The protection of extinct relict plant species in Crimea is associated with both climate change and the rarity and scarcity of these species on the Crimean Peninsula. The relict Pleistocene species pipsissewa (Chimaphila umbellata (L.) Barton) was known in Crimea from a small number of literary references and a few herbarium specimens. However, this species has not been recorded in Crimea for more than 40 years; moreover, the data on its distribution and abundance were inaccurate. This research enabled us to rediscover one of described earlier Crimean populations east of Mount Paragilmen and determine its spatial structure and abundance. A new, previously unknown population was identified in the area of Angarsky Pass, and its structure and numbers were studied. Detailed geobotanical and topological descriptions of the specified habitats of the species in Crimea are provided. An analysis of data on the species and its distribution in Crimea was conducted, revealing modern threats to the species’ existence. Searches for the species were carried out in the locations specified in the literature. All known locations were mapped, and a geoinformation database of the species’ distribution in Crimea was created. The authors calculated number of vegetative and generative shoots in the cenopopulation and compared the abundance with literature data. A reduction in the number of the species in Crimea was recorded. It is recommended to change the rarity status category in the Red Data Book of the Republic of Crimea. The presented data are important for conservation efforts to protect and further study the species in Crimea.
Chimaphila umbellata, Crimea, relict, population, state
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