A rare perennial herbaceous plant with delicate pale lilac flowers has unexpectedly drawn the attention of botanists, making it to the list of the most intriguing natural discoveries in Ukraine. This refers to Corydalis paczoskii. The discovery, made by Kyiv scientist Denis Davydov, occurred not in an exotic country or a remote mountainous area, but in the vicinity of the city of Dnipro, within the territory of the Dnipro-Orel Nature Reserve, reports "Vidomo".
The find, documented in October 2023 on the iNaturalist platform, represents a significant event for the floristics of not just the region but the entire country. Corydalis paczoskii is an endemic species, meaning it is found exclusively in a specific limited area. Its distribution is mainly concentrated in the southern steppe zone, in the Mountain Crimea and the Pre-Caucasus.
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In Crimea, it is quite common, but in the flat part of Ukraine, only a few locations are known – in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Mykolaiv regions. Prior to this discovery, the northernmost known populations were located on the outskirts of Zaporizhzhia.
The find in Dnipropetrovsk region significantly expands the known range of Corydalis paczoskii, pushing its northern boundary much further.
Denis Davydov, who discovered this plant, emphasized the key features of the plant – the elongated-linear shape of the seed capsules, which are crucial for identification.
Scientists do not rule out the possibility of natural seed dispersal by wind or animals to the Dnipropetrovsk region; some specialists suggest that climate change may influence the expansion of the species' range.
Rising average temperatures and changes in precipitation could facilitate the migration of plants to more northern regions. However, the anthropogenic factor cannot be excluded, such as the accidental or intentional introduction of seeds with other plant materials.