Verbascum pseudonobile
Verbascum pseudonobile Stoj. & Stef.
Scrophulariaceae – Figwort family
Conservation status. Endangered [EN B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii)]. BDA. Balkan endemic.
Morphology and biology. Herbaceous biennial. Stem 30–80 cm. Basal leaves ca. 10 cm long and 3 cm wide, oblong, sinuate-pinnatifid, undulate, more or less densely grey-tomentose. Inflorescence paniculate, ovoid-pyramidal. Flowers in groups of 3–5 in the base of the inflorescence, solitary above. Corolla 1.5–2 cm in diameter, yellow, glabrous outside. Stamens 5, filaments orange, anthers all reniform. Fruit an ovoid to cylindrical capsule. Fl. VI–VII, fr. VII–X. Insect pollination. Reproduction by seeds.
Habitats and populations. Grows in limestone stony places and dry grasslands, on shallow soils. Forms fragmented populations; plants are in small groups or scattered and solitary.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Western Frontier Mountains (Ograzhden village), valley of Struma River (southern), Slavyanka Mt, Pirin (southern); up to 400 m alt.
General distribution. Balkan Peninsula (SW Bulgaria, NE Greece, R Macedonia).
Threats. Small-scale afforestation, stock breeding, changes in land use, tourism.
Conservation measures taken. Protected species according to the national Biodiversity Act. Some localities are within sites of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Research into population size and area of distribution, assessment of habitat state; protection and maintenance of species habitats and the areas occupied.
References. Stefanova 1984; Stefanova-Gateva 1995; Dimitrov 2001.
Author: Desislava Sopotlieva
