Glycyrrhiza glabra
Glycyrrhiza glabra L.
Fabaceae – Pea family
Conservation status. Endangered [EN B1ab(ii,iii,iv,v)+2ab(ii); C2a(i)]. BDA.
Morphology and biology. Perennial herbaceous plant with stout rhizome and sterile shoots. Stems erect, up to 100 cm high, strongly branches, glandular pubescent. Leaves imparipinnate. Flowers in lateral, lax, cylindrical inflorescences. Calyx much shorter than the corolla. Corolla 7–12 mm long, lilac. Ovary and the legume glandular pubescent, smooth. Seeds globose, greenish. Fl. VI–VII, fr. VII−VIII. Insect pollination. Reproduction by seeds and vegetative means.
Habitats and populations. Occurs in dry grasslands.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Danubian Plain (Beltsov village in Vehti Beltsov locality; lower part of Yantra River valley; Nikopol – Plavala locality; Dolni Vit village in Pyasaka locality; Baikal village, Pleven region in Cheshmata locality; Koilovtsi village in Palaza locality).
General distribution. S (Mediterranean area) and E Europe, SW Asia. Naturalized in many places in SW Europe.
Threats. A significant part of the species localities are in areas of intensive agriculture and close to urban areas. The species is an important medicinal plant and has been used both in traditional and folk medicine since ancient times which makes the species even more vulnerable.
Conservation measures taken. The species is protected by the Biodiversity Act. Part of its population is within the borders of a protected site near Dolni Vit village. Some of the localities are within sites of the European Ecological Network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Study of the state of the localities, species’ reproductive biology, and the factors with impact on the area and number of individuals in the populations aimed at optimization of the conservation measures; deposition of seeds in the National Seed Genebank in Bulgaria; ex situ cultivation of the species.
References. Kozhuharov 1976, 1984; Todorov 1979.
Author: Lyuba Evstatieva
