Tulipa urumoffii
Tulipa urumoffii Hayek
Liliaceae – Lily family
Conservation status. Vulnerable [VU B2ab(ii,iv,v)]. IUCN (V), BDA. Bulgarian endemic.
Morphology and biology. Bulbous perennial. The bulb ovoid-conical, the tunic cinnamon brown, inner site puberulent. Stem hairless, 15–45 cm high. Leaves 3, rarely 5, bluish-green, repand at the edge, with short cartilaginous teeths, basal leaves oblong, cauline leaves linear-lanceolate, shorter than stem. Perianth bell-shaped, perianth segments nearly equal, obovate, yellow, rarely red, without a basal blotch. Filaments and anthers yellow. Fruit an oviform capsule. Fl. IV–V, fr. VI–VII. Reproduction by seeds and vegetative means.
Habitats and populations. Inhabit dry stony calcareous places. Occurs in grassy and disperse shrubby communities with limited number of localities. Forms fragmented populations with very good numerical strength.
Distribution in Bulgaria. NE Bulgaria, Balkan Range (eastern), Sofia region, Znepole region, Toundzha Hilly Country; from 100 to 1000 m alt.
General distribution. Bulgaria.
Threats. Degradation of the habitat by a stone-pit, picking and collecting of flowers and bulbs, grazing.
Conservation measures taken. Protected species according to the national Biodiversity Act. Some of the localities are in the territory of Sinite Kamani Nature Park, in the Patleyna Managed Nature Reserve (near the town of Preslav) and Ostritsa Managed Nature Reserve in Golo Bardo mountain, Urumovo Lale (Paydushko village, municipality Targoviste) and Div Rozhkov Protected Sites, Lalkoto Nature Monument, westwards from Venets village and the nature monument near Chernevo village, municipality Suvorovo. Some of the localities are within sites of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria
Conservation measures needed. Information campaign for conservation value of the species to limit picking and collecting of plants and bulbs, protection during the flowering period.
References. Kitanov 1964; Delipavlov 1984; Velchev 2006.
Authors: Dimitar Peev & Sonya Tsoneva
