Sternbergia colchiciflora: Red Data Book of Armenia

EN B 1 ab(ii,iii,iv) + 2 ab(i,ii,iii,iv)

Category. Endangered species. The extent of occurrence and the area of occupancy are less than 500 km2. It was included in the first edition of the Red Data Book of Armenia under Category 0: Apparently disappearing species. It is included in the 2nd Annex of CITES. It is not included in the Annexes of the Bern Convention.

Description. Perennial herb with globular–ovate bulb; bulb tunics brown or blackish, collar up to 8 mm long. Leaves 3–6, dark green, linear, lorate, up to 3–5 mm broad and 10 cm long. Flowers yellow, bracteate, 2,5–5 mm long. Capsule 8–10 mm in diam., globular or ovaloid.

Distribution. In Armenia it is met in Idjevan (surroundings of the village Getahovit) and Yerevan (surroundings of Yerevan) floristic regions. EOO is 230 km2, AOO is 12 km2, the number of locations is 2. The general area of distribution includes Ciscaucasia, East Caucasus, Central and South Transcaucasia, South Europe, the Balkan Peninsula, Moldavia, the Crimea, Asia Minor, West Siberia, Israel, Iran.

Ecological, biological and phytocoenological peculiarities. Grows in lower and middle mountain belts, at the altitudes of 600–1500 meters above sea level, on dry stony slopes, on the clays of the Tertiary period, in semi–desert. Flowering from September to October, fruiting from April to May. It is cleistogamous plant: the flowers mostly develop inside the bulbs, under the soil. The fruits spring up on the surface of the soil and mature in spring of the next year.

Limiting factors. Restricted extent of occurrence and area of occupancy, loss/degradation of habitats caused by the expansion of arable lands, summer cottage building.

Conservation actions. No conservation actions. Necessary: monitoring of the population state, search of new habitats.