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Solenopsis laurentia (Linnaeus 1753: 931) C. Presl (1836: 32) Lobelia laurentia Linnaeus (1753: 1931); Type:—Icon. Tab. 14, Micheli (1729) as “ Laurentia annua, minima, flore caeruleo ” pg.18, (lectotype designated by Crespo et al., 1996) (Fig. 1). Epitype:— ITALY. Tuscany: Insula Elba (olim Ilva vel Aetalia), fra il golfo Stella e il golfo dell’Acoreo (andando dal Margidore alla spiaggia grande) pareti delle fosse, ivi abbondante, 28 June 1900, S . Sommier s.n. (FI! Specimen bottom right, sub Laurentia michelii, here designated). Lobelia gracilis Salisbury (1796: 129), nom. Illeg. Laurentia michelii A. Candolle de (1839: 409). Lobelia michelii (A. Candolle de) Colmeiro (1887: 493), nom illeg. Laurentia commutata Todaro (1873: 160), nom illeg. Description: —Annual herb, 8–13 cm tall, scapose, elongate, glabrous, green. Stems solitary, erect, laxly leafy and unbranched below, more densely leafy and branched at the top. Leaves usually cauline, 10–20 × 3–6 mm, oblanceolate to spathulate, entire to weakly crenate, petiolate, penninerved. Petiole 3–5 mm long. Flowers solitary on axillary pedicel, 2–6 cm long, with 1–2 bracteole 2.5–3.5 × 0.4–0.9 mm, with 1–3 small teeth per side ending with a gland and apex without gland. Calyx 3–4 mm long, with lobes linear-lanceolate, acute, 1.5–2.2 mm long, uninerved, smoot at margin. Corolla tubular, 5–6 mm long, bilabiate, with lobes slightly divaricate, oblong, acute to sub-obtuse, upper lip with 2 lobes 2.5–2.7 × 1.1–1.3 mm, bluish-lilac and whitish in the lower part of the tube, lower lip with 3 lobes 1–1.2 × 0.7–0.8 mm, bluish-lilac, whitish in the tube and slightly tinged with green in the central part of the nervation. The lower lobes inside are provided with papillae clavate, 0.12–0.3 mm long, 25–50 per each lobe. Staminal filament whitish, 2.5–3.1 mm long, below fused with the corolla. Anthers violet, upper bearded, connate into a tube 0.7–0.8 mm long, wholly encapsulating the stigma; the two lower anthers are smaller, each at the top with a tuft of hairs closing a narrow fissure; the three upper anthers in the young flower are curved and at the end erect, with hairs near the top of the back. Ovary below fused with the calyx tube; style whitish, slightly curved upward 3 mm long; stigma white, papillate, with a ring of hairs just under the base. Capsule 3 mm long. Seeds flat, ellipsoid, brownish-yellow, shining, 0.4 × 0.2 mm. Seed micromorphology: —According to literature (Murata 1992, 1995, Haridasan & Mukherejee 1993, Serra & Crespo 1997, Crespo et al. 1998), the ornamentations of the seed coat surface in the Lobelioideae subfamily of Campanulaceae have a remarkable diagnostic value and also a phylogenetic significance. In fact, the testa structure of mature seeds is well defined and constant for a given species or group of allied species. As concerns Solenopsis, it was investigated by Serra & Crespo (1997), Crespo et al. (1998) and Brullo et al. (2013), who emphasized that the seed coat sculptures are quite similar in the species of this genus. In particular, the seed testa is longitudinally furrowed by long and narrow cells, which are incised on the back by a superficial groove. The SEM observation carried out on the subspecies of Solenopsis laurentia emphasized that although there are significant similarities in the features of their seed testa, some morphological differences can be detected, which represent an additional support to their taxonomic identification. In particular, the cells covering the seed testa show more differentiation in the subsp. caespitosa (Fig. 2C), since the periclinal walls are those to have a greater width (5–5.8 μm), while in the subsp. gasparrinii (Fig. 2B) they are those to have a smaller width (2.5–3 μm). Conversely, the other subspecies have periclinal walls of intermediate size between the previous two (4–5 μm). In addition, in the subsp. caespitosa (Fig. 2C) and subsp. hyblaea (Fig. 2D) the periclinal walls are flatter with shallow anticline walls. Otherwise, the other three subspecies have markedly convex periclinal walls and more furrowed anticlinal walls (Fig. 2). Finally, the subsp. laurentia (Fig. 2A) and subsp. parvula (Fig. 2E) are characterized by cells with periclinal and anticlinal walls very similar, but they differ markedly in the size of the seeds, since the first one has longer seed (0.40 mm), while the second one has smaller seed (0.35 mm). Pollen grains micromorphology: —SEM investigations carried out on dried pollen grains of Solenopsis laurentia subspecies revealed that all populations studied are 3-colporate with a perplorate shape. Their dimensions range from 26–46 μm in length and 13–16 μm in width, with sexine reticulate-striate characterized by branched lirae delimiting small lumina (Figs. 3–4). Previously, observations on pollen of this species s.l. were recorded by Dunbar (1975), who examined at light microscope an Iberian population without providing any photos of this material. As concerns the subspecies here examined, they show some morphological differences in the size and sexine ornamentations. In particular, the subsp. laurentia (Figs. 3A, 4A) is characterized by larger pollen grains (46 × 14 μm) with very prominent reticulum and lirae markedly anastomosed of variable thickness, with many lumina of different shape; the subsp. gasparrinii (Figs. 3B, 4B) has pollen grains slightly smaller than the previous one (40×16 μm) with more dense reticulum and lirae poorly anastomosed, with a few number of lumina smaller in size; the subsp. caespitosa (Figs. 3C, 4C) has even smaller pollen grains than the previous one (30 × 14 μm) with reticulum and lirae quite similar to subsp. laurentia; the subsp. parvula (Figs. 3D, 4D) has pollen grains smaller than the previous ones (26×15 μm) with flatter reticulum and lirae less prominent, the lumina numerous and quite large; the subsp. hyblaea (Figs. 3E, 4E) has pollen grains with similar size to previous ones (26 ×13 μm) with more compact reticulum and thick lirae, the number of lumina is less and usually smaller in size. Nomenclatural notes:—This species was described by Linnaeus (1753) as Lobelia laurentia, mentioning three synonyms: “ Laurentia annua minima, flore caeruleo ” Micheli (1729: 18, t.14); “ Rapunculus aquaticus repens, flore caeruleo inaperto ” Ray (1704, 383); ibid. Boccone (1697, 335, t.27). Among these syntypes, Crespo et al. (1996) designated the iconography illustrated by Micheli as lectotype. Since, it is a poorly detailed illustration that does not allow a precise application of the name to the taxon (art. 9.9., ICN, Turland et al. 2018), one herbarium specimen (FI) coming from Elba Island, which is its locus classicus (see Micheli 1729), is here designated as epitype. Besides, the name Lobelia gracilis Salisbury (1796: 129) is illegitimate, since it is a superfluous name for Lobelia laurentia, which Salisbury cited explicitly as synonym (art. 52.2, ICN). Later, Candolle de (1839: 409) transferred Lobelia laurentia to the genus Laurentia, proposing for it the new name Laurentia michelii, which represents a legitimate name (art. 23.4). Later, Todaro (1873: 160) also proposed Laurentia commutata as replacement name for Lobelia laurentia Linnaeus, but it represents an illegitimate name for Laurentia michelii DC. According to art. 10.2 (ICN), Lobelia laurentia was designated by Crespo et al. (1998: 216) as type of genus Solenopsis, described by Presl (1836), within which he included five species. This genus was treated as a section of the genus Laurentia by Endlicher (1838: 512), while Petermann (1845: 444) thought it better to consider it a subgenus of the latter (see Crespo et al. 1998). Etymology:—As epithet Linnaeus (1753) used the same name proposed by Micheli (1729) to commemorate M. A. Laurenti (1678–1772), famous medic of Bologna (Italy). Distribution and ecology: — Solenopsis laurentia is an annual hygrophilous plant growing usually with several other microphytes in the wetlands, represented mainly by temporary ponds, localizing often in very small surfaces. It likes stands with sandy-silty soils, drying up since the early spring, from coasts to sub-mountain belt throughout the Mediterranean area, Canary Islands included. According to literature data (Damboldt 1978, Mouterde 1978, Crespo et al. 1998, Sales & Hedge 2001, Le Floc’H et al. 2010, Dimopoulos et al. 2013, Fennane & Mathez 2014, Tison & de Foucault 2014, Brullo & Guarino 2018), this species is distributed in Portugal, Spain, Balearic Islands, France, Corse, Italy, Sardinia, Sicily, Greece, Crete, Turkey, Lebanon, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Canary Islands. Based on our morphological investigations carried out on the living populations, Solenopsis laurentia is represented in the Italian territory by the following subspecies: Key to the subspecies of Solenopsis laurentia 1. Plant subacaule, stem 1.5–2.5 cm tall, flower pedicel 10–16 mm long, bracteoles 1–2 mm long............ S. laurentia subsp. parvula - Plant erect to subcaulescens, stem 2.5–13 cm tall, flower pedicel (10)20–80 long, bracteoles 2–5 mm long..................................2 2. Plant erect with solitary stem, only cauline leaves, calyx 3–4 mm long............................................................................................3 - Plant caespitose with several stems, leaves rosulate and cauline, calyx 4.1–5 mm long...................................................................4 3. Plant 8–13 cm tall, leaves 10–20 × 3–6 mm, calyx 3–4 mm long, corolla 5–6 mm long, papillae 0.12–0.30 mm long, 25–50 for each lobe, staminal filament 2.5–3.1 mm long........................................................................................ S. laurentia subsp. laurentia - Plant 2.5–7.0 cm tall, leaves 3–10 × 1–3 mm, calyx 2.7–3.0 mm long, corolla 3.4–4 mm long, papillae 0.08–0.16 mm long, 5–10 for each lobe, staminal filament 2 mm long........................................................................................ S. laurentia subsp. gasparrinii 4. Plant up to 12 cm tall, calyx lobes smooth, corolla 4.5–5.0 mm long, papillae up to 0.3 mm long, 43–60 per lobe, anther tube without hairs on the back, capsule 3.5–4.0 mm long........................................................................... S. laurentia subsp. caespitosa - Plant no taller than 7 cm, calyx lobes with one small tooth per side, corolla 4.0– 4.2 mm long, papillae up to 0.16 mm long, 12–30 per lobe, anther tube with hairs on the back, capsule 3 mm long............................................................. S. laurentia subsp. hyblaea, Published as part of Brullo, Salvatore, Brullo, Cristian, Cambria, Salvatore, Minissale, Pietro, Sciandrello, Saverio, Tavilla, Giuseppe Siracusa Gianmarco, Tomaselli, Valeria & Galdo, Gianpietro Giusso Del, 2023, Taxonomical remarks on Solenopsis laurentia (Campanulaceae) in Italy, pp. 59-88 in Phytotaxa 584 (2) on pages 63-71, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.584.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7639258, {"references":["Linnaeus, C. (1753) Species Plantarum, 2. Laurentii Salvii, Holmiae, pp. 561 - 1200.","Presl, C. B. (1836) Prodromus monographiae Lobeliacearum. Filiorum Theophili Haase, Prague, pp. 1 - 52.","Micheli, P. A. (1729) Nova plantarum genera iuxta Tournefortii methodum disposita. Bernardi Peperinii, Florentiae, 234 pp.","Salisbury, R. A. (1796) Prodromus Stirpium in Horto ad Chapel Allerton vigentium. Londini, 422 pp. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. title. 427","Candolle, A. de (1839) Lobeliaceae. In: Candolle, A. P. de (Ed.) Prodromus systematis naturalis regni vegetabilis, 7 (2). Sociorum Treuttel et W ¸ rtz, Parisiis, pp. 339 - 413.","Colmeiro, M. (1887) Enumeracion y revision de las plantas de la Peninsula Hispano-Lusitanas e islas Baleares, 3. Imprenta dela Viuda e Hija de Fuentenebro, Madrid, 545 pp.","Todaro, A. (1873) Adnotationes ad Indicem Seminum horti regii botanici Panormitani ann. MDCCCLXXII. Nuovo Giornale Botanico Italiano 5: 156 - 160.","Murata, J. (1992) Systematic implications of seed coat morphology in Lobelia (Campanulaceae - Lobelioideae). Journal of the Faculty of Science, University of Tokyo, Section III, Botany 15: 155 - 172.","Murata, J. (1995) A revision of infrageneric classification of Lobelia (Campanulaceae - Lobelioideae) with special reference to seed coat morphology. Journal of the Faculty of Science, University of Tokyo, Section III, Botany 15: 349 - 371.","Serra, L. & Crespo, M. B. (1997) An outline revision of the subtribe Siphocampylinae (Lobeliaceae). Lagascalia 19: 881 - 888.","Crespo, M. B., Serra, L. & Juan, A. (1998) Solenopsis (Lobeliaceae): a genus endemic in the Mediterranean Region. Plant Systematic and Evolution 210: 211 - 229. https: // doi. org / 10.1007 / BF 00985669","Brullo, C., Brullo, S. & Giusso Del Galdo, G. (2013) Solenopsis mothiana (Campanulaceae), a new species from Sicily. Phytotaxa 145 (1): 15 - 26. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / phytotaxa. 145.1.2","Dunbar, A. (1975) On the pollen of Campanulaceae and related families with special reference to the surface ultrastructure. II. Campaulaceae Subfam. Cyphoideae and Subfam. Lobelioideae; Goodeniaceae, Sphenocleaceae. Botaniska Notiser 128: 102 - 118.","Ray, J. (1704) Historia plantarum tomus tertius: qui est Supplementum duorum precedentium. Sam. Smith & Benj. Walford., Londini, 666 pp.","Boccone, P. (1697) Museo di piante rare della Sicilia, Malta, Corsica, Italia, Piemonte, e Germania. Baptista Zuccato, Venetia, 196 pp.","Turland, N. J., Wiersema, J. H., Barrie, F. R., Greuter, W., Hawksworth, D. L., Herendeen, P. S., Knapp, S., Kusber, W. - H., Li, D. - Z., Marhold, K., May, T. W., McNeill, J., Monro, A. M., Prado, J., Price, M. J. & Smith, G. F. (2018) International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (Shenzhen Code) Regnum Vegetabile 159. Glashutten: Koeltz Botanical Books. https: // doi. org / 10.12705 / Code. 2018","Endlicher, S. (1838) Genera plantarum secundum ordines naturales disposita. F. R. Beck, Universitatis Bibliopolam, Vindobonae, pp. 401 - 604.","Petermann, W. L. (1845) Das Pflanzenreich in vollstandigen Beschreibungen dargestellt, nach dem nat ¸ rlichen Systeme geordnet und in naturgetreuen Abbildungen gezeichnet. Eduard Eisenach, Leipzig, 1010 pp.","Damboldt, J. (1978) Laurentia. In: Davis, P. H. (Ed.) Flora of Turkey and east Aegean Islands 6. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, p. 1.","Mouterde, P. (1978) Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, 3 (3). Dar El-Machreq, Beyrouth, pp. 205 - 364.","Sales, F. & Hedge, I. C. (2001) Solenopsis C. Presl. In: Paiva, J., Sales, F., Hedge, I. C., Aedo, C., Aldasoro, J. J., Castroviejo, S., Herrero, A. & Velayos, M. (Eds.) Flora Iberica, 14. Real Jardin Botanico, CSIC, Madrid, pp. 173 - 175.","Dimopoulos, P., Raus, T., Bergmeier, E., Costantinidis, T., Iatrou, G., Kokkini, S., Strid, A. & Tizanoudakis, D. (2013) Vascular plants of Greece. An annotated checklist. Englera 31: 1 - 372.","Fennane, M. & Mathez, J. (2014) Campanulaceae. In: Fennane, M., Ibn-Tattou, M. & El Qualidi, J. (Eds.) Flora pratique du Maroc. Manuel de determination des plantes vasculaires, 3. Cana Print, Rabat, pp. 65 - 76.","Tison, J. M. & de Foucault, B. (2014) Flora Gallica: flore de France. Biotope editions, Meze, 1195 pp.","Brullo, S. & Guarino, R. (2018) Solenopsis C. Presl. In: Pignatti, S., Guarino, R. & La Rosa, M. (Eds.) Flora d'Italia, ed. 2. Edagricole, Milano, 735 - 736 pp."]}

Brullo, Salvatore, Brullo, Cristian, Cambria, Salvatore, Minissale, Pietro, Sciandrello, Saverio, Tavilla, Giuseppe Siracusa Gianmarco, Tomaselli, Valeria, Galdo, Gianpietro Giusso Del (2023): Taxonomical remarks on Solenopsis laurentia (Campanulaceae) in Italy. Phytotaxa 584 (2): 59-88, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.584.2.1, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.584.2.1

The populations usually attributed to Solenopsis bivonae (Tineo) M.B.Crespo, Serra & A.Juan are investigated from a taxonomical and morphological viewpoint. Within this species complex, four new subspecies occurring in Sicily and Calabria are recognized, such as subsp. bivonae, subsp. madoniarum, subsp. peloritana and subsp. brutia. In addition, a new species from Cyprus described as S. meikleana and S. bacchettae from Sardinia must be included in this group. The synonymy, typification, description, seed testa morphology, chorology, ecology, illustrations, conservation status, and examined specimens for each taxon are provided. Besides, the analytical keys, distribution maps, and phytosociological arrangement regarding these taxa are given too.

