Lathyrus transsilvanicus
Lathyrus transsilvanicus (Spreng.) Fritsch
Fabaceae – Pea family
Conservation status. Regionally extinct [RE].
Morphology and biology. Perennial herbaceous plant with subterranean rhizome. Stem erect, 30–80 cm high, without wings, with long brown hairs. Leaves paripinnate, mucronate, with 2–4 pair of lanceolate to obovate leaves, 40–100 mm long, greyish green and with scarce hairs on the lower side, green and glabrous above. Flowers clustered by 8–12 in racemes. Calyx with unequal teeth. Petals yellow. Fruit linear, brown red legume. Fl. VI, fr. VII. Reproduction by seeds.
Habitats and populations. Shady beech forests.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Balkan Range (central – the valley of river Armankaya, Gabrovo district), at ca. 1600 m alt. Not found since 1905 despite of the attempts to confirm the population.
General distribution. C Europe, Balkan Peninsula.
Threats. Not identified, but supposed to be connected with forest exploitation.
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. The locality of the extinct population is within the borders of Central Balkan National Park and in site of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Further survey to confirm the existence of population and reintroduction if not found again.
References. Kozhuharov 1976, 1984; Neichev 1906, 1908; Tosheva & Pavlova 2003.
Authors: Anita Tosheva, Boris Assyov, Cvetomir M. Denchev
