The paper presents the results of a study on the geographic distribution, habitats, and current state of populations in Ukraine of a rare species of the East European flora, Colchicum triphyllum (Colchicaceae). It was established that the northeastern boundary of the range of this species in Europe runs through Ukraine along the northern margin of the right-bank part of the Black Sea Lowland, coincides with the Dnipro River valley, and then continues along the boundary between the mainland and the Crimean Peninsula. Our analysis of the geographic distribution distinguished two fragments of the range within Ukraine. One fragment is confined to the Bessarabian Upland and the right-bank part of the Black Sea Lowland (Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Kherson regions), while another is associated with the Crimean Peninsula and the adjacent sandy spits of the Azov Sea region (Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Kherson Region). Local populations of Colchicum triphyllum identified at new localities in Odesa Region along the coasts of the Hadzhibei, Kuyalnyk, and Tyligul estuaries occupy areas ranging from 300 m² to 15.000 m². Populations of Colchicum triphyllum are satisfactorily represented within protected natural areas of Crimea and southern mainland Ukraine; however, this does not guarantee their conservation, as a significant number of populations occur in temporarily occupied territories where environmental protection regulations are not being observed.

Keywords: biodiversity, community, Crimean Peninsula, flora, Mykolaiv Region, Odesa Region, range, rare species, Ukraine

