European regional assessment: Data Deficient (DD)
EU 27 regional assessment: Data Deficient (DD)

The information available is not enough to carry out an assessment. In particular, information from Romania, Russia and European Turkey is missing and the species is therefore assessed as Data Deficient for the moment.

This species with disjunctive range extends from the eastern Balkan Peninsula into Romania, Ukraine and southern Russia, Caucasus, Asia Minor and Iran.

It was found fairly recently (about 2008) in northeastern Hungary and is presented by only one population with an occupied area of less than 1 km². There are some doubts whether it is native to Hungary.

In Bulgaria, it is found in some of the floristic regions of the country, mostly in the east and in the north, with some localities in western Bulgaria. It is localised and fragmented but not severely fragmented in eastern Bulgaria. The population trend is decreasing with some lost localities even in recent times. It grows up to 700 m altitude. Most localities are up to 0.5 hectares. For Bulgaria the area of occupancy is less than 500 km² as the plant is found in less than 25 10x10 km grid squares.

In Serbia, the species is distributed in the Banat province (sand steppe of Deliblatska) where the most abundant population occurs, and in the sand steppe along the Danube near Kladovo and Radujevac (extinct from both sites). Recently, it has been discovered far south in east Serbia in the surroundings of Dimitrovgrad- village Odorovci (Zlatković et al. 2005).

In Serbia, the number of individuals in the most abundant site (Deliblatska Sands) exceeds several thousand mature individuals. In the last 50 years the size of the population has rapidly decreased, and the current population is estimated to be less than 50% in comparison with previous stages. The number of individuals of the newly discovered population in east Serbia is estimated to be less than 200 mature individuals (B. Zlatković pers. comm. 2011).

In Crimea, the number of individuals is nearly one million, including 10,000 individuals in the mountain massif Karadag. The density of the population in the Ukrainian Steppe and Luganskij reserves are one individual/m². Many localities are extinct.

In Hungary, it is found in dry grasslands. In Bulgaria, it is also found in stony areas and on limestone.

In Ukraine, it grows in steppe and is a member of Vinco herbaceae-Caraganetum fruticis, Plantagini stepposae-Stipetum pulcherrimae, Adonidi- Stipetum tirsae associations, Festuco-Brometea class.

In Serbia, this plant inhabits meadow-steppe communities and pastures (Chrysopogonetum grylli panonicum and Potentillo-Festucetum valesiacae from alliance Festucion rupicolae). It is not frequent in scattered scrub of Crataegus monogyna together with other steppe plants such as Rindera umbellata, Pulsatilla grandis, Adonis vernalis, Onobrychis arenaria, Iris pumila, Astragalus dasyanthus etc. This plant grows on humus rich sandy pararendzina soil, very similar to chernozem. Habitats of new discovered population in east Serbia are limestone steppe like grasslands and derelict vineyards and backyards.

In Bulgaria, former threats were agriculture and pine plantations and quarrying. In recent years, the construction of wind farms is becoming a serious threat.

In Serbia, the main threats in the sand steppe of Deliblatska Sands natural reserve are pine plantations and the abandonment of sheep grazing which results in the replacement of open steppe communities and pastures with dense Crataegus mongyna shrub formations.

The petals of the plant were collected for medicinal purposes. It is not officially allowed to collect but there might be small-scale collections going on. This affects the plants seed productions. Small-scale collection or cutting for decorative use and horticulture is possible.

This species is listed under Appendix I of the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention).

It is categorized as Critically Endangered (CR A4cd) in Russia (I. Illarionova pers. comm. 2010). It is included in the Red Data Book of Ukraine as Vulnerable and protected in the Luganskij, Karadagskij, Jaltinskij, Crimskij steppe reserves. This plant is found in many protected areas of Ukraine; ex situ protection is carried out in the National Botanical Garden of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences in Kyiv.

In Bulgaria, it is listed as Endangered B2ab(ii,iv,v) and it is protected at national level. In Serbia, it would qualify as Vulnerable C1; C2a; D2 (Stevanović et al. 2005-2011).

Information on population size and trend as well as threats in other parts of its range is needed.