LILIES - RHS Lily Group

Threatened species
As a result of our original research since 1996, it was clarified that 24 species
officially included in the Red Data Book of Russia (2005) occur in the Lower Khoper
Nature Park, these are: Artemisia hololeuca Bieb. ex Bess., A. salsoloides Willd.
(Asteraceae), Lepidium meyeri Claus, Matthiola fragrans Bunge (Brassicaceae),
Silene cretacea Fisch., S. hellmannii Claus (Caryophyllaceae), Scrophularia
cretacea Fisch. (Scrophulariaceae), Astragalus tanaiticus C. Koch, Hedysarum
cretaceum Fisch., H. grandiflorum Pall. (Fabaceae), Allium regelianum
A. Beck. (Alliaceae), Bulbocodium versicolor (Ker-Gawl.) Spreng. (Colchicaceae),
Bellevalia speciosa (Georgi) Woronow (Hyacinthaceae), Fritillaria ruthenica
Wikstr., Tulipa schrenkii Regel (Liliaceae), Iris aphylla L. (Iridaceae),
Hyssopus cretaceus Dubjan. (Lamiaceae), Stipa dasyphylla (Lindem), Trautv.,
S. pennata L., S. pulcherrima C. Koch (Poaceae), Orchis coriophora L.,
O. militaris L., O. palustris Jacq. (Orchidaceae), Paeonia tenuifolia
L. (Paeoniaceae). Iris pumila L. was included in the first edition of the Red Data
Book of Russia (1988), it also grows in this territory.
The main factor causing the disappearance of many steppe plants was
ploughing up of virgin steppe but even hay making has an influence on the
population and distribution of certain species (for example, Allium regelianum
and Fritillaria meleagroides). First of all, this is true for those meadow-steppe
species which have unripe seeds in the hay making season. So, in hay making
areas one cannot find Bellevalia speciosa. It cannot be propagated vegetatively
with bulbils but only by seed and plants must pass through difficult and complex
phases of development during several years before they come into flower. And
under continuous cutting of the grass the mother bulb is gradually exhausted
and dies (Firsov, Baranova, 2002). Our inspection of chalk hills of the Khoper
River from khutor Koso-Kluchansky downwards to the mouth of Kumilga River
in July 2001 showed that certain plants, such as bulbous alliums, grow only on a
very narrow strip along the precipitous bank of the river, at times only 2 to 5 m
wide, from the edge of the upland oak wood or edge of the slope to the edge
of field or hay making area. It is the bulbous species that are most at peril from
the plough which throws them up to the soil surface where they soon dry out
and perish.
At present the situation with plant conservation has changed considerably.
The Red Data Book of the Volgograd region has been published and the
“Nizhnekhopersky” and “Ust-Medveditsky” parks have been established at
the lower reaches of the Khoper and Medveditsa rivers. In total seven nature
parks were recently created in the Volgograd region. We hope this will
help to conserve and protect large areas of steppe vegetation for future
generations.
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