Paeonia tenuifolia

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Common name

Scientific name

Paeonia tenuifolia L.

Conservation status and threats

PROTECTED species in Bulgaria.

The species is listed in the Red Data Book of the Republic of Bulgaria to the category "Endangered" [Antoaneta Petrova, 2015 in: Red Data Book of the Republic of Bulgaria].

Description and identification

Perennial plant with tuberous roots. Stems erect, 15–40 cm, with a terminal flower. Leaves alternate, 2–3-pinnate, with numerous linear segments. Flowers with 5–6 sepals and 8–10 large, dark red petals and many stamens with yellow anthers. Fruit with 3–4(5) hairy carpels. Fl. IV–V, fr. VIII–IX. Insect pollination. Reproduction by seeds. Recruitment is very low and limited within the boundaries in the localities as there are no special adaptations for dispersal [Antoaneta Petrova, 2015 in: Red Data Book of the Republic of Bulgaria].

Habitat

Dry grasslands, almost always on stony limestone terrain. Found locally, subpopulations occupy areas of up to 0.5 ha, rarely to 10 ha [Petrova, 2015].

Distribution in Bulgaria

In the next floristic region: Black Sea coast, NE Bulgaria, Danubian Plain (river Studena valley), Znepole region (near Dragoman), Sofia region (Ponor, Bozhurishte, etc.), Toundzha Hilly Country and Strandzha Mts; up to 700 m alt. Most numerous are the populations on moderately grazed pastures in Dobrudzha (vicinities of the villages Balgarevo, Vaklino, Tyulenovo, Sveti Nikola, Vranino, Vidno, Rakovski, Neikovo, Septemvriitsi, Krupen, Bezhanovo, Bozhanovo, Sredinsko, Sarneno) and the population in Bozhurlaka locality near Gorna Studena village. Some localities (near Malko Tarnovo in Strandzha Mts) have not been confirmed for decades [Petrova, 2015].

Paeonia tenuifolia на български

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