Draba araratica: Red Data Book of Armenia

EN B 1 ab(iii) + 2 ab(iii)

Category. Endangered species. In the Caucasus it occurs only in Armenia. The extent of occurrence is less than 5000 km2, the area of occupancy is less than 500 km2. The species is on the verge of extinction caused by global climate change. 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. Densely caespitose, cushion shaped perennial plants 8–10 cm. Leaves entire, in basal rosette, shortly densely pubescent. Scapes 2–5 (8)–flowered, 1–3 (5) cm long, glabrous. Flowers yellow. Silicle oval or almost rounded, 2,5–4 mm long, glabrous or pubescent; loculi with 2–4 seeds.

Distribution. In Armenia it grows in Aragats (Aragats Mountain) and Gegham (Gegham mountain range) floristic regions. EOO is 550 km2, AOO is 20 km2, the number of locations is 2. Besides Armenia the general area of distribution includes North–East Anatolia.

Ecological, biological and phytocoenological peculiarities. Grows in alpine and sub–alpine belts, at the altitudes of 2300–3300 meters above sea level, on stony places. Flowering in July, fruiting in August–September.

Limiting factors. Restricted extent of occurrence and area of occupancy, global climate change.

Conservation actions. Part of the population of Gegham mountain range is situated in the buffer zone of “Sevan” National Park. Necessary: monitoring of the population state.