Paeonia mascula
Paeonia mascula (L.) Mill.
Paeoniaceae – Peony family
Conservation status. Endangered [EN B2ab(v)]. BDA. Relict.
Morphology and biology. Perennial plant with short rhizome and tuberous roots. Stems 30–60 cm, with a terminal flower. Leaves 2–4, alternate, 1–2-trilobed. Flowers with 5 green sepals and 5–10 large, pink red petals and many yellow anthers. Fruit with 5(3–4) carpels. Fl. V, fr. IX–X. Insect pollination. Reproduction by seeds. Recruitment is very low.
Habitats and populations. Open places in oak and oriental-hornbeam woods or among shrubs, always on stony limestone terrain. Found locally, area of occupancy is less than 500 km2, the subpopulations cover areas of few scores of square meters to 1 ha. Subpopulations rarely number more than 50 plants, usually only few individuals are present.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Locally in the Forebalkan (western – Vrashka Chuka), Znepole Region (Konyovska Mt – region of Zemen, Zhitusha and Klenovik villages), Sredna Gora Mts (Smolsko village) and Rhodopi Mts (central – Dobrostan massif); up to 1300 m alt.
General distribution. France, Apennine and Balkan Peninsulas, Ukraine (Crimea), Turkey, Caucasus.
Threats. Limited distribution, small populations and poor recruitment; afforestation with pines; abandonment of pastures and their overgrowth with trees and shrubs (e.g. Gonda Voda locality in Dobrostan); picking for bunches and attempts at transplanting wild plants into gardens.
Conservation measures taken. Protected species by the Biodiversity Act. Some localities are in sites of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Studies on the population status, biology and ecology of the species, factors responsible for the limited recruitment; declaring some localities as protected areas, appropriate management of these territories in order to favour protection of the species and enlargement of its populations.
References. Urumov 1905, 1935a; Dimitrov & Delipavlov 1958; Yanev 1962; Velchev et al. 1968; Jordanov 1970; Angeliev 1976; Stanev 1979a; Velchev 1984; Koeva & Sharkova 1997; Asenov 2009; Marinov 2009.
Author: Antoaneta Petrova
