Urospermum picroides
Urospermum picroides (L.) F.W. Schmidt
Asteraceae – Daisy family
Conservation status. Critically Endangered [CR B2ab(i,ii); C2a(i)]. BDA.
Morphology and biology. Annual. Stem 30–45 cm, long-hispid and spinulose. Leaves 40–140 × 10–50 mm, hispid or spinulose; lower obovate-oblong, pinnatifid or dentate, with winged petiole; upper ovate to linear, acute, more or less dentate, auriculate-amplexicaul. Capitula up to 4 cm in diameter, 1–9 on long peduncles thickened at the apex. Involucral bracts 13–22 × 5–8 mm, ovate-lanceolate, long-acuminate, hispid and spinulose. Ligules pale yellow. Body of achenes 5–6.5 mm, beak 6–8 mm, slender, cylindrical; pappus white. Fl. V–VI, fr. VI–VII. Insect pollination. Reproduction by seeds dispersed by wind.
Habitats and populations. Mosaic subpopulations with few individuals in grassy and rocky places with disturbed natural vegetation, in mixed oak forests at sea level.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Black Sea Coast (Southern – between Sinemorets and Rezovo villages, Silistar locality); Rhodopi Mts (Eastern).
General distribution. SW Europe, Mediterranean region, Balkan Peninsula, SW Asia.
Threats. Mostly anthropogenic – building of tourist facilities along the coastline, as well as natural drivers due to the restricted distribution of the species.
Conservation measures taken. The species is protected by the Biodiversity Act. The localities at the Southern Black Sea Coast are within the borders of Strandzha Nature Park and Silistar Protected Site, as well as in a site of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Elaboration of an action plan for the species is needed as well as detailed study of its chorology, population size, biology and ecology; long-term monitoring; collection and deposition of seeds in the National Seed Genebank in Bulgaria.
References. Sell 1976; Kuzmanov 1984; Peev 1992a; Kuzmanov et al. 1993.
Author: Dessislava Dimitrova