Ephedra strongylensis Brullo, C. Brullo, Cambria, Ilardi, Siracusa, Minissale & Giusso sp. nov. (Figs. 1–6) Type: ITALY. Sicily: Isole Eolie, Stromboli, Ginostra presso S. Lazzaro, 38°46’48” N, 15°11’46”E, 4 July 2022, S . Cambria s.n. (holotype, CAT; isotypes, CAT). Diagnosis: — This species is similar to Ephedra aurea, but it differs in its twigs with smaller diameter, leaves with a green triangular rib, male cones with a very longer pedicel and bracts shorter, synangiophore shorter with few synangia, female cones with very longer pedicel and bracts shorter and rounded at the margin, the lower and medium bracts longer connate, the upper one more briefly connate, ovule longer exserted from the upper bract, female strobilus at maturity smaller, with bracts pale red, seeds smaller, ellipsoid, longer exserted from the upper bracts Description: —Dioecious subshrub, erect, 40–100 cm tall, old stems woody, erect or procumbent, bark brownish-gray. Twigs erect, fasciculate and densely inserted at the nodes, green, cylindrical, finely furrowed and scabrous along the ribs, 0.8–1.2 mm in diameter; internodes 1–3.5(–5)cm long, not easily disarticulating. Leaves opposite, 1–1.25 mm long, membranous, fused for most of their length, briefly free and not recurved at the apex, each with an acute green triangular rib on the back and a coriaceous basal ring, turning brown at maturity. Male cones ellipsoid, 4–7 mm long, 4–7 mm in diameter, long pedicellate, with pedicel 2.5–6 (–10) mm long, usually opposite; bracts binate in 3–6 pairs, ovate, acute, connate per 1/2–3/4, 0.5–1 mm long, 1–2 mm wide, ovate; perianth exserted from the subtending bract, obovate, 2 mm long, deeply bilobed; synangiophore 2–2.5 mm long, long exserted from perianth, with 3–5 synangia, sessile, densely aggregated at top. Female cones uniovulate, ellipsoid, isolated to 4-clustered, 5.5–6.5 mm long, 2.5– 3.5 in diameter, long pedicellate, with pedicel 2.5–10 mm long; bracts green connate in 3 pairs, broadly ovate, rounded at apex, hyaline at the edges, connation ranging 4/ 5 in lower bracts, 1/2–2/ 3 in middle bracts and 2/ 3 in upper bracts; lower bracts 0.5–1 mm long, middle bracts 1.5–2 mm long and upper bracts 4.5–5 mm long, shortly mucronate at the apex; ovule 4–4.5 mm long, ellipsoid, 1.5–2.5 mm exserted from upper bracts; micropilar tube straight, ca 1.5 mm long, exserted 0,7– 1 mm from the ovule. Female strobilus at maturity ovoid to globose-ovoid, 6–7 × 3.5–4 mm, with bracts always pale red. Seeds 5–5.5 × 2.5–2.6 mm, blackish-brown, slightly striated longitudinally, fusiform, exserted 1–2 mm from upper bracts. Etymology: — The specific epithet refers to “ Strongyle ”, Latin name of Stromboli, island of the Aeolian Archipelago (Sicily). Phenology: —It is a dioecious plant flowering in April–May and producing seeds from July to August. Seed micro-morphology:—On the basis of SEM analyzes, the seeds of Ephedra strongylensis have a fusiform shape, with dimensions of 5–5.5 × 2.5–2.6 mm (Fig. 7A). The seed testa is differentiated by short longitudinal rectangular cells, 16–28 × 4–6 μm, separated by a slight groove (Fig. 7B–C). The anticlinal walls are thin and flat, with a slight central incision, while the periclinal ones are smooth and slightly convex. In relation to Ickert-Bond & Rydin (2011) observations, this type of ornamentation does not seem frequent in Ephedra. Seed coat similar, but with cells clearly longer and characterized by periclinal walls flat and rugose, with anticlinal walls quite raised were detected in E. aurea by Brullo et al. (2022, Fig. 5A). As concerns the seed coat of E. fragilis, as emphasized by Ickert-Bond & Rydin (2011), it is very different, since the cells are 50–150 μm long with periclinal walls convex. Pollen morphology:—Micromorphological investigations carried out on pollen grains of Ephedra strongylensis emphasized that it belong to type “A” (cf. Bolinder et al., 2016), showing an elliptical shape rounded at the poles, with 12–16 plicae, very compact and rounded on the back, ca. 4–5 μm high, with unbranched and linear line in the groves (pseudosulci), the absolute size (equatorial lenght and diameter) is 46–50 × 20–27 μm (Fig. 8). Therefore, the E. strongylensis pollen shows close relationships with that one of other Mediterranean species, such as E. fragilis Desf., E. foeminea Forssk. and E. aurea Brullo et al., though in the latters it is morphologically well differentiated, since usually characterized by 8–12 plicae (see Norbäck Ivarsson 2014, Bolinger et al. 2015, 2016 and Brullo et al. 2022). As regards a possible affinity between E. strongylensis and E. distachya, it must be excluded, since the latter has longer pollen belonging to type “B”, with 4–8 plicae and branched pseudosulci (Norbäck Ivarsson 2014). Distribution and ecology: — Currently, Ephedra strongylensis was exclusively surveyed on the island of Stromboli and the nearby islet of Strombolicchio in the Aeolian archipelago (Sicily), where it grows in two limited stands (Fig. 9). Here it is localized on basaltic rocks, originated from ancient lava eruptions, where it is a member of xerophilous maquis characterized by Euphorbia dendroides Linnaeus (1753: 462), Pistacia lentiscus Linnaeus (1753: 1026), Olea europaea Linnaeus (1753: 8), Artemisia arborescens (Vaillant, 1754: 338) Linnaeus (1763: 1188), Genista tyrrhena Valsecchi (1986: 145) subsp. tyrrhena, etc. (Fig. 5). It should be noted that the flora of the Aeolian islands (including Stromboli and Strombolicchio) hosts several endemic or rare species, often showing a remarkable taxonomic isolation, whose occurrence has no clear correlation with the relatively recent origin of this volcanic archipelago. Among the most significant taxa, the following can be mentioned: Genista tyrrhena subsp. tyrrhena, Cytisus aeolicus Gussone (1834: 221), Bituminaria basaltica Minissale, C. Brullo, Brullo, Giusso & Sciandrello (2013: 2), Centaurea aeolica Gussone ex Lojacono (1903: 136), Silene hicesiae Brullo & Signorello (1984: 141), Erysimum brulloi G. Ferro (2009: 298), Anthemis aeolica Lojacono (1903: 84), Eokochia saxicola (Gussone 1855: 275) Freitag & G. Kadereit in Kadereit & Freitag (2011: 72), Dianthus rupicola Bivona Bernardi (1806: 31) subsp. aeolicus (Lojacono 1888: 163) Brullo & Minissale (2002: 539), Hyoseris taurina Martinoli (1953: 257) and Limonium tenuiflorum (Gussone 1832: 89) Kuntze (1891: 395). Therefore, with the addition of Ephedra strongylensis to this list, the degree of biodiversity of this small but interesting satellite islands of the Sicily, is further increased. According to Mercuri et al. (2020), it is interesting to note that for this island the occurrence of Ephedra individuals was recorded in some pollen profiles dating back to the modern era corresponding to the last centuries after the Middle Ages. Basing on this data, it seemed to have a scarce diffusion in the vegetation of the island, as it is currently observable. Conservation status: − Ephedra strongylensis can be considered a very rare and localized species, recorded only in two locations (Stromboli and Strombolicchio). Based on its narrow distribution and according to IUCN (2012) criteria, the species can be assessed as “Critically Endangered” [CR, B1ab(ii,iii) and B2ab(ii,iii)]. The conservation status was calculated through the GeoCAT (Geospatial Conservation Assessment Tool) programme (Bachman et al. 2011), which shows an Area of Occupancy (AOO) of 8 km 2. Moreover, the new species fall within a nature reserve named “Riserva Naturale Orientata Isola di Stromboli e Strombolicchio”, as well as in a Special Area of Conservation (SAC ITA030026). In relation to our observations, Ephedra strongylensis can be threatened only by occasional fires or possible lava flows since the island is an active volcano, which could reduce the number of individuals, which are concentrated in two main known populations. Additional specimens of Ephedra strongylensis examined (Paratypes):— ITALY. Sicily: Isole Eolie, Strombolicchio, sulla sommità, 38°49’01” N, 15°15’06” E, 27 May 2021, D. Azzaro, S . Cambria & V. Ilardi s.n. (CAT!); Stromboli, Ginostra presso S. Lazzaro, su substrati basaltici, 27. May 2021, D. Azzaro, S . Cambria, V. Ilardi & R. Zaia s.n. (CAT!); Stromboli, Ginostra presso S. Lazzaro, su substrati basaltici, 15 July 2021, R . Zaia s.n. (CAT!); Stromboli, Ginostra presso S. Lazzaro, su substrati basaltici, 6 August 2021, S . Cambria s.n. (CAT!). Taxonomic remarks: —From the taxonomical viewpoint, Ephredra strongylensis is rather isolated morphologically from the other currently known Mediterranean species of this genus. This new species shows some relationships mainly with E. aurea, especially in sharing twigs not easily disarticulating at the nodes, finely furrowed and scabrous, leaves opposite, very short and fused for most of their length, turning brown at maturity, female cones uniovulate and pollen grains of type “A”, but significant features hallow to distinguished very well the two species. In particular, E. aurea shows twigs, pedicels of male cones, male cones bracts, synangiophore, synangia, pedicels of female cones, female cones bracts, micropilar tube, fruiting strobilus, and seeds well differentiated from those ones of E. strongylensis (see Tab. 1).In addition, they also differ in the seed coat ornamentations, since E. aurea is characterized by very larger cells (170–250 × 28–35 μm) bordered by a prominent reticulum, with periclinal walls flat more or less rugose and anticlinal walls