Amberboa iljiniana: Red Data Book of Armenia

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

Category. Endangered species. The species occurs in two floristic regions. The area of distribution is fragmented. The extent of occurrence is less than 5000 km2, the area of occupancy is less than 500 km2. It was not included in the first edition of the Red Data Book of Armenia. It is not included in the Annexes of CITES and that of the Bern Convention.

Description. Annual plant, 2–15 cm, sometime stemless. Capitulum not large, solitary, at the centre of leaf rosette, or capitula 4–20, on short pedicels on the tips of the lateral, unequal, ascending, very branched shortened stems. Marginal infundibular flowers pink, not much exceeding the yellow central ones. Pappus 4–5 mm long.

Distribution. In Armenia it grows in Yerevan (Vedi, Dashtakar, Yeraskh) and Meghri (near Nakhichevan border) floristic regions. EOO is 1660 km2, AOO is 12 km2. The number of locations is 3. Beyond the borders of Armenia the species grows in Nakhichevan, East Transcaucasia, North–West Iran, Turkmenia.

Ecological, biological and phytocoenological peculiarities. Grows in lower mountain belt, at the altitudes of 700–1000 meters above sea level, on red clays of the Tertiary Period, on the ground stones of the river, on stony slopes, in semi–desert. Flowering from April to May, fruiting from May to June.

Limiting factors. Restricted extent of occurrence and area of occupancy, loss/degradation of habitats caused by land development.

Conservation actions. No conservation actions. Necessary: establishment of specially protected nature area in the surroundings of Agarak settlement, monitoring of the population state.