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Planning of conservation actions for Peganum harmala in Cyprus

29 November 2016

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On 25 November 2016 the CARE-MEDIFLORA team in Cyprus held a meeting with the Municipality of Nicosia, the Department of Environment (Governmental organization - Competent authority of Cyprus for CBD and NATURA 2000 network) and the Department of Antiquities (Governmental organization) for planning the in situ conservation actions for Peganum harmala around the medieval walls of Nicosia.

In Cyprus, Peganum harmala had been recorded at six locations, from 1862 to 1952. In recent years, only one of the locations has been verified, near the old Nicosia walls (Famagusta gate, "Pyli Ammochostou"), where only 20 plants were found. In 2007, the species was classified as Critically Endangered in the Red Data Book of the Flora of Cyprus. Since then, the small population of Peganum harmala has been destroyed by human activities. However, the species is cultivated in the small Botanic garden of Athalassa Environmental and Education Centre, from seed originating from the destroyed population, enabling its reintroduction into the wild.

* Peganum harmala is an erect perennial herb, 25-70 cm high, with a woody rootstock and glabrous stems. The leaves are sessile, irregularly divided into linear lobes.  It has solitary flowers, with whitish or greenish petals. The fruit is a globose capsule.

 

Peganum harmala

  

 

Site around the medieval walls of Nicosia where the in situ conservation actions for Peganum harmala will be enforced 

    

 

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MAVA Foundation

Mediterranean Plant Specialist Group (IUCN/SSC) Sóller Botanical Garden Foundation, Balearic Islands Office of the Environment of Corsica - National Botanical Academy of Corsica Hortus Botanicus Karalitanus, Sardinia University of Catania, Sicily Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania, Crete Agricultural Research Institute, Cyprus Department of Forests, Cyprus