quite raised (see Brullo et al. 2022), while E. strongylensis has smaller cells (16–28 × 4–6 μm) separated by slender grooves, with periclinal walls sligtly convex more or less smooth and anticlinal walls thin and flat. Some differences was observed in the size and shape of pollen grain, since E. aurea has the pollen fusiform acute at the poles (43–48 × 17–20 μm) with 11–12 plicae acute on the back (see Brullo et al. 2022), conversely E. strongylensis has pollen elliptical rounded at the poles (46–50 × 20–27 μm) with 12-16 plicae rounded on the back. ......continued on the next page On the basis of field and herbarium investigations, in Sicily there are certainly only 3 species of Ephedra, in addition to that new one here described, they are: E. nebrodensis, E. fragilis, E. aurea and E. strongylensis. Besides, according to literature data (Conti et al. 2005, Giardina et al. 2007, Pignatti 2017) E. distachya is also recorded from Sicily, according mainly to old reports in sandy coastal areas, where it was probably present in the past, but where it is completely disappeared today, due to anthropogenic factors. It is therefore included in the analytical key that is here provided, Published as part of Brullo, Salvatore, Brullo, Cristian, Cambria, Salvatore, Ilardi, Vincenzo, Siracusa, Giuseppe, Minissale, Pietro & Galdo, Gianpietro Giusso Del, 2022, Ephedra strongylensis (Ephedraceae), a new species from Aeolian islands (Sicily), pp. 250-264 in Phytotaxa 576 (3) on pages 251-261, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.576.3.2, {"references":["Ickert-Bond, S. M. & Rydin, C. (2011) Micromorphology of the seed envelope of Ephedra L. (Gnetales) and its relevance for the timing of evolutionary events. International Journal of Plant Sciences 172 (1): 36 - 48. https: // doi. org / 10.1086 / 657299","Brullo, S., Brullo, C., Cambria, S., Ilardi, V., Siracusa, G. & Giusso del Galdo, G. (2022) Ephedra aurea (Ephedraceae), a new species from Sicily. Phytotaxa 530 (1): 1 - 20. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / phytotaxa. 530.1.1","Bolinder, K., Norback Ivarsson, L., Humphreys, A. M., Ickert-Bond, S. M., Han, F., Hoorn, C. & Rydin, C. (2016) Pollen morphology of Ephedra (Gnetales) and its evolutionary implications. Grana 55 (1): 24 - 51. https: // doi. org / 10.1080 / 00173134.2015.1066424","Norback Ivarsson, L. (2014) Pollen morphology in Ephedra (Gnetales) and implications for understanding fossil ephedroid pollen from the Tibetan Plateau, using a phylogenetic approach. Master Thesis, Systematic Botany Biology. Stockholms Universitet, 28 pp.","Linnaeus, C. (1753) Species Plantarum. Imprensis Laurentii Salvii, Holmiae, 1200 pp.","Vaillant, S. (1754) Neue Kennzeichen dreyer von Pflanzen mit zusammeengegesetzeten Blumen, namlich: der Cynarocefalarum, derer mit Artischockenhauptern. Corymbiferarum, die zusammengestzte, scheibenformige Blumen tragen. Cichoracearum, weg-wartartiger. Koniglichen Akademie der Wissenschaften in Paris Physische Abkanlungen 5: 333 - 377.","Linnaeus, C. (1763) Species Plantarum, ed. 2. Imprensis Laurentii Salvii, Holmiae, 1684 pp.","Valsecchi, F. (1986) Due nuove specie del genere Genista L. nel Mediterraneo. Bollettino della Societa Sarda di Scienze Naturali 25: 143 - 147.","Gussone, G. (1834) Florae Siculae Prodromus, Supplementum 2. Ex Regia Typographia, Neapoli, pp. 171 - 242.","Brullo, S. & Signorello, P. (1984) Silene hicesiae, a new species from the Aeolian Islands. Willdenowia 14: 141 - 144.","Ferro, G. (2009) Erysimum brulloi (Brassicaceae), a new species from the Aeolian Archipelago (Sicily). Flora Mediterranea 19: 297 - 302.","Gussone, G. (1855) Enumeratio plantarum vascularium in insula Inarime. Ex Vanni Typhographaeo, Neapoli, 431 pp.","Kadereit, G. & Freitag, H. (2011) Molecular phylogeny of Camphorosmeae (Camphorosmoideae, Chenopodiaceae): Implications for biogeography, evolution of C 4 - photosynthesis and taxonomy. Taxon 60 (1): 51 - 78. https: // doi. org / 10.1002 / tax. 601006","Bivona Bernardi, A. (1806) Sicularum Plantarum Centuria prima. Philippum Barravecchia, Panormi, 84 pp.","Brullo, S. & Minissale, P. (2002) Il gruppo di Dianthus rupicola Biv. nel Mediterraneo centrale Informatore Botanico Italiano 33 (2): 537 - 548.","Martinoli, G. (1953) Studio citotassonomico dei generi Hyoseris e Robertia con particolare riferimento all' Hyoseris taurina G. Martinoli sp. nov. (Asteraceae). Caryologia 5 (3): 253 - 281. https: // doi. org / 10.1080 / 00087114.1953.10797444","Gussone, G. (1832) Florae Siculae Prodromus, Supplementum 1. Ex Regia Typographia, Neapoli, pp. 1 - 166.","Kuntze, O. (1891) Revisio Generum Plantarum, 2. Charles Klinckieck. Paris, pp. 377 - 1011.","Mercuri, A. M., Cannavo, V., Clo, E., Di Renzoni, A., Florenzano, A., Rattighieri, E., Yoon, D., Levi, S. T. (2020) Palynology of San Vincenzo-Stromboli: Interdisciplinary perspective for the diachronic palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of an island of Sicily, Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 30: 102235. https: // doi. org / 10.1016 / j. jasrep. 2020.102235","IUCN (2012) IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: Version 3.1. Second edition. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. iv + 32 pp. https: // doi. org / 10.1600 / 0363644042451143","Bachman, S., Moat, J., Hill, A. W., Torre, de la J. & Scott, B. (2011) Supporting Red List threat assessments with GeoCAT: geospatial conservation assessment tool. In: Smith, V. & Penev, L. (Eds.) E-Infrastructures for data publishing in biodiversity science. ZooKeys 150: 117 - 126. https: // doi. org / 10.3897 / zookeys. 150.2109","Conti, F., Abbate, G., Alessandrini, A. & Blasi, C. (2005) An annotated checklist of the Italian vascular flora. Palombi & Partner, Roma, 424 pp.","Giardina, G., Raimondo, F. M. & Spadaro, V. (2007) A catalogue of plants growing in Sicily. Bocconea 20: 5 - 582.","Pignatti, S. (2017) Ephedraceae. In: Pignatti, S. (ed.) Flora d'Italia, ed. 2, 1. Edagricole, Milano, pp. 91 - 94."]}

Key to the species of Ephedra genus occurring in Sicily 1. Female cones always biovulate........................................................................................................................................ E. distachya - Female cones usually uniovulate........................................................................................................................................................2 2. Twigs 0.4–0.7 in diameter, upper bracts of female cones fused for 1/3–1/2 of its length, female cones 5.0– 5.5 mm long, ripe female cones 5.0–6.0 mm long................................................................................................................................................. E. nebrodensis - Twigs 0.8–3.5 in diameter, upper bracts of female cones fused for 2/3–7/8 of its length, female cones 5.5–9.0 mm long, ripe female cones 6.0–9.0 mm long.......................................................................................................................................................................3 3. Branches easily disarticulating, smooth or slightly scabrous along the ribs, leaves in whorls of 3 (sometimes opposite), leaves fused for 2/3 of their length, female cones 7.–9.0 mm long, ovule 5.5–6.0 mm long................................................................... E. fragilis - Branches hardly disarticulating, more or less scabrous along the ribs, leaves always opposite, leaves 2–3 mm long fused for most of their length, female cones 5.5–7.0 mm long, ovule 4.0– 4.5 mm long...........................................................................................4 4. Twigs 1.5–2.5 mm in diameter, female cones with upper bract 6.0– 6.5 mm long, micropilar tube ca. 2.5 mm long, ripe female strobilus 7.0–8.0 mm long with bracts yellow-gold, seed long-ovoid, 6.0– 6.5 mm long, exserted 0,5– 1 mm from upper bracts....................................................................................................................................................................................................... E.aurea - Twigs 0.8–1.2 mm in diameter, female cones with upper bract 4.5–5 mm long, micropilar tube ca. 1.5 mm long, ripe female strobilus 6.0–7.0 mm long with bracts pale red, seed ellipsoid, 5.0– 5.5 mm long, exserted 1–2 mm from upper bracts....................................................................................................................................................................................................... E. strongylensis, Published as part of Brullo, Salvatore, Brullo, Cristian, Cambria, Salvatore, Ilardi, Vincenzo, Siracusa, Giuseppe, Minissale, Pietro & Galdo, Gianpietro Giusso Del, 2022, Ephedra strongylensis (Ephedraceae), a new species from Aeolian islands (Sicily), pp. 250-264 in Phytotaxa 576 (3) on page 261, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.576.3.2

In the present study, successful germination protocols for 11 different taxa of the genus Helichrysum native to Sicily are discussed. Eight of them are representative of strict endemic Sicilian taxa, 2 are Italian sub endemic and one, namely H. stoechas, is a widespread W Mediterranean species. Given the controversial taxonomic status and relationships of the Mediterranean Helichrysum, the taxonomic approach enhancing the existing diversity of Sicilian populations was herein adopted from current literature. First germination records are given for some of the investigated taxa.

