Salvia scabiosifolia
Salvia scabiosifolia Lam.
Lamiaceae – Mint family
Conservation status. Critically Endangered [CR A4c; B1ab(ii); C2a(ii)]. IUCN(R). BDA.
Morphology and biology. Perennial herbaceous plant or semi-shrub, with ascending, branched, densely leafy stems, up to 50 cm high. Leaves grey green, pinnatifid, with simple hairs and spot-like glands. Verticillasters 6–10-flowered. Calyx 10–18 mm long, green to purple. Corolla 25–35 mm long, pale violet, upper lip erect, deeply incised, lower with semi-rounded lateral lobes and obovate, incised, hanging middle lobe. Nutlets smooth, dark brown, obovate. Fl. IV–VI, fr. VII–VIII. Insect pollination. Reproduction by seeds.
Habitats and populations. Occurs in stony, sunny places, on shallow soil. Participates in herbaceous-shrubby communities of Amygdalus nana, Linum tauricum, Haplophyllum thesioides. Population is with good number of individuals and area of 0.35 ha. Reproductive potential is good.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Danubian Plain (Bazkite locality near Byala); 100 m alt.
General distribution. Bulgaria and Ukraine (Crimea).
Threats. Wood cutting, grazing, small-scale agriculture, fires.
Conservation measures taken. The species and its habitat are protected by the Biodiversity Act. The locality is proclaimed as protected site in 2006 and is situated within a site of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Study of the numerical strength and area of the population, biology and ecology of the species and possibilities for cultivation; collection of seeds for the National Seed Genebank in Bulgaria.
References. Roussakova & Popov 1971; Roussakova 1984; Markova 1989.
Author: Elena Genova
