Italy, Hungary, Poland, Ukraine, W Russia, Balkan Peninsula).
Threats. Intensive collection of the species for ornamental and medicinal purposes; intensive touring activities; infrastructural development; trampling; agriculture; afforestation; natural disasters (fires); limited distribution and small population size; possibly low reproductive potential.
Conservation measures taken. Protected species by the Biodiversity Act. Many of the localities are within protected areas (Central Balkan and Pirin National Parks; Sinite Kamani, Shumensko Plateau, Balgarka, Vrachanski Balkan, Rusenski Lom Nature Parks, etc.) and in sites of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Study on the population state, reproductive biology of the species and the factors affecting the population size (both area and number of individuals), and based on these studies adaptation of the conservation measures; collection of seeds for the National Seed Genebank in Bulgaria; ex situ cultivation of the species.
References. Delipavlov 1968, 1971; Vassilev 1984; Berkov et al., 2004, 2005; Sidjimova, 2008.
Author: Lyuba Evstatieva