Ephedra aurea Brullo, C. Brullo, Cambria, Ilardi, Siracusa & Giusso sp. nov. (Figs. 2,3,4) Type: ITALY. Sicily: Trapani, Penisola di San Vito lo Capo, versante costiero occidentale in localit�� ���Isulidda��� a Nord di Macari, 50 m di altitudine, 38��08���44��� N, 12��44���09��� E, 30 June 2012, S. Brullo & V. Ilardi s.n. (holotype, CAT; isotypes, CAT). Ephedra nebrodensi affinis, sed ramulis divaricatis, ad nodos laxe insertis, luteolo-viridibus 1���2.5 mm diametro, internodiis usque ad 5,5 cm longis, foliis brevioribus, breviter non connatis apice, strobilis masculis ellipsoideis, pedicellatis, plerumque longioribus, diametro minore, bracteis exterioribus, connatis per 1/2���3/4 longitudinem, bracteis interioribus angustioribus, perianthio obovato, angustiore, synangiophore longiore, strobilis foemineis pedicellatis, ellipsoideis, bracteis plerumque plures, bracteis interioribus longioribus, diu connatis, ovulo diu exserto e bracteis, micropyles tubo breviore, fructifero strobilo majore, ovoideo vel globosoovoideo, bracteis maturis semper luteo-aureis, seminibus majoribus, circiter 3 mm e bracteis exsertis. Description: ���Dioecious subshrub, erect, 40���60 cm tall, old stems woody, erect or procumbent, bark greenish-gray. Twigs erect to divaricate, fasciculate and loosely inserted at the nodes, yellowish-green, cylindrical, finely furrowed and scabrous along the ribs, (1) 1.5���2.5 mm in diameter, heartwood red-brown; internodes 1.5���5.5 cm long. Leaves opposite, 1���1.3 mm long, membranous, fused for most of their length, briefly free and not recurved at the apex, each with an acute green triangular rib on the back and a coriaceous basal ring; turning brown and lacerate at maturity. Male cones ellipsoid, 3.5���6.5 mm long, 2���2.5 mm in diameter, pedicellate, with pedicel 1.5���2.5 mm long, usually opposite; bracts binate in 3���7 pairs, ovate, acute, connate per 1/2���3/4, 1��� 1.5 mm long, 1.4���1.5 mm wide, outermost ovate, innermost late obovate; perianth exserted from the subtending bract, obovate, 1.6���1.9 mm long, deeply bilobed; synangiophore 2���3.2 mm long, long exserted from perianth, with 5���10 synangia, sessile, densely aggregated at top. Female cones uniovulate, ellipsoid, opposite or 3-clustered, 6���7 mm long, 2.5���3.5 in diameter, petiolate, with petiole 2.5���3 mm long; bracts smooth at margins, connate, in 3���4 pairs, broadly ovate, obtuse at apex, green and membranous in the edge, connation ranging 3/ 4 in lower bract, 1/2���1/ 3 in middle bract and 4/5���7/ 8 in upper bract; lower bract 1.5���3 mm long, middle bract 3���4.5 mm long and upper bract 6���6.5 mm long; ovule ca. 4 mm long, ellipsoid, shortly exserted from bracts; micropylar tube straight, ca 2.5 mm long, exserted 0.5���1 mm from upper bract. Female cone at maturity ovoid to globose-ovoid, 7���8 �� 4.5���5.5 mm, with bracts yellow-gold. Seeds 6���6.5 �� 3���3.2 mm, blackishbrown, slightly striated longitudinally, long ovate, plane-convex, exserted 0.5���1 mm from bracts. Etymology: ��� The specific epithet means golden and refers to the colour of the ripe bracts in female cones. Phenology: ���It is a dioecius plant flowering in April and producing seeds from June to July. Seed micro-morphology:���In order to verify if there are significant differences regarding the micro-sculptures of the seed testa of Ephedra aurea compared to E. nebrodensis, a SEM investigation was carried out on these species. On the basis of this research, remarkable morphological differences were found when comparing the two species. In particular, the seed coat of Ephedra aurea is characterized by longitudinally rectangular cells, rugose, 170���250 �� 28��� 35 ��m, bordered by a prominent reticulum. The anticlinal walls are quite raised, while the periclinal ones are flat (Fig. 5A). The populations of E. nebrodensis show a seed testa characterized by shorter fusiform cells, slightly scabrous, 90���180 �� 17���21 ��m, delimitated by slight furrows. The anticlinal walls are furrowed, while the periclinal ones are flat or slightly convex, irregularly covered by minute papillae (Fig. 5B). These ornamentations are very similar to those of the seeds of this species coming from Morocco investigated by Ickert-Bond & Rydin (2011, Fig. 2 D,H, L,) and identified by them as Ephedra major. Pollen morphology:���According to literature (Iversen & Troels-Smith 1950; Welten 1957; Steeves & Barghoom 1959; Zavada & Gabarayeva 1991; Ickert-Bond et al. 2003; Punt 2007; Norb��ck Ivarsson 2014; Bolinder et al. 2016; Bolinder 2017; Khan et al. 2018), all Ephedraceae, as well as Welwitschia, are characterized by a type of pollen grain which differs from that of the rest of the Gymnosperms and for this reason is known as ephedroid pollen. In particular, it is classified as polyplicate, with an equatorial view perprolate, rarely prolate, while the polar shape is interlobate. The ornamentations of the surface are verrucate with sculpturing rugulate. This pollen grain shows more than meridional ridges (plicae) separate by deep furrows, which can be either branched or unbranched and are called pseudosulci (Huynh 1975, Bolinder et al. 2015), since they look very similar to sulci. Indeed, the pollen of Ephedra is usually treated as inaperturate, as the exine is much thinner than over the ridges and neither the tectum nor the infratectum occur (Steeves & Barghoorn 1959; Kedves 1987; El-Ghazaly et al. 1998; Bolinder et a. 2015). According to Bolinder et al. (2016, Fig. 1) three different types of pollen can be distinguished, such as: A) pollen with unbranched pseudosulci, having a significantly higher number of plicae, usually 10���18, with a smaller size; B) pollen with pseudosulci with first order branched, having a lower number of plicae (4���8, rarely 10) showing a size slightly larger; C) similar to type B, but with pseudosulci with first and second order branching. Current knowledge based on paleopalynogical records regarding the morphological diversity of Ephedra (Ickert-Bond et al., 2009; Rydin et al., 2010; Bolinder et al., 2015, 2016) emphasized that the type A pollen is more ancestral than types B and C ones, noting an intrinsic relationship between the pollen form and pollination syndromes. In fact, pollen with unbranched pseudosulci is linked to insect-pollination, which represents the more ancestral reproductive strategy in Ephedra, but does also occur in some presumably wind-pollinated species (Bolinder et al. 2016). Pollen grains of types B and C occur are far as known always associated with anemophilous pollination (Bolinder et al. 2016). The polyplicate pollen grains of Ephedra are very similar to those of Welwitschia, but the latter differ in being monosulcate with a single and broad sulcus, whereas Ephedra pollen is inaperturate with psedosulci. According to Doyle & Donoghue (1986), aperturate monosulcate pollen is considered ancestral in the Gnetales, while polyplicate inaperturate pollen is interpreted as derived. Micromorphological investigations carried out on pollen grains of Ephedra aurea and on those of the closely related E. nebrodensis emphasized that they are very different in size and shape. In particular, E. aurea shows pollen of type A, characterized by 11���12 plicae, very compact and acute on the back, ca. 4 ��m high,, with unbranched and linear line in the groves (corresponding to pseudosulci), the absolute size (equatorial lenght and diameter) is 43���48 �� 17���20 ��m (Fig. 6A). As regards to the pollen of the Sicilian populations of E. nebrodensis, it is quite similar to that already known of other Mediterranean populations of this species previously analyzed by other authors (Welten 1957; Steeves & Barghoorn 1959; Norb��ck Ivarsson 2014). The pollen of this species is of type C, with 5���7 plicae, quite spaced and rounded on the back, 6���6.5 ��m high, rather smooth on the surface, with first and second order branches on the pseudosulci, which are very irregular, the absolute size is 46���50 �� 20 ��m (Fig. 6B). Therefore, these two species, basing on the pollen peculiarities, are completely differentiated not only morphologically, but also from an evolutionary point of view. In fact, as already highlighted, E. aurea has an ancestral type of pollen that may involve insect-pollination, while in E. nebrodensis the pollen represents a derived type which is linked to wind-pollination. Distribution and ecology: ��� Based on current knowledge, Ephedra aurea occurs in north-western Sicily and particularly along the western slopes of the Capo San