Botany guide · Romania

Flora Dobrogei —
Listă Interactivă de Plante

Dobrogea stands apart from the rest of Romania. Its Pontic steppe grasslands, ancient Hercynian geology and warm, sub-Mediterranean climate create conditions found nowhere else in the country. The Măcin Mountains — among the oldest in Europe — support endemic plants on rocky outcrops above dry grasslands, while the coastal fringe harbours halophytic marshes and sand dune specialists.

This checklist brings together 120 vascular plant specii characteristic of Dobrogea's key habitats, all associated with Natura 2000 habitat types. Filters allow exploration by habitat, endemism status and protection level.

120Species listed

7Endemic / SE European

38Protected or rare

Habitats and botanical regions

Dobrogea's flora reflects a gradient from continental steppe in the interior to maritime influence along the Black Sea coast. The Babadag Plateau and Măcin Mountains host the richest concentrations of steppe and rocky grassland specii, including several narrow endemics. Lower elevations transition into thermophilous forests with sub-Mediterranean elements. The littoral zone — from the Danube Delta fringe through coastal lagoons to sandy shores — supports halophytic communities and dune vegetation of high conservation value.

Notable specii

Dianthus nardiformis — pink carnation on rocky steppe

Paeonia peregrina — wild red peony in oak forest

Convolvulus persicus — white flowers on coastal sand

Periploca graeca — silk vine twining on shrubs

Scutellaria orientalis — yellow skullcap on rocky steppe

Limodorum abortivum — violet ghost orchid in shade

Using the interactive checklist

The table can be filtered by habitat type (steppe, rocky, forest, wetland, halophytic, coastal), endemism level (endemic, SE European, regional) and protection status (protected, rare, common). This structure helps botanists, wildlife tour participants and nature photographers identify specii characteristic of different Dobrogea habitats.

Interactive Flora Checklist — Dobrogea, Romania

Complete checklist of 120 specii from Natura 2000 habitats in Dobrogea — filter by habitat, endemism or protection status.

