Traunsteinera globosa
Traunsteinera globosa (L.) Rchb.
Orchis globosa L.1, 3
Orchidaceae – Orchid family
Conservation status. Critically Endangered [CR B2ab(iv); C2a(i)]. BDA, CITES(2).
Morphology and biology. Perennial plant with 2 ovoid tubers. Stems 30–50 cm, with 4–6 erect lanceolate leaves, distributed up the stem, bluish green. Inflorescence compact, conical, later rounded. Flowers small, pink, sepals and petals form a hood, spathulate at tips. Labellum trilobed, pink, with dark spots, yellow at the base. Fl. VI, fr. VII. Insect pollination. Reproduction by seeds.
Habitats and populations. Open sunny places on slightly acid or alkaline soils. Mesophytic to wet mountain meadows and glades, sometimes among shrubs. The distribution area is very fragmented. During the past decades it was found only in the area of Midzhur peak (Western Balkan Range), Vrachanska Mt and Vitosha Mt. Any one of the recently observed populations number less than 10 plants.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Forebalkan (western), Balkan Range (western, central), Vitosha Region (Vitosha and Lyulin Mts); above (900)1000 m alt.
General distribution. S Europe (locally in the mountain regions above 1000 m alt.), Poland, Asia Minor.
Threats. Local distribution and low densities of the populations. Presumable negative factors are grazing in the localities during the flowering and fruiting season (in the past) and loss of the habitats because of abandonment and overgrowing. It is possible that global climatic changes caused loss of the habitats.
Conservation measures taken. Protected species by the Biodiversity Act. Some localities are in protected areas (Vitosha and Vrachanski Balkan Nature Parks) and in sites of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Protection of the locality near Midzhur peak; monitoring of the known populations; study of the negative factors and planning activities for supporting the populations; searching in the regions where the species was collected in the past (Kom – Petrohan – Todorini Kukli in the Western Balkan Range; Lyulin Mt; above Kalofer town).
Note. In some literature sources (Urumov 1897, 1904; Peev 1984, etc.) the species is given for regions where there are no appropriate habitats. Possibly Orchis tridentata Scop. was mis-identified as T. globosa.
References. Urumov 1897, 1904; Stojanov 1964; Stefanov 1973; Peev 1984; Vladimirov 1995; Delforge 2006.
Author: Antoaneta Petrova
