In the territory of the National Nature Park "Tuzlovsky estuaries" in the Odessa region recorded a rare natural phenomenon - flowering of the red -book plant of the late flower of Ankarsky. This phenomenon occurred in the days between Christmas and the new year of 2024, which makes it especially unique, because late flowers usually blooms in the spring. Park staff, including Doctor of Biological Sciences Ivan Rusev, call it a winter weirdness.
Late Ankarskaya is a perennial poisonous plant of the late -flower family. Usually it occurs in the steppes of the Northern Black Sea, Crimea, as well as in some parts of the Balkans and Asia Minor. The size of the plant does not exceed 15 centimeters, and its flowers have high decorative value. People are called "Brandushka" in the people. Late Ankarskaya is one of the earliest ephemeroids (plants that quickly pass the life cycle and disappear before the onset of summer heat) among all primroses. According to Ivan Rusev, this flowering symbolizes the beginning of spring in the ecosystems of the Kogilnyk River Basin, near the city of Tatarbunar.
The flowering of the late flower of the Ankarsky in the period between the holidays is a phenomenon not only unusual for this plant, but also rare for the winter season as a whole. According to Rusev, the flower began to show its first leaves immediately after the winter solstice of 2024, which indicates the activation of natural processes at a rather non -standard time for them. This flowering is a confirmation of changes in climatic conditions and environmental processes that occur in nature, in particular in regions where the plant usually appears in the spring. However, such deviations from the norm can also be a consequence of changes caused by anthropogenic factors.
Despite its rarity and environmental importance, the late flower of Ankarsky faces numerous threats. One of the main is the activity of the person, which includes plowing the steppe areas, grazing, as well as deforestation. Because of this, late flowers, like many other steppe plants, began to disappear more than 30 years ago, when more than 50% of the steppe territories were illegally plowed in Tuzlovsky estuaries. In addition, there is a threat from a person who collects flowers for sale or digs a tuber of late flowers, which only aggravates the situation. Thus, the Late Annarsky flower is not only part of the natural landscape, but also an important link in the ecosystem that needs protection.
Detection of flowering of the late flower of Ankarsky in the winter in the territory of the National Nature Park "Tuzlovsky estuaries" is not only a wonderful proof of natural diversity, but also an important signal of changes occurring in the natural environment through climate change and anthropogenic factors. This case is another reminder of the need to preserve and protect red -book plants, such as late flowers, from further destruction.
