Asparagus brachyphyllus Turczaninov, 1840

Asparagus brachyphyllus imageSynonyms: Asparagus pallasii Miscz., Asparagus ponticus Woronow

Common names: Engl: Short-leaved asparagus; Bulg: Asperja; Russ: Sparzha korotkolistnaya, Sparzha Pallasa; Turk: Asparagus; Ukr: Kholodok korotkolysty, Kholodok Pallasa

Order: ASPARAGALES

Family: ASPARAGACEAE

Taxonomic descriptions: It is a perennial prostrate grass with slightly rising wriggled curved thin stems (2-3 mm in diameter) in a top part. Cladodes are 5-10 mm lengthwise fan-like diverging and slightly sickle-like curved, dove-coloured, in bundles of 3-6 ones. The plants are dioecious, flowers are unisexual, they are located at the main lateral branches, one or two at a floriferous stem. The foetus is a berry.

Asparagus brachyphyllus arealIUCN Status:
    World level: NE
    Black Sea Regional level: VU
    Subregion level: VU in Ukraine

Distribution:

Habitats type, Critical habitats, Limiting factors: Littoral strip, steppe and salinic lands closed to the sea coast or salty lakes. Critical habitats: steppe Crimea near Razdol'noye, sandy coast of Karkinit Bay, northern coast of Kerch peninsula (Bagerovo, Kurortnoye). Limiting factors: phytophagans feeding, elimination during storms and severe weather conditions.

Biology: Reproduction - by seeds and vegetatively. The species has early spring development of overground shoots.

Population trends: The population is not numerous. Its area is decreasing because of habitat destruction.

Threats: Habitats reduction or complete destruction due to cattle grazing; local people pick up this plant for bunches decoration.

Conservation measures taken: The species has been entered in the Red Data Books of Bulgaria and Ukraine. It is conserved in the Belosaray spit reservation (Donetsk region, Ukraine).

Conservation measures proposed: Complete inventory of locations, the monitoring of populations, natural reservations organization.

References:

  1. Rubtsov, N.I. (ed.), 1972. Opredelitel' vysshikh rasteniy Kryma. (Identification Book of the Crimean Higher Plants). Leningrad: Nauka, 550 pp., (in Russian).
  2. Velchev, V. (ed.), 1984. Chervena kniga na NR Bulgaria. Tom 1. Rasteniya. (The Red Data Book of Bulgaria. Vol. 1. Plants). Sofia: Izdatelstvo na Bulgarskata Akademia na naukite, 448 pp., (in Bulgarian).
  3. Kryukova , I.V., Luks, Yu.A., Privalova, L.A., et al., 1988. Redkiye rasteniya i zhivotnyye Kryma. (Rare Plants and Animals of the Crimea). Simferopol: Tavria, 176 pp., (in Russian).
  4. Golubev, V.N., 1996. Biologicheskaya flora Kryma. (Biological Flora of the Crimea). Yalta: GNBS, 86 pp., (in Russian).
  5. Shelyag-Sosonko, Yu.R. (ed.), 1996. Chervona Knyga Ukrayiny. (The Red Data Book of Ukraine). Kyiv: Ukrayins'ka Entzyklopediya, 608 pp., (in Ukrainian).

Compiled by: L. Vakhrusheva