Silene thymifolia
Silene thymifolia Sm.
Caryophyllaceae – Pink family
Conservation status. Endangered [EN B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii)].
Morphology and biology. Perennial herbaceous plant. Stems up to 30 cm high, procumbent or ascending, densely appressed pubescent. Leaves opposite, obovate or ovate-lanceolate, up to 1.5 cm long and 0.8 cm wide, entirely or only on the edge pubescent. Inflorescence terminal dichasium. Calyx 5-merous, 12–15 mm long, with dense, simple and glandular hairs and 10 parallel veins. Petals white, deeply bifid, ca 1.5 cm long. Fruit elongate-ovoid or ellipsoid capsule with curved backwards teeth. Fl. VI–VIII, fr. VI–IX. Reproduction by seeds.
Habitats and populations. Inhabits stabilized inner parts of sand dunes, also sand beaches and inland sands. The number of plants vary from single individuals up to compact populations of good numbers of plants.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Black Sea coast, from the sea level up to 150 m.
General distribution. Northern and western parts of the Black Sea coast: Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey.
Threats. The limited distribution of the species and its favoured habitat, intensive building at the sea shores, trampling and ploughing the sands.
Conservation measures taken. Some of the populations are included in protected areas (Irakli, Silistar, Pobiti Kamani Protected Sites and Pyasachni Dyuni Perla Nature Monument) and in sites of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Sustainable management and conservation of the habitats and monitoring of the populations.
References. Jordanov & Panov 1966; Meshinev et al. 1994; Philipova-Marinova & Petrova 2003.
Authors: Boris Assyov & Cvetomir M. Denchev
