In: Phyton 57 (2017): S. 37-45 DOI: 10.12905/0380.phyton57-2018-0037 Published online on 30th January 2018


Published online on 30th January 2018

Rare and threatened Stipa ucrainica (Poaceae) found in Macedonia – a new Pontic disjunction in the Balkans

Eva Kabaš, Marjan Niketic, Renata Cušterevska, Gordana Tomovic, Snežana Vukojicic & Dmitar Lakušic

Key words: Stipa ucrainica, new record, Macedonia, Balkans, Pontic element, disjunction, relic, steppe, ultramafics.

Summary
Kabaš E., Niketic M., Cušterevska R., Tomovic G., Vukojicic S. & Lakušic D. 2018. Rare and threatened Stipa ucrainica (Poaceae) found in Macedonia – a new Pontic disjunction in the Balkans. – Phyton (Horn, Austria) 57 (1–2): 37–45, with 4 figures.

Stipa ucrainica P. A. Smirn. (Poaceae, Pooideae, Stipeae) was found for the first time in the northern part of the Republic of Macedonia, in the Pcinja River gorge between Veles and Katlanovo. This population is very isolated from the core distribution area of the species and is found on ultramafic substrate. This is the hitherto only known locality of the species in the central Balkan Peninsula and it marks the westernmost occurrence of St. ucrainica. Until recently, the species was known to be distributed in Ukraine, the European part of Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Moldova, Romania, and Bulgaria. Morphological properties as well as the cross-section of the leaf are given. Habitat preferences and phytosociological characteristics are provided. The conservation status of the species for Macedonia was assessed using IUCN criteria.