Tragopogon floccosus
Tragopogon floccosus Waldst. & Kit.
Asteraceae – Daisy family
Conservation status. Critically Endangered [CR B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii)]. BDA.
Morphology and biology. Biennial to perennial herb. Stems arachnoid when young, 80–150 cm tall, strongly branched in the upper part. Leaves linear, broadened at base. Capitula numerous; peduncles not inflated, arachnoid. Involucral bracts usually 8. Ligules yellow, about as long as or slightly longer than involucre. Achenes 1.7–2.5 cm, with 5 inconspicuous ribs, almost smooth, shortly beaked. Fl. VII–VIII, fr. VII–IX. Reproduction by seeds.
Habitats and populations. Grows in open, sandy places (EU Priority habitat Pannonian Inland Dunes) along the Danube. Forms a small population consisting of 2 subpopulations, each represented by tens or several hundreds of individuals. Plants grow in variously sized groups.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Danubian Plain (Orsoya and Slivata villages); up to 50 m alt.
General distribution. Europe (middle and lower valley of the Danube, Baltic Sea region).
Threats. Habitat deterioration and loss due to sand extraction, domestic pollution, grazing and trampling by domestic animals; small population size and density; adherence to a specific, rare habitat.
Conservation measures taken. Protected species under the national Biodiversity Act. The localities fall in a site of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria. An Action plan for conservation of the species is in a process of elaboration.
Conservation measures needed. Designation of the locality near Orsoya village as a Protected Area; studies on the species biology and ecology and the impact of the particular threats; population monitoring and collection of seeds for the National Seed Genebank in Bulgaria.
References. Richardson 1976; Vladimirov & Tsoneva 2006.
Author: Vladimir Vladimirov
