Silene vulgaris
Silene vulgaris (Moench) Garcke subsp. prostrata (Gaudin) Schinz & Thell.
Silene alpina auct. bulg.
Caryophyllaceae – Pink family
Conservation status. Critically Endangered [CR B1ab(iii)]. BDA.
Morphology and biology. Tufted, perennial, herbaceous plant. Stems up to 30 cm high, usually not branched. Leaves opposite, obovate-lanceolate or broadly lanceolate, 1.5–3.5 cm long, 0.5–1 cm wide, glabrous, waxy. Inflorescence terminal, reduced dichasium with 1–3 (5) flowers. Calyx 5-merous, 9–10 mm long, glabrous, tubular, with 20 cross-connecting veins. Petals white, bifid, 1–1.5 cm long. Fruit nearly spherical capsule with backwardly-curved teeth. Fl. VI–X, fr. VII–X. Reproduction by seeds.
Habitats and populations. Inhabits limestone screes. Populations are of low number of individuals and severely fragmented.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Forebalkan (western – Vrachanski Balkan Mt), Rhodopi Mts (Central – Mostovo village); up to 900 m alt.
General distribution. S and C Europe (Pyreneans, Alps, Carpathians), Corsica, Balkan Peninsula.
Threats. Limited distribution, peculiar biology and ecological requirements, vegetation succession leading to loss of the preferred habitats.
Conservation measures taken. Protected species by the Biodiversity Act. All the known localities are within the borders of Vrachanski Balkan Nature Park as well as in a site of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Sustainable management and conservation of the habitat and of the known localities and monitoring of the populations. Artificial propagation.
References. Velchev 1961; Jordanov & Panov 1966; Petrova 1984; Tashev 2006.
Authors: Boris Assyov, Cvetomir M. Denchev
