Silene lydia
Silene lydia Boiss.
Caryophyllaceae – Pink family
Conservation status. Endangered [EN B1ab(iii)+2ab(ii,iii)]. BDA.
Morphology and biology. Annual, herbaceous plant. Stems up to 25 cm wide, usually not branched, densely pubescent. Basal leaves lanceolate-spathulate, cauline leaves opposite, narrowly lanceolate, up to 3 cm long, densely pubescent, with 5–9 pronounced veins. Inflorescence terminal, few-flowered dichasium. Calyx 5-merous, up to 15 mm long, with dense simple and glandular hairs, with 30 parallel veins, calyx lobes nearly as long as the calyx tube. Petals bright pinkish red, ca 1.5 cm long. Fruit pear-shaped capsule. Fl. V–VI, fr. VI. Reproduction by seeds.
Habitats and populations. Dry grasslands and stony places, field boundaries. Populations are with low number of individuals and most often the species is represented by single plants.
Distribution in Bulgaria. West Frontier Mts (Ograzhden Mt), Rhodopi Mts (Eastern – Ivaylovgrad district), Thracian Lowland (between Pazardzhik and Velingrad, unconfirmed since 1973; Haskovo district), up to 400 m alt.
General distribution. Southern parts of the Balkan Peninsula (Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey and Former Yugoslavia), Asia Minor (Turkey).
Threats. Limited distribution, agricultural activities and tree-planting.
Conservation measures taken. Protected species according to the national Biodiversity Act. Some localities are within sites of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Sustainable management and conservation of the habitats. Survey of the population area and monitoring of their status.
References. Kurtto 1985; Chater et al. 1993; Petrova et al. 1999; Petrova et al. 2003; Pavlova 2010.
Authors: Boris Assyov, Cvetomir M. Denchev
