This species with a huge but very
fragmented range, expansed from Japan, Mandschuria and Korea up to
eastern Europe reaches it western limit in Transylvania (more
precisely at Fanatele Clujului, north of Cluj-Napoca). The
westernmost populations of it are in Moldavia and Transylvania - and
they are the only ones from the European Union.
Despite the fact that the species resembles
a whistle (Cirsium, Carduus) and so a ruderal species it is
in fact not spiny and is one of the most rare meadow-steppe
grassland representatives. Its range was drastically reduced due to
its habitat reduction (the Chernozems and Phaeozems under the
meadow-steppes are very fertile and virtually all the
surfaces were plowed if the terrain was sufficiently plain or
transformed into cattle pastures if affected by landslides), but
also due to its extreme sensitivity to grazing (both cattle or
sheep) and even mowing (the species flowers in august and spreads
its seeds in late september while the mowing is performed in july).
The species is not included in any
prioritary list, because it is to be found in EU only in Romania and
our naturalists neglected its importance both as a species and
ecosystem indicator until now.
The metapopulation from Cluj-Napoca -
Fanatele Clujului
The
population from Bontida-Visea
The
population from Boju-Straja Mare
The population from Rascruci
The
extinct population from Cojocna - Padurea Bisericii
The
metapopulation from Apata-Miclosoara area
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