Vito peninsula, with a well circumscribed population localized at Isulidda, near Macari village, as well as in the calcareous slopes of Mt. Cofano, Mt. Erice and in Contr. Castellazzo near Castellamare del Golfo. In these stands, it grows on the see-facing cliffs, constitute by Mesozoic limestones (Fig. 7). In fact, it is a true chasmophyte, linked to rocky crevices, where it is represented by several male and female individuals (Fig. 8). Usually, it is a member of a thermophilous rupestrian plant community belonging to the Dianthion rupicolae, syntaxon described by Brullo & Marcen�� (1979). The vegetation in which E. aurea occurs is characterized by several other endemic or rare species, such as Brassica villosa Bivona (1816: 20) subsp. brevisiliqua (Raimondo & Mazzola in Mazzola & Raimondo 1997: 834) Raimondo & Gerace (2003: 441), Dianthus rupicola Bivona (1806: 31) subsp. rupicola, Lomelosia cretica (Linnaeus 1753: 100) Greuter & Burdet in Greuter & Raus (1985:74), Centaurea panormitana Lojacono (1903: 137), Helichrysum panormitanum Tineo ex Gussone (1844: 467) subsp. panormitanum, Euphorbia bivonae Steudel (1840: 610), etc. Conservation status: ��� Based on current knowledge of its distribution in Sicily, Ephedra aurea represents a rare chasmophyte circumscribed to very few carbonatic rocky stands of north-western Sicily. It seems represented by no more than one hundred mature individuals, distributed in a very limited area and, therefore, it has to be considered as threatened species. This shrub, growing in rocky habitats together with several other rare and taxonomically isolated species, does not seem usually threatened by anthropogenic disturbance, but only by occasional fires. Therefore, following the criteria laid out by IUCN (2019), Ephedra aurea for its restricted range and low number of individuals, is assessed as ���Critically Endangered��� (CR B2a). Taxonomic remarks: ���From the taxonomical point of view, Ephedra aurea is closely related to E. nebrodensis sharing twigs finely furrowed and scabrous along the ribs, synangiophore exerted from perianth, bearing several sessile synangia at the top, female cones uniovulate, 2���3 at the nodes, 6���7 mm long, micropylar tube straight, but they differt in several significant features regarding the vegetative and reproductive structures. In particular, E. nebrodensis differs from E. aurea in twigs fastigiate, compacted, dark-green (versus twigs divaricated, loosely inserted, yellowishgreen),with internodes 1���2 cm long and 0.4���0.7 mm in diameter (versus 1.5���5.5 mm long and (1) 1.5���2.5 mm in diameter), leaves 2���3 mm long (versus 1���1.3 mm long), free for c. 1/3 of their length (versus fused for most of their length and briefly free at the apex), male cones subsessile (versus pedicellate), ovoid, 4���4.5 mm long (versus ellipsoid, up to 6.5 mm long), with 2���6 pairs of bracts (versus 3���7 pairs of bracts), outermost connate for 1/2 of their length (versus for 1/2���3/4 of their length), innermost 2���2.2 mm wide (versus 1.4���1.5 mm wide), synangiophore 1.2���2.2 mm long (versus 2���3.2 mm long), female cones sessile to short petiolate (versus long petiolate), ovoid (versus ellipsoid), with 2���3 pairs of bracts (versus 3���4 pairs of bracts), innermost 5���6 mm long (versus 6���6.5 mm long), connate 1/3���1/2 of their length (versus connate 4/5���7/8 of their length), ovule long exerted from bracts (versus shortly exerted from bracts), micropylar tube ca. 3 mm long (versus 2.5 mm long), female cones at maturity globose (versus ovoid to globose-ovoid), 3���5 �� 3���5 mm (versus 7���8 �� 4.5���5.5 mm), with bracts usually red-orange or rarely yellowish (versus always yellow-gold), seeds ellipsoid (versus long ovate), 4���6 �� 2 mm (versus 6���6.5 �� 3���3.2 mm), exserted ca. 3 mm from the bracts (versus exerted 0.5���1 mm from the bracts). Other remarkable differences between the two species regard the micro-sculptures of the seed testa and the pollen shape. A detailed comparison between these structures has already been threaded in detail, from which it can be deduced that the two species are well distinct also in their reproductive strategies. Besides, due to its robust habit, twigs lax and divaricate with article 3���5 mm long, female cones uniovulate, usually long pedicellate, at maturity ovoid to subglobose and sometimes with yellow bracts when ripe, E. aurea is close to E. procera, a species distributed mainly in the eastern Mediterranean up to the Himalayas. However, a lot of relevant features allow to distinguish very well the two species from each other. Morphologically, E. procera differs from E. aurea in having twigs thinner and slender, smooth, leaves up to 3 mm long, fused up to 2/3 of its length, divaricated at the apex, male cones subglobose, perigon late ovate, synangiophore included in the perigon or slightly exserted, female cones solitary, with 2���3 pairs of bracts, innermost bracts 3���5.5 mm long, fused for 1/2 of their length, bracts reddish or sometimes yellowish when ripe, ovules fusiform 4.5���6.5 mm long, long exerted from the bracts, seeds oblong-ovoid, ca. 5 mm long. Another species quite related to E. aurea is E. equisetina, distributed from Caucasus to central and northern Asia, which in literature is treated also as E. nebrodensis subsp. equisetina (Bunge) Greuter & Burdet in Greuter et al. (1984; 278). This species is well differentiated from E. aurea in having twigs glaucous-pruinose in tufts, with internodes 1���3 mm long and 1���1.5 mm in diameter, leaves brownish, 1.5���3 mm long, fused for ca. 3/4 of their length, male cones solitary or in clusters of 2���4 at nodes, bracts in 3���4 pairs, fused for ca. 1/3 of its length, synangiophore slightly exerted from perianth, female cones elogated-ovoid, 8���10 mm long and 4 mm in diameter, bracts in 2���3 pairs, innermost ones 3.7���6 mm long, fused for 1/2���2/3 of its length, bracts reddish or sometimes yellowish when ripe, ovule fusiform, 4���5 mm long, long exerted from the bracts, micropylar tube geniculate. Additional specimens of Ephedra aurea examined (Paratypes): ��� ITALY. Sicily: Trapani, Penisola di San Vito lo Capo, versante costiero occidentale in localit�� ���Isulidda��� a Nord di Macari, 50 m di altitudine, 38��08���44��� N, 12��44���09���E, 4 June 2017, S. Cambria s.n. (CAT!); ITALY. Sicily: Trapani, Penisola di San Vito lo Capo, versante costiero occidentale in localit�� ���Isulidda��� a Nord di Macari, 50 m di altitudine, 38��08���44��� N, 12��44���09���, 8 May 2016, S. Cambria s.n. (CAT!); San Vito Lo Capo (TP), 8 July 1986, S. Brullo, P. Minissale & G. Spampinato s.n. (CAT!); Sicily: Trapani, Monte Cofano, versante orientale, 35 m di altitudine, 38��06��� 27���N, 12��40��� 59��� E, 2 July 2012, S. Brullo & V. Ilardi s.n. (CAT!); Monte Cofano-Trapani, May 1975, S. Brullo s.n. (CAT!); M. Cofano, 22 July 1979, S. Brullo s.n. (CAT!): Castellamare del Golfo, rupi, 9 June 1988, P. Minissale & G. Spampinato s.n. ( CAT!); Castellamare del Golfo (TP), rupi calcaree, 20 April 1990, S. Brullo, P. Minissale, G. Siracusa & G. Spampinato s.n. ( CAT!); Monte Erice, 20 April 1990, S. Brullo, P. Minissale, G. Siracusa & G. Spampinato s.n. ( CAT!); Specimens of Ephedra nebrodensis examined: ��� ITALY. Sicily: Madonie, Colma Grande nella vallata che scende alle favare d���Isnello (sub E. nebrodensis), s.d., s.l., (NAP! Collection ���Gussone - Sicilia ���); Madonie, Giugno, s.l., (NAP! Collection ���Gussone - Sicilia ���); Madonie, June 1888, Ross s.n. (PAL!); Colma Grande, May, s.l. (PAL!); Isnello, in elatioribus montosis, s.d., s.l. (PAL!); Scalamadagio, 6 June 1830, s.l. (PAL!); Madonie, June 1873, Citarda s.n. (PAL!); Madonie, Pizzo Carbonara, rupi di Colma Grande, 26 August 2020, S. Cambria s.n, (CAT!); Sopra Monte Cuccio, s.d., Todaro s.n. (PAL!); Monte Cuccio presso la cima, 997 m, affioramenti calcarei, 9 May 2020, S. Cambria s.n. (CAT!); Sardinia: Oliena (Sardaigne, prov. Nuoro), Supramonte di Oliena, pr��s du sommet de la punta sos Nidos, alt. 1200���1250 m, dans una petite vall��e �� 0,5 km du sommet, 2 June 1988, Cuccuini & Luccioli 13931 (P! 01633736); Sardinia, s.d., Moris s.n. (P! 01633268). SPAIN: Hu��scar Sierra de Moncayo Prov. Granada, Hab. Calcareous soils, 22 June 1988, 1st Iter Mediterraneum of Optima (PAL!- GR 065069); Sierra de Baza, Santa Barbara, Prov. Granada, Altim. 2000���2200, Hab Dolomitic and Calcareous soils, 21 June 1988, 1st Iter Mediterraneum of Optima (PAL!