Medicago constricta
Medicago constricta Dur.
Fabaceae – Pea family
Conservation status. Endangered [EN B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii)].
Morphology and biology. Annual, herbaceous plant. Stems up to 30 cm long, procumbent, with numerous branches. Leaves ternate, with deeply toothed stipules. Leaflets 3–7 mm long, 2–7 mm wide, cuneate-obovate, obovate or triangular-lanceolate, adpressed pubescent. Inflorescences 1–2 flowered in the leaf-axils. Corolla 4–5 mm long, yellow. Legume 7–8 mm in diameter, barrel-shaped or nearly spherical, with 6–8 turns and with hard hooks equal to or shorter than the diameter of the turns. Fl. IV–V, fr. V–VI. Reproduction by seeds.
Habitats and populations. Sandy beaches, sand dunes and dry, sunny, stony grasslands. Populations are with low numbers of individuals.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Black Sea coast (southern – Kavatsite and Arkoutino localities, Primorsko), Pirin Mts (southern – Kalimantsi village), valley of River Struma (southern – the villages of Chouchouligovo, Koulata, Marino Pole), Rhodopi Mts (eastern – Slaveevo village), up to 300 m alt.
General distribution. Mediterranean, Caucasus, Asia Minor, N Africa.
Threats. Limited distribution, low reproductive potential of the species (seeds are with low successful germination), stock grazing and other agricultural activities, habitat loss and littering of the sea shores due to tourism development.
Conservation measures taken. Some of the localities are in sites of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Sustainable management and conservation of the habitats and the known localities. Inclusion in the list of protected plant species. Monitoring of the populations.
References. Kozhuharov 1965, 1976, 1984; Velchev & Vasilev 2002; Petrova 2004a.
Authors: Boris Assyov, Cvetomir M. Denchev
