Amberboa sosnovskyi: Red Data Book of Armenia

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

Category. Endangered species. It occurs in one floristic region. 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 1: Endangered species. It is not included in the Annexes of CITES and that of the Bern Convention.

Description. Annual plants. Stems 2–15 cm, thin, usually glabrous, unbranched or rarely weakly branched. Leaves entire, thick, oblong– lanceolate, serrate–incised, slightly crisped–lanose. Capitula terminal, oblong–ovate or cylindrical, on long pedicels. Involucre phyllaries glabrous, external and middle ones with bright purple margins and veins. Marginal flowers pink, slightly enlarged, usually 3–7 mm longer than central ones. Achenes lanceolate, light brown, densely sericeous. Pappus 2 mm long.

Distribution. In Armenia it grows in Yerevan (Surenavan, Armash, Yeraskh, Urts mountain range) floristic region. EOO is 210 km2, AOO is 40 km2. The number of locations is 1. Beyond the borders of Armenia the species grows in Nakhichevan, East Transcaucasia and North–West Iran.

Ecological, biological and phytocoenological peculiarities. Grows in lower and middle mountain belts, at the altitudes of 800–1700 meters above sea level, on stony slopes and screes, in semi–desert and among phryganoid vegetation. 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: monitoring of the population state.