Jurinea ledebourii
Jurinea ledebourii Bunge
Asteraceae – Daisy family
Conservation status. Endangered [EN A1c; B1b(iii,iv)+2b(iv)]. BDA.
Morphology and biology. Perennial herbaceous plant with stout, branched root stock. Stem 20–80 cm high, erect, finely sulcate, densely tomentose, simple. Basal leaves in a rosette, cauline leaves decurrent, pinnatifid, to almost entire, densely white arachnoid below and glandular. Capitula globose, 20–50 mm in diameter; florets purple violet. Involucral bracts lanceolate, recurved or hooked at the apex densely arachnoid. Achenes deeply tuberculate; corona inconspicuous. Fl. VI–VII, fr. VII–IX. Pollinated by insects. Reproduction by seeds.
Habitats and populations. Occurs in dry, herbaceous habitats, in communities of Stipa capillata, Chrysopogon gryllus, and Dichantchium ischaemum, among sparse shrubs and forests of Quercus pubescens,mostly on limestone. Populations with many individuals but strongly fragmented.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Northeast Bulgaria (near Shumen, Veliki Preslav and Devnya towns, Nevsha, Praventsi, Voivoda and Zlatna Niva villages); Danubian Plain (Pleven town, Yassen, Tarnene, Kartozhabene villages); up to 500 m alt.
General distribution. Bulgaria, Romania, SW Russia.
Threats. Afforestation, cutting of forests, exploitation of inert materials, degradation of plant communities as a result of grazing and trampling, tourism and recreation, natural fragmentation of populations.
Conservation measures taken. The species is protected by the national Biodiversity Act. Some localities are within Shumensko Plato Nature Park, Dervisha Managed Nature Reserve, Kaylaka Protected Site, Karstovo Zhdrelo Chernelka Nature Monument, Nahodishte na Tertsierni Vkamenelosti Nature Monument near Yassen and Tarnene villages and in sites of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Study of the numerical strength and sizes of the populations, ecology of the species, threats. Collection of seeds for the National Seed Genebank in Bulgaria.
References. Kozhuharov 1975; Kuzmanov 1984; Nikolov et al. 1994; Tzonev 1997.
Author: Rossen Tzonev
