Taraxacum bessarabicum
Taraxacum bessarabicum (Hornem.) Hand.-Mazz.
Asteraceae – Daisy family
Conservation status. Endangered [EN B1a; C2a(i)].
Morphology and biology. Perennial herbaceous plant. Root strongly swollen. Leaves erect or procumbent, 5–12 cm long, 5–25 mm wide, dentate or pinnatifid, rarely subentire, puberulent. Scapes 5–20 cm, erect or ascending, glabrous or sparingly arachnoid below the capitulum. Involucral bracts 8–19 mm long, involucral bracts herbaceous, green, often tinged with red. Florets yellow. Achenes pale grey brown, body 4–5 mm, beak 3–5 mm long; pappus ca.5 mm long, usually tinged with brown. Fl. VIII–IX, fr. IX–X. Insect pollination. Reproduction by seeds, dispersed by wind.
Habitats and populations. Occurs in wet places, along the sea, rivers and lakes, sometimes in open calcareous places, accompanied by halophytes: Puccinellia convoluta, Camphorosma monspeliaca, etc.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Black Sea coast (northern – Durankulak lake, Shabla, Varna; southern – Ravda village, Burgas district), Danubian Plain (Alekovo village, Svishtov region), Toundzha Hilly Country (Atovo village, Yambol region; Kermen town, Sliven regon); from 0 up to 200 m alt.
General distribution. C and SE Europe (Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova), Russia, Turkey and C Asia.
Threats. Draining of swamps and lakes; construction activities along the Black Sea coast, tourism, road construction.
Conservation measures taken. The habitats of the species are protected by the Biodiversity Act. The locality at Durankulak Lake is within the borders of Dourankulak protected site. Some localities are within sites of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Designation of new protected areas comprising the localities of the species in the floristic regions of Black Sea coast (southern), Danubian Plain and Toundzha Hilly Country.
References. Jordanov et al. 1965; Stojanov et al. 1967; Kovachev 1984.
Author: Dimitar Dimitrov