- GR 064952); FRANCE: Roches calcaires de Millau �� Creyssels (Aveyron), fl. 23 May 1888, fr. 11 September 1888, Abb�� H. Coste, s.n. (PAL!);Aveyron: Creissels, pr��s de Millau, fentes de roches calcaires; alt. 450���500 m��tres, fl. 25 May, fr. 7 August 1890, Abb�� H. Coste 2581 (PAL!); Parmi le rochers ��lev��s des Alpines (Bouches-du-Rh��ne), 20 May 1867, H. Roux 3901 (P! 01582711); Sisteron, Basses Alpes, 28 April 1869, Burle 136 (P! 01582711); Rochers des Dentelles �� Baumes Vancluse. 30 June 1877, Reverchon (P! 01582715); Environ de Gison pr��s Crest, April 1877, Pilugone (P! 01582718); Montagne du Luberon, Vallon de L��garde (commune de Meridol, Vancluse), May 1866, Achintre (P! 01582719); ALGERIA: Kerrata, lieux arides et rocheux, sur le calcaire, 800 m��tres, rare, July 1897, Reverchon 94 (P! 01621672); Djelfa (Alg��rie, d��p. Djelfa), flanc nord du Kef Haouas, pr��s du sommet, au N du Djebel Senalba,�� environ 15 km �� l���W de Djelfa, alt. env. 1300 m, fissures de rochers, 31 May 1984, A. Dubuis 12046 (P! 011636314); In monte Touggour prope urbem Batna in rupibus calcareis, 200 m, 21 May 1924, Maire s.n. (P! 01655682). MOROCCO: Moyen Atlas: Bekret, gorges calcaires de l���Ainengous, 1, Published as part of Brullo, Salvatore, Brullo, Cristian, Cambria, Salvatore, Ilardi, Vincenzo, Siracusa, Giuseppe & Galdo, Gianpietro Giusso Del, 2022, Ephedra aurea (Ephedraceae), a new species from Sicily, pp. 1-20 in Phytotaxa 530 (1) on pages 9-14, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.530.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5823866, {"references":["Ickert-Bond, S. M. & Rydin, C. (2011) Micromorphology of the seed envelope of Ephedra L. (Gnetales) and its relevance for the timing of evolutionary events. International Journal of Plant Sciences 172 (1): 36 - 48. https: // doi. org / 10.1086 / 657299","Iversen, J. & Troels-Smith, J., (1950) Pollenmorphologische Definitonen und Typen. Danmarks geologiske undersOgelse, Ser 43, 8: 1 - 54. https: // doi. org / 10.34194 / raekke 4. v 3.6994","Welten, M. (1957) Uber das glaziale und spatglaziale Vorkommen von Ephedra am nordwestlichen Alpenrand. Berichte der Schweizerischen Botanischen Gesellschaft 67: 33 - 54.","Steeves, M. W. & Barghoom, E. S. (1959) The pollen in Ephedra. Journal of the Arnold Arboretum 40 (3): 221 - 259. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / p. 186031","Zavada, M. S. & Gabarayeva, N. (1991) Comparative pollen wall development of Welwitschia mirabilis and selected primitive angiosperms. Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 118: 292 - 302. https: // doi. org / 10.2307 / 2996644","Ickert-Bond, S. M., Skyaria, J. J. & Chissoe, W. F. (2003) Pollen dimorphism in Ephedra L. (Ephedraceae). Review of Palaebotany and Palynology 124 (3): 325 - 334. https: // doi. org / 10.1016 / S 0034 - 6667 (03) 00002 - 2","Punt, W., Hoen, P. P., Blackmore, S., Nilsson, S. & Le Thomas, A. (2007) Glossary of pollen and spore terminology. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 143: 1 - 81. https: // doi. org / 10.1016 / j. revpalbo. 2006.06.008","Norback Ivarsson, L. (2014) Pollen morphology in Ephedra (Gnetales) and implications for understanding fossil ephedroid pollen from the Tibetan Plateaui, using a phylogenetic approach. Master Thesis ,, Systematic Botany Biology. Stockholms Universitet, 28 pp..","Bolinder, K., Norback Ivarsson, L., Humphreys, A. M., Ickert-Bond, S. M., Han, F., Hoorn, C. & Rydin, C. (2016) Pollen morphology of Ephedra (Gnetales) and its evolutionary implications. Grana 55 (1): 24 - 51. https: // doi. org / 10.1080 / 00173134.2015.1066424","Bolinder, K. (2017) Pollen an pollination in Ephedra (Gnetales). Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 46 pp.","Khan, R., Ul Abidin, S. Z., Ahmad, M., Zafar, M., Liu, J. & Amina, H. (2018) Palynomorphological characteristics of gymnosperm flora of Pakistan and its taxonomic implications with LM and SEM methods. Microscopy Research Technique 81 (1): 74 - 87. https: // doi. org / 10.1002 / jemt. 22958","Bolinder, K., Niklas, K. J., Rydin, C. (2015) Aerodynamics and pollen ultrastructure in Ephedra (Gnetales). American Journal of Botany 102: 457 - 470. https: // doi. org / 10.3732 / ajb. 1400517","Kedves, M. (1987) LM and EM studies on pollen grains of recent Welwitschia mirabilis Hook. and Ephedra species. Acta Botanica Hungarica 33: 81 - 103.","El-Ghazaly, G., Rowley, J. & Hesse, M. (1998) Polarity, aperture condition and germination in pollen grains of Ephedra (Gnetales). Plant Systematics and Evolution 213: 217 - 231. https: // doi. org / 10.1007 / BF 00985202","Ickert-Bond, S. M., Rydin, C. & Renner, S. S. (2009) A fossil-calibrated relaxed clock for Ephedra indicates an Oligocene age for the divergence of Asian and New World clades and Miocene dispersal into South America. Journal of Systematics and Evolution 47 (5): 444 - 456. https: // doi. org / 10.1111 / j. 1759 - 6831.2009.00053. x","Rydin, C., Khodabandeh, A. & Endress, P. K. (2010) The female reproductive unit of Ephedra (Gnetales): comparative morphology and evolutionary perspectives. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 163: 387 - 430. https: // doi. org / 10.1111 / j. 1095 - 8339.2010.01066. x","Doyle, J. A. & Donoghue, M. J. (1986) Seed plant phylogeny and the origin of angiosperms: An experimental cladistic approach. The Botanical Review 52: 321 - 431. https: // doi. org / 10.1007 / BF 02861082","Brullo, S. & Marceno, C. (1979) Dianthion rupicolae, nouvelle alliance sud-tyrrhenienne des Asplenietalia glandulosi. Documents Phytosociologiques., n. s., 4: 131 - 146.","Bivona Bernardi, A. (1816) Stirpium rariorum minusque cognitarum in Sicilia sponte provenientium descriptiones nonnullis iconibus auctae, 4. Typis Laurentii, Panormi, 39 pp.","Mazzola, P. & Raimondo, F. M. (1997) A new taxonomic arrangement in the Sicilian members of \" Brassica \" sect. \" brassica \". Lagascalia 19: 831 - 838.","Bivona Bernardi, A. (1806) Sicularum Plantarum Centuria prima. Philippum Barravecchia, Panormi, 84 pp.","Linnaeus, C .. (1753) Species Plantarum. Imprensis Laurentii Salvii, Holmiae, 1200 pp.","Greuter, W. & Raus, T. (1985) Med. Checklist Notulae, 11. Willdenowia 15: 61 - 84.","Lojacono Pojero, M. (1903) Flora Sicula o descrizione delle piante spontanee o indiginate in Sicilia, Gamopetalae-Calyciflorae, 2 (1). Tipografia dello Statuto, Palermo, 240 pp.","Gussone, G. (1844) Florae siculae synopsis, 2 (2). Ex Typis Tramater, Neapoli, pp. 527 - 920.","Steudel, E. T. (1840) Nomenclator Botanicus seu synonymia plantarum universalis. ed. 2, 1. Typis et sumptibus J. E. Cottae, Stuttgardt et Tubingen, 852 pp.","IUCN Standards and Petitions Committee (2019) Guidelines for Using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. Version 14. IUCN Standards and Petitions Committee."]}

Delimiting species only on morphology may lead to taxonomic inflation, biasing conservation studies and actions, particularly in organisms recently diversified. For instance, the central Mediterranean Dianthus virgineus L. complex belongs to a lineage that evolved rapidly in Eurasia, and is characterized by high phenotypic variation. In the central Mediterranean, 21 taxa are currently accepted, albeit solely described according to qualitative morphological and phenological variation. Our objective is to apply an integrative taxonomic approach, including morphometry, karyology, and genetics, to test these taxonomic hypotheses. We genotyped thousands of genome-wide biallelic, unlinked SNPs from 123 populations from southern France, peninsular Italy, Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicily, through ddRAD sequencing and conducted an explorative PCA and STRUCTURE analysis to detect genetic differentiation. All across the study area there is an overall low genetic variability, albeit structured according to geographical distribution of populations. In particular, we detected a NW-SE cline from southern France to Calabria, and a second, orthogonal cline from central Italy to Sardinia through the Tuscan Archipelago and Corsica. Conversely, plants from Sicily form a genetic cluster that does not appear to follow clinal patterns recovered in the Italian Peninsula. We deduce that the number of genetically recognizable groups of the D. virgineus complex in central Mediterranean is much lower than the current taxonomic hypotheses, highlighting the importance of an integrative taxonomic approach to better circumscribe systematic units. However, taxonomic conclusions await thorough morphometric and karyological analyses, which are currently underway.

