Serapias vomeracea
Serapias vomeracea (Burm.) Briq.
Orchidaceae – Orchid family
Conservation status. Endangered [EN B2ac(iv)]. BDA, CITES(2).
Morphology and biology. Perennial, with 2 ovoid tubers. Stems 20–50 cm, with 4–7 lanceolate leaves. Inflorescence with 3–10 flowers. Sepals grey-violet, 21–30 × 5–9 mm, pointed, together with 2 petals form a hood. Labellum trilobed, lateral lobes rounded, concave, included in the hood, middle lobe lanceolate, pointed, at the base hairy, red brown. Fl. V(VI), fr. VI. Insect pollination. Reproduction by seeds and vegetative means (1–4 new tubers are formed on long stolons in years with favourable climatic conditions).
Habitats and populations. Sunny places in extensively used pastures, mesophilous meadows and scrubland. There are 10(11) subpopulations in the country. The largest is that on the seaside glades south of Lipite bay between Sinemorets and Rezovo villages. In some years it numbers thousands plants, but in others only scattered individuals. The subpopulations in eastern Rhodopi Mts cover areas between few square meters to 0.1 ha and number up to 200 individuals
Distribution in Bulgaria. Locally in Black Sea coast (southern – south of Ahtopol town); Rhodopi Mts (eastern – near Gorno Lukovo, Cherna Cherkva, Bezhantsi, Zhalti Bryag, Kostilkovo villages), Strandzha Mts (Slivarovo village). There are old literature data from Slavyanka Mt. but these are unconfirmed; up to 700 m alt.
General distribution. Mediterranean area.
Threats. Local distribution; afforestation with pines; grazing in the localities during the flowering and fruiting season; touring activity along the coast.
Conservation measures taken. Protected species by the Biodiversity Act. Some of the subpopulations are in protected areas (Silistar and Ustieto na Veleka Protected Sites). All localities are within sites of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Monitoring on the fluctuations of selected subpopulations; control of the management regimes in the protected areas on the coast; study of the negative factors in the particular localities.
Note. Bulgaria lies at the boundary of the distribution areas of S. vomeraceae subsp. vomeraceae and S. v. subsp. orientalis W. Greuter, which are considered as separate species by some authors. The variability and taxonomic relation of the Bulgarian population need to be studied in detail.
References. Stefanoff 1926; Stojanov 1964; Vasileva & Todorova 1994; MOEW 1998; Uzunov et al. 1998; Nyagolov et al. 2002; Petrova 2004; Delforge 2006.
Author: Antoaneta Petrova
