Plantago tenuiflora
Plantago tenuiflora Waldst. & Kit.
Plantaginaceae – Plantain family
Conservation status. Endangered [EN B1ab(ii,iii,iv,v)+2ab(i,ii,iii,v); C2a(i)].
Morphology and biology. Perennial, herbaceous, acalescent plant. Leaves in a basal rosette, 2–15 cm long, 0.5–2(4) mm wide, with 1–3 veins. Peduncles almost equal to the leaves. Spike lax, cylindrical, almost as long as the peduncle. Bracts light brown, not longer and not covering the flowers. Corolla-tube glabrous. Capsule much longer than the calyx. Seeds 6–10(15), yellow brown, tuberculate. Fl. V–VII, fr. VI–VIII. Wind, rarely insect, pollination. Reproduction by seeds.
Habitats and populations. Occurs in open, drying, saline clay and swamps. Populations are with low number of individuals (up to 300), strongly fragmented, on areas smaller than 500 m2.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Black Sea coast, Danubian Plain, valley of Struma River, Thracian Lowland, Toundzha Hilly Country; up to 500 m alt.
General distribution. C and SE Europe, Caucasus, W Siberia, C Asia.
Threats. Very restricted distribution and low number of individuals in the populations as a consequence of drainage of habitats and intensive agriculture.
Conservation measures taken. Part of the localities are within sites of the European Ecological Network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Study of the reproductive biology and possibilities for ex situ cultivation; designation of protected areas to conserve the localities; legal protection of the species under the national Biodiversity Act.
References. Kuzmanov et al. 1984; Meshinev 1984; Petrova 1995; Taskova et al. 1997.
Author: Lyuba Evstatieva
