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Lathyrus alpestris

Alpine Vetchling

Pictures of Lathyrus alpestris

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Common name

Alpine Vetchling.

Scientific name

Lathyrus alpestris (Waldst. & Kit.) Kit.

Conservation status and threats

The species is PROTECTED by the law in Bulgaria.

Listed in the Red Data Book of Bulgaria to the category "Critically Endangered"¹.

Description and identification

Lathyrus alpestris is a perennial, rhizomatous herb. Stems erect, 10–50 high, not winged or with narrow wings towards the apex. Leaves paripinnate, mucronate, with 2–4 pairs of lanceolate to elliptical leaflets, 20–50 mm long. Flowers clustered by 3–6 in lax racemes. Calyx with unequal teeth. Petals purple-red to blue violet. Legume linear, dark brown. Flowering May-July².

Habitat and Ecology

Occurs in grassy places in alpine meadows and scrub with Juniperus sibirica in the montane and alpine belts. Population is fragmented, density varies from single plants to groups with considerable density³.

Distribution in Bulgaria

Vitosha region (“Aleko” chalet, Reznyovete and Koupena peaks), from 1700 up to 2250 m alt. Reported also from Rila Mts (not confirmed since 1843) and erroneously from the Balkan Range (central) and Rodopi Mts (western, central)⁴.

General distribution

Balkan Peninsula (Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, North Macedonia, Serbia)⁵.

References

1 Anita Tosheva, Boris Assyov, Cvetomir M. Denchev. 2015. In: Red Data Book of the Republic of Bulgaria. Volume 1 - Plants & Fungi.

2 Anita Tosheva, Boris Assyov, Cvetomir M. Denchev. 2015.

3 Anita Tosheva, Boris Assyov, Cvetomir M. Denchev. 2015.

4 Anita Tosheva, Boris Assyov, Cvetomir M. Denchev. 2015.

5 Anita Tosheva, Boris Assyov, Cvetomir M. Denchev. 2015

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