Showing 120 of 120 specii

#	Scientific Name	Primary Habitat	Habitat Type	Endemism	Protecție	N2K
1	Campanula romanica	Măcin Mountains	Stepă stâncoasă	Endemic	Protejat	✓
2	Ferula mikraskythiana	Dobrogea	Versanți stâncoși	Endemic	Protejat	✓
3	Euphorbia dobrogensis	Dobrogea	Stepă	Endemic	Rar	✓
4	Paeonia tenuifolia	Pontic steppe	Stepă	Regional	Protejat	✓
5	Stipa capillata	Dry grasslands	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
6	Stipa ucrainica	Dry grasslands	Stepă	Regional	Rar	✓
7	Stipa lessingiana	Dry grasslands	Stepă	Regional	Rar	✓
8	Festuca valesiaca	Xeric grasslands	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
9	Koeleria lobata	Dry slopes	Stepă	Regional	Rar	✓
10	Bothriochloa ischaemum	Dry slopes	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
11	Dichanthium ischaemum	Dry slopes	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
12	Astragalus ponticus	Dry slopes	Stepă	Regional	Rar	✓
13	Astragalus glaucus	Dry slopes	Stepă	Regional	Rar	✓
14	Salvia nutans	Stepă	Stepă	Regional	Comun	✓
15	Adonis vernalis	Stepă	Stepă	Regional	Protejat	✓
16	Pulsatilla pratensis	Stepă	Stepă	Regional	Protejat	✓
17	Himantoglossum caprinum	Stepă	Pajiște cu orhidee	Regional	Protejat	✓
18	Ophrys oestrifera	Stepă	Pajiște cu orhidee	Regional	Protejat	✓
19	Neotinea tridentata	Stepă	Pajiște cu orhidee	Regional	Protejat	✓
20	Dianthus nardiformis	Versanți stâncoși	Stepă stâncoasă	Regional	Rar	✓
21	Moehringia jankae	Măcin	Aflorimente stâncoase	Europa de SE	Protejat	✓
22	Moehringia grisebachii	Măcin	Aflorimente stâncoase	Europa de SE	Rar	✓
23	Silene cserei	Rocky habitats	Stepă stâncoasă	Europa de SE	Rar	✓
24	Ephedra distachya	Sandy soils	Stepă	Regional	Rar	✓
25	Achillea clypeolata	Versanți stâncoși	Stepă stâncoasă	Regional	Comun	✓
26	Asphodeline lutea	Versanți stâncoși	Stepă stâncoasă	Regional	Rar	✓
27	Quercus pubescens	Thermophilous forest	Pădure	—	Comun	✓
28	Quercus frainetto	Silvosteppe	Pădure	Regional	Comun	✓
29	Quercus cerris	Thermophilous forest	Pădure	Regional	Comun	✓
30	Carpinus orientalis	Dry forests	Pădure	Regional	Comun	✓
31	Tilia tomentosa	Pădure	Pădure	Regional	Comun	✓
32	Fraxinus ornus	Thermophilous forest	Pădure	Regional	Comun	✓
33	Acer tataricum	Forest margin	Pădure	Regional	Comun	✓
34	Paliurus spina-christi	Forest margin	Tufărișuri	Regional	Rar	✓
35	Jasminum fruticans	Forest margin	Tufărișuri	Regional	Rar	✓
36	Cotinus coggygria	Forest margin	Tufărișuri	Regional	Comun	✓
37	Eryngium maritimum	Coastal dunes	Dune costiere	Regional	Protejat	✓
38	Alyssum borzaeanum	Coastal dunes	Dune costiere	Europa de SE	Protejat	✓
39	Crambe maritima	Littoral	Costier	Regional	Rar	✓
40	Convolvulus persicus	Coastal sands	Dune costiere	Regional	Rar	✓
41	Limonium gmelinii	Salt marsh	Halofite	Regional	Rar	✓
42	Salicornia europaea	Salt marsh	Halofite	—	Comun	✓
43	Suaeda maritima	Salt marsh	Halofite	—	Comun	✓
44	Puccinellia distans	Salt marsh	Halofite	—	Comun	✓
45	Plantago maritima	Salt marsh	Halofite	Regional	Rar	✓
46	Phragmites australis	Reed beds	Zonă umedă	—	Comun	✓
47	Typha latifolia	Zonă umedă	Zonă umedă	—	Comun	✓
48	Typha angustifolia	Zonă umedă	Zonă umedă	—	Comun	✓
49	Nymphaea alba	Lakes	Zonă umedă	—	Protejat	✓
50	Nuphar lutea	Lakes	Zonă umedă	—	Protejat	✓
51	Trapa natans	Slow waters	Zonă umedă	—	Protejat	✓
52	Hydrocharis morsus-ranae	Zonă umedă	Zonă umedă	—	Rar	✓
53	Butomus umbellatus	Zonă umedă	Zonă umedă	—	Comun	✓
54	Alisma plantago-aquatica	Zonă umedă	Zonă umedă	—	Comun	✓
55	Dactylorhiza incarnata	Wet meadow	Zonă umedă	—	Protejat	✓
56	Platanthera chlorantha	Pădure	Pădure cu orhidee	—	Protejat	✓
57	Cephalanthera damasonium	Pădure	Pădure cu orhidee	—	Protejat	✓
58	Orchis purpurea	Pădure	Pădure cu orhidee	—	Protejat	✓
59	Orchis simia	Pădure	Pădure cu orhidee	Regional	Protejat	✓
60	Anacamptis morio	Grassland	Pajiște cu orhidee	—	Protejat	✓
61	Galatella villosa	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
62	Scorzonera hispanica	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
63	Linum austriacum	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
64	Linum flavum	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
65	Gypsophila paniculata	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
66	Onosma arenaria	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
67	Verbascum phoeniceum	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
68	Echinops ruthenicus	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
69	Helichrysum arenarium	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
70	Artemisia austriaca	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
71	Centaurea jankae	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
72	Centaurea gracilenta	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
73	Allium flavum	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
74	Allium guttatum	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
75	Allium saxatile	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
76	Gagea bulbifera	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
77	Gagea szovitzii	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
78	Scilla bifolia	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
79	Berberis vulgaris	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
80	Cornus mas	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
81	Viburnum lantana	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
82	Crataegus monogyna	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
83	Prunus spinosa	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
84	Rosa canina	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
85	Populus alba	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
86	Salix alba	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
87	Salix fragilis	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
88	Carex distans	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
89	Carex melanostachya	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
90	Juncus maritimus	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
91	Schoenoplectus lacustris	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
92	Bolboschoenus maritimus	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
93	Atriplex tatarica	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
94	Chenopodium album	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
95	Polygonum aviculare	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
96	Rumex acetosa	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
97	Rumex crispus	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
98	Plantago lanceolata	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
99	Saponaria officinalis	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
100	Hypericum perforatum	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
101	Daucus carota	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
102	Thalictrum minus	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
103	Adonis flammea	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
104	Potentilla recta	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
105	Minuartia mesogitana	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
106	Sedum hillebrandtii	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
107	Teucrium chamaedris	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
108	Vinca herbacea	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
109	Salvia ringens	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
110	Pimpinella tragium	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
111	Aurinia saxatilis	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
112	Hieracium echioides	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
113	Bromus squarrosus	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
114	Poa bulbosa	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
115	Carex humilis	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
116	Avena barbata	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
117	Artemisia santonicum	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
118	Limonium meyeri	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
119	Salicornia perennans	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓
120	Spergularia marina	Dobrogea	Stepă	—	Comun	✓

No specii match your current filters.

