Additions to the vascular flora of Italy

Conti, F., Cangelmi, G., Da Valle, J., De Santis, E., Giacanelli, V., Gubellini, L., Hofmann, N., Masin, R. R., Miglio, M., Palermo, D., Santucci, B. & Bartolucci, F.: Additions to the vascular flora of Italy. — Fl. Medit. 33: 177-191. 2023. — ISSN: 1120-4052 printed, 2240-4538 online. In this paper new floristic records for 41 taxa (species and subspecies) are reported. In particular, 30 taxa are natives and 11 aliens. Among the natives 1 is new for Veneto, 7 are new or confirmed for Marche, 1 is new for Lazio, 9 are new or confirmed for Abruzzo, 2 are new or confirmed for Molise; 13 aliens taxa are new for Abruzzo, Lazio and Marche. Some findings are very interesting from a phytogeographic and/or conservation point of view, such as Allium gut-tatum subsp. dalmaticum new for Italy, Astragalus austriacus and Myosotis minutiflora subsp. minutiflora new for the Apennines, and, a species deserving urgent conservation actions, of which we report the second location at national scale. Furthermore, we report some new locations for very rare species.


Introduction
In the last decades the study of the flora of Italy has seen important contributions, as the development of the Portal to the Flora of Italy (2023) with the associated database (Martellos & al. 2020), and the publication of two checklists relative to native and alien plant species (Bartolucci & al. 2018; Galasso & al. 2018).The checklists are updated twice a year concerning the systematics, taxonomy and distribution of plants based, mainly, on the "Notulae to the Italian native and alien vascular Flora" (Bartolucci & al. 2021(Bartolucci & al. , 2023)).An important role in the study of plant's distribution and systematics is played by the Centro Ricerche Floristiche dell'Appennino (University of Camerino -Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga) which represents a junction in the Italian floristic network and carries out abundant national and international investigations and collaborations (Conti & al. 2023a(Conti & al. , 2023b)).
The present paper contributes mainly to the knowledge of the flora of central Italy with unpublished floristic findings including different discoveries of phytogeographic interest, as disjunct populations of northernmost or easternmost distributed species or new localities of restricted endemics (POWO 2023; Portal to the Flora of Italy 2023).

Materials and Methods
The investigated area located in the central and northern Italy comprises the territories of Marche, Lazio, Abruzzo, Molise and Veneto administrative regions.Floristic data were mainly collected through field investigations carried out during 2022 and 2023; some other specimens gathered in the past have been revised.Herbarium specimens are preserved in APP, FI, and PESA (code follows Index Herbariorum 2023+).
Nomenclature follows the checklists of the Italian native (Bartolucci & al. 2018) and alien (Galasso & al. 2018) vascular flora and subsequent updates summarized in the Portal to the Flora of Italy (2023; see also Martellos & al. 2020).Taxa are categorized in native and aliens and ordered alphabetically.
For each taxon, the following information is provided: current accepted name; family; reason(s) for its inclusion in the list; current invasiveness status (only for the alien units); examined herbarium materials, with details about the location (in Italian, according to the information reported on the herbarium label), UTM coordinates (datum WGS84) when available, altitude, habitat, collection date, collector(s), and herbarium storage code; any additional notes.
The species is distributed in Central-Western Europe, with disjunct populations in Greece (POWO 2023).In Italy, until now, was reported along the Thyrrenian regions with exception of Lazio (Portal to the Flora of Italy 2023).(APP Nos. 69564,69565. 69566,69567,69568).

