Abstract
Fritillaria orientalis Adams is an endangered central Balkan and Illyrian species with sporadic presence in Romania, declared "Natural Monument". A new protected area of 22.18 ha located southwards to the village Berchieșu (Frata commune) is proposed for conserving the most important and abundant population of F. orientalis in the Cluj county, assessment based on available literature and personal observations in the field. For this reason, the area has special botanical value and needs to be legally protected in order to preserve this isolated population. This paper presents floristic data and vegetation characteristics along with relevant illustration of the proposed protected area. In order to easily distinguish F. orientalis from F. meleagris L., reported as well in the Cluj county, morphological, biometric and ecological differentiation characters are presented. Plant individuals of F. orientalis from Berchieșu are characterized by a pronounced diversity regarding the height of flower stems and colour of perianth. Collection of flowers or whole plants, extension of cultivated lands, improvised fire places near the forest edge, logging, fertilization of agricultural fields and motorized access threatens this population. Therefore, we propose a set of measures to assure its sustainable conservation and monitoring of the phytocoenoses to assess the effectiveness of protective actions.
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