Petrosimonia brachiata
Petrosimonia brachiata (Pall.) Bunge
Chenopodiaceae –Goosefoot family
Conservation status. Critically Endangered [CR B1ab(i,ii)+2ab(ii,iii)]. BDA.
Morphology and biology. Pubescent herbaceous annual. Stem 5–40 cm high, branched from the base. Leaves opposite, almost linear, glaucous. Flowers hermaphroditic, 5-lobed, perianth segments with scarious apex and hyaline at base; each flower with 2 bracts. Spikes opposite, on the stem branches. Fruit scarious. Fl. VI–IX, fr. VII–X. Reproduction by seeds.
Habitats and populations. Grows on saline sands and clay, on the dikes of the saltpans near Pomorie and on the sea shore, in open halophytic herbaceous communities. Populations consist of 500–1500 individuals.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Black Sea coast (southern – lakes of Atanasovsko Ezero and Pomoriysko Ezero and the saltpans near Pomorie).
General distribution. Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Russia, incl. Crimea and Siberia, Kazakhstan.
Threats. Restricted distribution and small sizes of the populations; damage of plants and species habitats through salt exploitation, building of tourist infrastructure, high number of bird watchers at Atanasovsko Lake and visitors of the Salt Museum in Pomorie; air and soil pollution by the oil factory in Burgas.
Conservation measures taken. One of the localities is within the borders of Atanasovsko Lake Managed Nature Reserve which is protected by the Ramsar Convention. All localities are within sites of the European Ecological Network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Changing the tourist route leading to Atanasovsko lake in order to avoid passing through the population of the species; monitoring of the state of the populations and habitats of the species followed by urgent conservation activities.
References. Jordanov & Kuzmanov 1966; Markova 1984.
Author: Milka Stoeva