Allium
The observation of some photos of Allium guttatum from the Colli Euganei population with pink to purple tepals, previously identified as A. sardoum Moris (Masin & Ghirelli 2003; Masin & Tietto 2005, 2006) gave rise to the suspicion that they belong to A. gutta-tum subsp.dalmaticum.Field research undertaken in Colli Euganei in the last years and particularly in 2023 confirmed this character to the whole population.According to the relevant literature (Stearn 1978), we were able to identify the plants collected on M. Croce (housed in APP) as A. guttatum subsp.dalmaticum, which results as new to Italy.Thus, A. sardoum should be excluded from the flora of Veneto. A. guttatum subsp.dalmaticum was reported for Balkan Peninsula and Turkey (Stearn 1978; POWO 2023).
It is very common on sunny stony soils in clearings, meadows and thermophilous bushes.It has probably been confused for centuries with A. sphaerocephalon L. subsp.sphaerocephalon, a species with which it sometimes coexists.It grows up the summit of Mount Ceva at 250 m a.s.l.It is also common in the surrounding mountains: Croce, Spinefrasse and Nuovo, in the municipality of Battaglia Terme.It grows in the municipality of Montegrotto on the Ca' Vecchia hill and with a small population on Mount Trevisan.It thrives on both latitic and rhyolitic substrates.
The new finding appears to be very interesting from a phytogeographical point of view as it is the westernmost of its range, similarly to Haplophyllum patavinum (L.) G.Don, an illyric species considered a relic of a wider and continuous past distribution which become fragmented due to the alternate climate changes in the post glacial periods (Tietto 2022).
Species described from Sicily, where it is extinct.In Italy it is confirmed only in Abruzzo, where it is recorded for the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise (Cicerana, Valle Chiara, Passo Godi) (Conti 1995(Conti , 1998)), Gran Sasso (Voltigno, Fossa di Paganica) (Conti 1998; Ballelli 1999), Mt.Ocre at Settacque (De Santis & Soldati 2019).The newly found population improve the knowledge about this rare species and helps to better plan the conservation efforts in its regards.
The species was recently recorded for the first time in Abruzzo (Pica & al. 2023).
Anacamptis papilionacea (L.) R.M.In Italy the species is already reported for all the Italian regions except for Valle d'Aosta, Marche, Basilicata and Sardegna, of doubtful presence in Trentino-Alto Adige (Portal to the Flora of Italy 2023).The mentioned herbarium specimens stored in PESA confirm its presence in Marche.
In Italy it was reported only for the administrative regions northern to Toscana and doubtfully in Campania (Portal to the Flora of Italy 2023).The previous records as Barbarea intermedia Boreau for Campotosto (Conti & Tinti 2008) and Campo Felice (De Santis & Soldati 2011) should be referred here.
The species shows a very fragmented distribution, including Lebanon, Syria, Greece and Italy, where it was recorded only for Sicilia and Calabria administrative regions (POWO 2023; Portal to the Flora of Italy 2023).The new findings constitute new important localities for such fragmented species and the northernmost limit of its distribution.
Barbarea intermedia Boreau (Brassicaceae) Species to be excluded from the flora of Abruzzo.
See the previous species.In Abruzzo, a record by Tenore (1830) as Arundo halleriana Gaudin for "S.Nicola a Monte Corno", wrongly attributed to Calamagrostis pseudophragmites (Conti 1998), should have been referred to Calamagrostis varia (Schrad.)Host, so the presence of C. pseudophragmites in Abruzzo has been considered erroneous (Bartolucci & al. 2018).

Calamagrostis pseudophragmites
Centaurea collina L. subsp.collina (Asteraceae) Species new for the flora of Marche.Fiastra (Macerata), lungo la strada da San Lorenzo di Fiastra a Bolognola presso Fiume di Fiastra, UTM WGS84 33T 350675 E 4766394 N, pendici erbose asciutte o subaride, suolo calcareo, humus scarso o subnullo, ca.675 m, 16.07.1986, A Centaurea collina is a southwestern-European species, widespread from Spain to Italy, where it is reported up to now exclusively for Liguria, Puglia and, as casual alien, for Trentino-Alto Adige (recorded by mistake also in Valle d'Aosta) (Portal to the Flora of Italy 2023).It is now reported for the first time also in Marche region on the basis of herbarium specimens preserved in (PESA).

Centaurea tommasinii A. Kern. (Asteraceae)
Species extinct for the flora of Abruzzo.