Full text: PDF (Ukr) 3.00M

1. Bordzilovskyi Ye.I. 1950. Liliaceae. In: Flora URSR. Vol. 3. Kyiv: Vyd-vo AN URSR, pp. 74–79.
2. Buhaj L.V. 2024. Finding rare species of plants within territory of natural reserve "Jelanetskij steppe" (Mykolaiv Region). In: Records of rare biodiversity of Ukraine. Kyiv; Chernivtsi: Printing house ART, pp. 65–66.
3. Cabeza J.P. 2009. Algunas plantas interesantes para la flore de Aragon. Flora Montiberica, 41: 22–27.
4. Chacón J., Cusimano N., Renner S.S. 2014. The evolution of Colchicaceae with a focus of chromosome numbers. Systematic Botany, 39(2): 415–427. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/24546152
5. Conti F., Manzi A., Pedrotti F. 1992. Libro Rosso delle Piante d’Italia, WWF Italia. Roma: TIPAR poligrafica editrice, 637 pp.
6. Dyatlov S.Je., Huslyakov P.E., Ruzhitskaya I.P. 1984. About protection of rare and threatened species of plants of Western Black Sea region. In: Materials of scientific conference of young scientists of Odessa University. Biology. Odessa, pp. 144–146.
7. Düsen O.D., Sümbül H.A. 2007. A morphological investigation of Colchicum L. (Liliaceae) species in the Mediterranean region in Turkey. Turkish Journal of Botany, 31(5): 373–419. Available at: https://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/botany/vol31/iss5/2
8. Ghendov V., Izverskaya T., Sabanova G. 2015. Colchicum triphyllum. In: Cartea Roşie a Republicii Moldova. 2 ediţia. Ed. G. Duca. Chişinău: Ştiinţa, p. 151.
9. Gnatiuk A.M. 2007. Colchicum ancyrense B.L. Burtt (Colchicaceae) in nature and in primary culture. Scientific Notes of Ternopil National Pedogogical University. Series: Biology, 4(34): 28–31.
10. Gnatiuk A.M. 2024. Meadow saffrons (Colchicaceae L. s. s.) in Ukraine. Kyiv: Lira-K, 216 pp. https://doi.org/10.59647/978-617-8565-03-9/1
11. Harper J. 2010. Population Biology of plants. Reprint edition. Amsterdam: Academic Press, 892 p.
12. Holz H., Segar J., Vaidez J.W., Stande J. 2022. Assessing extinction risk across the geographic ranges of plant species in Europe. Plants, People, Planet, 4: 303–311. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10251
13. Kheloufi A. 2023. First record of Colchicum triphyllum (Colchicaceae) from high altitude in Northeastern Algeria. Acta Horti Botanici Bukurestiensis, 49(1): 17–24. https://doi.org/10.62229/ahbb491Z1Grd.039xf
14. Krytska L.I., Yena A.V., Novosad W.V. 2009. Colchicum ancyrense. In: Chervona knyha Ukrainy. Roslynnyi svit (Red Data Book of Ukraine. Plant Kingdom). Ed. Ya.P. Didukh. Kyiv: Globalconsulting, p. 565.
15. Lentini F., Raimondo F.M. 1984. Contribution à la connaissance du genre "Colchicum" en Sicile. Webbia, 38(1): 747–755. https://doi.org/10.1080/00837792.1984.10670345
16. Malo S., Shuka L. 2013. Distribution of Colchicum doerfleri Halácsy, Colchicum triphyllum Kunze and Colchicum bivonae Guss. Journal of Ecosystems and Ecology Sciences, 3(2): 273–278.
17. Melnyk V., Didenko S. 2021. Geographical distribution, habitats and current state of the Galanthus elwesii (Amaryllidaceae) populations in Ukraine. Phytologia Balcanica, 27(2): 221–229. Available at: http://www.bio.bas.bg/~phytolbalcan/PDF/27_2/contents.html
18. Melnyk V., Shynder O., Didenko S., Savchuk L. 2024. Euonymus nanus (Celastraceae) in Europe and in the Caucasus Mountains: geographical distribution, habitats and modern state of populations. Biosystems Diversity, 32(1): 116–126. https://doi.org/10.15421/012411
19. Melnyk R.P., Melnychuk S.S., D'yachenko O.V. 2025. Colchicum ancyrense B.L. Burtt on the territory of the Tyligulsky RLP (Mykolaiv Region, Ukraine). In: Problems of ecology and energysaving: XVI International scientific and practical conference. Mykolaiv: Vyd-vo of National University of Shipbuilding, pp. 226–230.
20. Moysiyenko I.I., Kolomiychuk V.P., Boyko M.F., Khodosovtsev O.S., Vondrak Ja., Naumovych G.O., Khodosovtseva Yu.A. 2009. First notification about growing of Colchicum ancyrense B.L. Burtt in Kherson Region. Chornomorski Botanical Journal, 5(4): 612–616. Available at: https://cbj.kspu.edu/index.php/cbj/article/view/609
21. Oltean M., Negrean G., Popesku A., Roman N., Dihoru G., Sanda V., Mihailesku S. 1994. Lista rosie a plantelor superio are din Romania. Studii, sintenze, documenta, tii de ecologie, 1: 1–52.
22. Nordenstam B. 1998. Colchicaceae. In: Kubitzki K. (ed.) The families and genera of vascular plants. Vol. 3. Berlin: Springer Verlag, pp. 175–185.
23. Pachoskyi [Paczoski] J. 1914. Flora of Kherson Region. I. Higher cryptogamic, gymnosperm, monocotyledonous plants. Kherson: Olkhovnikov’s Printing House, 548 pp.
24. Popova O.M. 2002. The vascular plants from Red Data Book of Ukraine, world and European Red Lists. Scientific Journal of Odessa University. Series: Biology, 1(7): 178–190.
25. Shesterykov P. 1908. New additional data for flora of Odessa district. Mémoires de la Société des Naturalistes de la Nouvelle Russie, 33: 1–44.
26. Skorobohatov V.M. 2023. A new find of Colchicum triphyllum Kunze s. l. (incl. Colchicum ancyrense B.L. Burtt in the Mykolaiv Region. In: Modern approaches to the assessment and conservation of biodiversity in the territories of the nature reserve fund: Collection of scientific papers based on the materials of the All-Ukrainian scientific conference. Cherkasy; Chernivtsi: Druk-Art. pp. 146–148.
27. Schmalhausen I.F. 1897. Flora of Middle and Southern Russia, Crimea and the North Caucasus. Vol. 2. Kyiv: I.N. Kushnerev & Co., xvi + 752 pp.
28. Stefanov B. 1926. Monographia of Colchicum L. genera. Sophia, 100 pp.
29. Tarasov V.V. 2005. Flora of Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizza regions. Vascular plants. DNU Press Edition, 276 pp.
30. Thiers B. 2025–onward. Index Herbariorum. A global directory of public herbaria and associated staff. New York Botanical Garden's Virtual Herbarium. Available at: http://sweetgum.nybg.org/science/ih (Accessed 15 December 2025).
31. Yena A.V., Kovtun S.V., Mruk Yu.N., Orlov A.A. 1988. Finding of large populations of spring ephemeroids in steppe Crimea. In: Actual issues of protection and rendering of steppe ecosystems. Askaniya Nova, pp. 174–176.
32. Vakhrusheva L.P. 2011. Spatial structure of Colchicum ansurense population in petrophilous steppe Krasnogvardijskij District (Crimea). Ecosystems, their improvement and protection, 5: 52–57. Available at: http://nbuv.gov.ua/UJRN/ecooo_2011_5_8
33. Vakhrusheva L.P., Burlaka D.V. 2011. Age structure of Colchicum ansyrense population in petrofilous steppe in Krasnogvardijskij District of Crimea. Ecosystems, their improvement and protection, 4: 35–42. Available at: http://nbuv.gov.ua/UJRN/ecooo_2011_4_7
34. Wulff E.V. 1929. Flora of Crimea. Monocotylodoneae. Vol. 2(1). Leningrad: Gidrographic agency printing house, 77 pp.