Lathyrus palustris
Lathyrus palustris L.
Fabaceae – Pea family
Conservation status. Critically Endangered [CR B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii)].
Morphology and biology. Perennial herbaceous plant with tuber-like thickened rhizome. Stems 25- 120 cm high, winged. Leaves paripinnate, ending with a branched or simple tendril, with 2-4 pairs of linear to elliptical leaflets, 20-70 mm long. Flowers purple to violet, clustered by 2-7 in lax racemes. Calyx with unequal teeth. Fruit linear, brown legume. Fl. VII-VIII, fr. VII-IX. Reproduction by seeds.
Habitats and populations. Wet grasslands, bogs and marshes in the lowlands and in the lower mountain belt.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Sofia region (Buchin Prohod village). In the past known from the Black Sea coast (northern, Beloslavsko lake), Sofia region (marshes at the village of Kazichene), Znepole region (Choklyovo Blato marsh) and Rodopi Mts (western, Batashko Blato bog), but the species is now extinct in these localities.
General distribution. Europe, W and C Asia, Siberia (absent in northernmost and southernmost parts), Canada and USA.
Threats. Limited distribution, destruction and pollution of the habitats due to draining of bogs for agricultural purposes, dam building, peat exploitation, etc.
Conservation measures taken. For protection of the habitats of the species the Biological Diversity Act requires establishment of protected areas in accordance with the regulations of the Protected Areas Act. A proposal for designation of the locality near Buchin Prohod village as a protected area has been submitted. An Action plan for conservation of the species is in a process of elaboration.
Conservation measures needed. Restoration, sustainable management and conservation of the habitat and the known localities and monitoring of the only surviving population.
References. Jordanov 1921, 1928, 1929; Kozhuharov 1976, 1984; Hájek et al. 2006.
Authors: Anita Tosheva, Boris Assyov & Cvetomir M. Denchev