Flora Mediterranea 33 -2023
In Abruzzo this species was recorded for Roseto as C. paniculata L. (Zodda 1954 quotes Di Giuseppe) and Giulianova as C. paniculta var.maculosa (Lam.)Briq.(Chiosi 1975 from a specimen collected by Marchesetti in 1875 as C. paniculata L.).The revision of the specimen hosted in FI, allowed us to more correctly attribute it to C. tommasinii as doubtfully suggested by Pignatti (1982).Along the Abruzzo coasts it is no longer present and is to be considered extinct due to the almost complete anthropization.
In Abruzzo this species was recorded between the mouth of the Piomba and Francavilla in the loc.Pretara (Tammaro & Pirone 1979) where it is no longer present and is to be considered extinct due to the almost complete anthropization of the coast.Land use change in coastal environment is one of the main threats to the conservation of flora.This report in addition to the status of "no longer found" for Campania (Portal to the Flora of Italy 2023) highlights the ongoing fragmentation of the distribution area of this species in Italy.In Abruzzo it was recorded generically "sugli alti gioghi" (Tenore 1820) and for the Villavallelonga territory (Grande 1910) in the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise.According to Grande (1910) Tenore's report comes from the Colonna (1606) report: "Aequiculorum montibus, Cornino", currently in Lazio region.On Mt.Nuria, on the eastern slopes over Cornino plateau we confirm its presence up to now.
It is a Central European -South Siberian species with an highly fragmented distribution range.In Italy it was previously recorded only in Veneto where it is extinct (Portal to the Flora of Italy 2023) and recently in Umbria (Bartolucci & al. 2019; Bonini & al. 2020).The newly discovered populations in central Italy represents an important disjunction at the western limit of the species distribution (see POWO 2023)  Malva trimestris is a stenomediterranean species recorded as native in Friuli Venezia Giulia, Lazio, Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, Calabria, Sardegna and Sicilia, as casual alien in Trentino-Alto Adige, Lombardia and Veneto and, as cryptogenic, in Toscana; moreover, historical records are reported for Liguria and Emilia-Romagna (Portal to the Flora of Italy 2023).
The presence in the region of a single small population (not confirmed recently) and the ornamental use of the species, suggest that Malva trimestris is probably to be considered cryptogenic in Marche.It is an Irano-Turanian species, rare and fragmented in the Mediterranean basin (Spain, Greece Bulgaria, Cyprus and Turkey) (POWO 2023).In Italy it was recorded only in Trentino-Alto Adige and Veneto (Prosser 2006; Bertolli & Prosser 2013).
The species is present in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Italy, where it grows south of Lazio and Abruzzo.This record close the distribution gap with the Molise administrative region.Orobanche ebuli is an Italian endemic exclusive to central Italy, known up to now only for Lazio and Abruzzo (Corazzi & al. 2003; Domina & al., 2018; Portal to the Flora of Italy 2023).It is now reported for the first time also in Marche, where it grows on the edge of beech woods, in clearings, on calcareous soil, with abundant humus, host of Sambucus ebulus L. The location of the discovery is the northernmost of the distribution area.This subspecies is endemic to southern and central Italy and until now it is known only for the Thyrrenian side of the peninsula up to Lazio region.The new findings are at the northern limit of the species distribution range in Italy.In Italy it is recorded only in Abruzzo, Lazio, Sicilia and Sardegna (Portal to the Flora of Italy 2023).In Abruzzo it was previously recorded for Altopiano delle Cinquemiglia, Quarto di Santa Chiara, Quarto del Barone and Piano di S. Nicola (Conti & al. 2008(Conti & al. , 2019)).
The new finding represents the southern limit of the species distribution range in Italy.

Salicornia perennis
Mill. subsp.perennis (Amaranthaceae) Species extinct for the flora of Abruzzo.In Abruzzo, this species was recorded between the mouths of the rivers Piomba and Saline (Tammaro & Pirone 1979), where it is to be considered extinct due to anthropization.
This loss added to the status of "no longer found" for Campania (Portal to the Flora of Italy 2023), highlights the ongoing fragmentation of the distribution range of this species, mainly caused by the wide expansion of urban centers and by the alteration of coastal erosion balance.
In Italy this species is reported only for Abruzzo, Lazio, Molise and as doubtful record for Marche (Portal to the Flora of Italy 2023).
This record confirms the presence of the species in the Marche, where Mt.San Vicino represents the northernmost locality of its distribution range.
The subspecies was considered endemic to the Maiella National Park (Cristofolini & Pignatti 1962) where it grows in few sites with specific microclimatic cold-wet conditions.The new population, located in comparable site conditions, in the National Park of Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga, represents a step forward towards its conservation.

Aliens
Achillea ligustica All.(Asteraceae) Naturalized regional alien species new for the flora of Marche.Camerino (Macerata), Via Leopardi 12, UTM WGS84 33T 343069 E 4777707 N, aiuola, 620 m, 22.07.1995, F. Conti s.n. (APP No.  Aubrieta deltoidea is native to South-Est Europe and Caucasus and spread in centralwestern Europe, for ornamental purposes.In Italy it is reported as a casual alien species in Abruzzo, Emilia-Romagna, Lombardia, Piemonte and Trentino-Alto Adige, and as a naturalized alien in Toscana (Portal to the Flora of Italy 2023).According to Pignatti (2017), the detected species could refer to a cultivated form with intermediate characters between A. columnae Guss.and A. deltoidea, probably resulting from hybridization between Italian species and other of the Balkan Peninsula and Greece.
Capparis spinosa L. (Capparaceae) Naturalized regional alien species to be excluded from the flora of Molise.
Capparis spinosa L. has been recorded for Termoli (Conti & al. 2023a) but it should be referred to C. orientalis Vell.
Native to Spain, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, it is now spread across all central-northern Europe and in some states of the USA (POWO 2023).
Native from South Africa and recently spread in western Europe, Algeria and Australia (POWO 2023) for ornamental purposes.In Italy it is reported for all the southern regions Flora Mediterranea 33 -2023 and all the Thyrrenian ones and considered as invasive in the northern (Liguria, Toscana and Sardegna) and naturalized in the south (Sicilia, Calabria, Basilicata, Puglia, Campania and Molise) (Portal to the Flora of Italy 2023).
Considered native from Balkan peninsula and Southern Italy even if "no longer found" in Campania and Basilicata (POWO 2023; Portal to the Flora of Italy 2023).Its presence in central Italy has been associated to volunteer or accidental dispersion by humans.
and the second location at national scale.