Ilex colchica
Ilex colchica Pojark.
Ilex aquifolium L.1, 3
Aquifoliaceae – Holly family
Conservation status. Endangered [EN A1ac; B1ab(iii)+2ab(ii)]. BDA. Tertiary relic.
Morphology and biology. Evergreen shrub, 1–3 m high. Leaves 2–6 cm wide, obovate or elliptical, coriaceous, spinose-serrated, with 2–9 sharp, 3–7 mm long, pointing to the apex triangular teeth; dark green and very glossy above, paler and duller beneath, glabrous, turning black on drying; petiole with a narrow, deep groove. Dioecious plants. Flowers 2–4, on the second-year shoots, in axillary inflorescences. Sepals 4, rarely 5; petals 4–5 glabrous, white. Male inflorescences with 3 flowers, female – with 1, rarely 2–3 flowers. Fruit bright red, globose, ovate or elliptical; endocarps (drupes) elliptical or semilunar. Fl. IV–V, fr. VIII–X. Insect pollination. Reproduction by seeds.
Habitats and populations. In the evergreen under storey in shady forests of Fagus orientalis (Rhododendro pontici-Fagetum orientalis). Subpopulations cover small areas, individuals are solitary, rarely fruiting due to the dense canopy of the forests. The state of the populations is strongly affected by the local microclimatic conditions and the reduction of the area of old forests.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Strandzha Mts (together with Rhododendron ponticum near Kosti, Balgari, Kondolovo, Brodilovo, Gramatikovo villages and westwards near Malko Tarnovo – Vitanovo Strict Nature Reserve, Sredoka, Krantevtsi, Germanekovo, Daskalite and Propada localities); up to 500 m alt.
General distribution. Balkan Peninsula, SW Asia and Caucasus.
Threats. Aridisation of climate; restricted areas of distribution; exploitation of forests; small populations and low reproductive potential of the species.
Conservation measures taken. The species is protected by the Biodiversity Act. All localities are within the borders of Strandzha Nature Park and the existing strict nature reserves within the park as well as in a site of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Study of the numerical strength and areas of the populations, the biology and ecology of the species and the threatening factors; elaboration of an action plan for the species conservation; monitoring of the populations and the management activities related to the conservation of old forests.
Note. The species was listed for the first time for the Bulgarian flora in 1992 in the Key to the vascular plants in Bulgaria (Kozhuharov 1992). Until then its populations had been considered to belong to Ilex aquifolium L.
References. Palamarev 1979; Nedyalkov 1984; Kozhuharov 1992; Gussev et al. 2004; Patronov 2005.
Author: Chavdar Gussev