Rocky steppe · Măcin Mountains

Măcin Mountains — endemics and steppe relicts

The Măcin Mountains, part of the ancient Hercynian massif, rise to only 467 m but support a disproportionate botanical richness. Rocky outcrops and thin steppe soils harbour narrow endemics alongside Pontic and sub-Mediterranean elements. The national park protects some of Romania's most significant steppe grassland habitats.

Dianthus nardiformis flowering on rocky steppe — *Dianthus nardiformis*Nard pink — Măcin rocky steppe

Adonis vernalis yellow flowers on dry grassland — *Adonis vernalis*Spring pheasant's eye — dry slopes

Paronichia cephalotes low mat on limestone rock — *Paronychia cephalotes*Nailwort — limestone outcrops

Dry grassland · Babadag Plateau

Pontic steppe grasslands

The dry grasslands of the Babadag Plateau and surrounding lowlands represent the western edge of the vast Pontic steppe belt. These specii-rich habitats include orchid grasslands, xeric slopes and silvosteppe transitions. Many characteristic specii are adapted to drought, thin soils and high summer temperatures.

Asyneuma anthericoides on dry grassland — *Asyneuma anthericoides*Pontic bellflower — Babadag steppe

Ajuga chamaepitys yellow-flowered on dry steppe — *Ajuga chamaepitys*Ground-pine — dry disturbed steppe

Convolvulus cantabricus pink flowers on steppe — *Convolvulus cantabricus*Cantabrian bindweed — xeric grassland

Coastal & halophytic habitats

Coastal dunes, salt marshes and wetlands

The Black Sea littoral and the southern margins of the Danube Delta support distinctive halophytic and psammophilous communities. Salt marshes host glasswort and sea lavender; coastal dunes are stabilised by sand couch-grass and sea holly. Freshwater wetlands behind the coast provide habitat for aquatic specii including water lilies and pondweeds.

Convolvulus persicus white flowers on Black Sea sand dune — *Convolvulus persicus*Persian bindweed — fixed coastal dunes

Astragalus versicarius on dry coastal slope — *Astragalus versicarius*Milk-vetch — coastal sandy grassland

Anacamptis palustris subsp. elegans orchid in wet meadow — *Anacamptis palustris*Marsh orchid — coastal wet meadows

Conservation · Dobrogea

Plants as indicators of habitat quality

The persistence of steppe endemics and orchid-rich grasslands in Dobrogea reflects the survival of habitats that have been lost across much of Europe. Many of these plant communities are priority Natura 2000 habitat types, making Dobrogea one of Romania's most important regions for botanical conservation. Ongoing threats include land-use change, overgrazing and invasive specii.

Întrebări Frecvente

Ce face flora Dobrogei unică in Romania?

Dobrogea hosts a distinctive assemblage of Pontic-Mediterranean, steppe and sub-Mediterranean plant specii not found elsewhere in Romania. The region's ancient geology, warm continental-maritime climate and proximity to the Black Sea create conditions for several endemic and regionally rare specii, particularly on the rocky slopes of the Măcin Mountains and the dry grasslands of the Babadag Plateau.

Are there endemic plants in Dobrogea?

Yes. Dobrogea harbours several Romanian endemics including Campanula romanica, Ferula mikraskythiana and Euphorbia dobrogensis, alongside specii with a wider south-eastern European distribution such as Astragalus ponticus and Paeonia peregrina. Many of these are confined to the rocky steppe of the Măcin Mountains and surrounding dry habitats.

When is the best time to see wildflowers in Dobrogea?

The peak flowering season runs from April through June. Early spring brings orchids and steppe bulbs; late spring sees the grasslands at their most diverse with Pontic steppe specii in full bloom. Halophytic and wetland specii continue flowering into July and August along the coast and in the Danube Delta fringe.

What Natura 2000 habitats are found in Dobrogea?

Dobrogea contains several priority Natura 2000 habitat types including Pontic steppe grasslands, sub-Mediterranean dry grasslands, halophytic marshes and coastal sand dunes. All 120 specii in this checklist are associated with Natura 2000 habitat types, reflecting the region's high conservation value.