Ferula sommieriana Cambria, C. Brullo, Tavilla, Sciandr., Minissale, Giusso & Brullo sp. nov. (Figs.1, 2, 3A, 5) ��� F. communis auct. fl. pelagie, non Linnaeus (1753: 246). A Ferula communis L. scapo umile, diametro minore, foliis lucidis, hispidulo���scaberrimis, denticulatis margine, segmentis terminalibus multo brevioribus usque ad 5 mm longis, petalis brevioribus, stylopodio minore, stylo breviore, ovario minore, mericarpio rotundato vel rotundato-oblongo, vittis 2���3 per valleculas, vittis commisuralibus 4���6, lamina cotiledonum angustiore differt. Type:��� SICILY. Lampedusa Island, Contr. Sanguedolce, 15 March 2021, S . Cambria s.n. (holotype: CAT!). Perennial polycarpic herb; rootstocks well developed; stem solitary, glabrous, stout, erect, 50���120 cm tall, 0.5���3 cm in diameter, terete, finely striate, at nodes slightly dilated; internodes 8���10(12); lower branches alternate, upper ones verticillate. Basal leaves green, shining, petiolate, abruptly broadened into sheaths lanceolate, papery, amplexicaul, rigid, inflated, sulcate, up to 18 cm long; leaf blades more or less triangular in outline, 18���50 cm long, 8���35 cm wide, 5���6-pinnate, scabrous-hispidulous; terminal segments, 0.5���5 mm long, 0.5���1 mm wide, linear, acute to slightly obtuse, mucronate, denticulate at the margin; lowermost cauline leaves similar to basal ones, but with sessile blade; middle and uppermost leaves progressively reduced to a conspicuous sheath without blade. Inflorescence paniculate-corymbose, provided with umbels lacking bracts; hermaphrodite central umbel with peduncle 3���25 mm long (rarely subsessile, rays 10���30, terete, 15���40 mm long, subequalling, a little divaricate; hermaphrodite umbellets with 8���20 flowers and rays 5���8 mm long, bracteoles 0���3, 1��� 2 mm long; staminate lateral umbels 2���3, smaller, with 10���25 flowers and rays 5���24 mm long; staminate umbellets with 8���16 flowers and rays 1.5���2.5 mm long, with 4���6 bracteoles, 0.8��� 2 mm long. Calyx teeth inconspicuous, 0.3���0.4 mm long. Petals yellow, ovate, subentire, with narrow tip curved inwards; hermaphrodite ones 1.6���2.3 mm long, staminate ones 1.3���1.7 mm long. Stamens yellow, with filament up to 2.5 mm long, anther ca. 1 mm long. Stylopodium yellow, saucer-shaped, bilobed, in hermaphrodite flowers 1.9���2.1 mm in diameter, in staminate ones 1.2���1.3 mm in diameter; styles in the staminate flowers inconspicuous, in the hermaphrodite ones erect, 0.6���0.9 mm long; ovary 1���1.2 mm long. Fruit dorsally compressed, brown; carpophore bifid up to the base; mericarps orbicular to orbicular-oblong, 9���16 mm long, 8���14 mm wide; dorsal ribs 3, filiform; lateral wings 1���1.6 mm wide; big vascular bundles in every dorsal rib and some thin in lateral wings; dorsal vittae 2���3 per vallecula, commissural secretory ducts 4���6. Phenology:���It flowers in February���April, and fruits in May���June. Etymology:���The new species is named in honour of Stefano Sommier (1848-1922), botanist from Florence, for his valuable contribution to the flora of the Pelagie Islands. Distribution and habitat:��� Ferula sommieriana exclusively grows at Lampedusa and Linosa, islands of Pelagie Archipelago in the Channel of Sicily, where it was misidentified with F. nodosa or F. communis (Gussone 1843, Sommier 1906, Di Martino 1961, Bartolo et al. 1990, Brullo & Siracusa 1996a). It usually grows in stands quite far from the sea, mainly in the uncultivated fields and synanthropic habitats characterized by the occurrence of thermoxerophilous perennial vegetation (Figs. 4, 5). This species is uncommon at Lampedusa, localizing in few stands, where, according to Bartolo et al. (1990) and Brullo et al. (2010), it is linked to a calcicolous plant community dominated by Asphodelus ramosus Linnaeus (1753: 310), Charybdis pancration (Steinheil, 1836: 279) Speta (1998: 60), Foeniculum vulgare Miller (1768 s.p.), Euphorbia pinea Linnaeus (1767: 333), Cynara cardunculus Linnaeus (1753: 827), Phagnalon saxatile (Linneaus, 1753: 857) Cassini (1819: 174), Dactylis hispanica Roth (1797: 8), Convolvulus althaeoides Linnaeus (1753: 156), Pallenis spinosa (Linneaus, 1753: 904) Cassini (1825: 276), Carlina involucrata Poiret (1789: 234) and sometimes it is also associated with the endemic Thapsia pelagica Brullo et al. (2009: 46). Conversely, F. sommieriana from Linosa is quoted by Brullo & Siracusa (1996b) and Brullo et al. (2010) on volcanic soils, but in xeric grasslands dominated by Hyparrhenia hirta (Linneaus, 1753: 1046) Stapf (1919:315) and characterized by Lathyrus articulatus Linnaeus (1753: 731), Daucus carota Linnaeus (1753: 242), Foeniculum piperitum, Euphorbia pinea, Phagnalon saxatile, Charybdis pancration, etc. Probably, the garrigues and maquis enviroments that are now quite rare and limited to small patches on both islands, were most likely the natural habitats colonized in the past by F. sommieriana. Phytogeographical remarks:���The Pelagie Islands are included by Brullo et al. (1995) in the Pelagico Domain together with Pantelleria island and Maltese Archipelago. Within this domain several districts were recognized, among which the Lopadusano district with Lampedusa and Lampione islands, and Algusico district with Linosa Island. The aforesaid districts show a remarkable lot of endemic species which confer them a certain phytogeographic isolation. In particular, the flora of Lampedusa is quite rich in endemics, such as Allium hemisphaericum (Sommier, 1906: 147) Brullo in Bartolo et al. (1990: 131), A. lopadusanum Bartolo et al. (1986: 89), A. pelagicum Brullo et al. (2015: 235), Anthemis lopadusana Lojacono (1903: 85), Chiliadenus lopadusanus Brullo (1979a: 301), Daucus lopadusanus Tineo (1846: 38), Dianthus rupicola Bivona (1806: 31) subsp. lopadusanus Brullo & Minissale (2002: 541), Diplotaxis scaposa Candolle de (1821: 635), Limonium intermedium Gussone (1832: 87) Brullo (1980: 283), L. lopadusanum Brullo (1980: 281), Oncostema dimartinoi (Brullo & Pavone, 1987: 614) Conti & Soldano in Conti et al. (2005: 20), Suaeda pelagica Bartolo et al. (1987: 391) and Thapsia pelagica. As concerns Linosa, the flora of this island is less rich in endemics, they are: Erodium neuradifolium Delile ex Godron (1853: 17) subsp. linosae (Sommier, 1906: 205) C. Brullo et al. (2011: 37), Limonium algusae (Brullo, 1980: 289) Greuter (1987: 449) and Valantia calva Brullo (1979b:61). Seedling morphology:���The seedling morphology in the Apiaceae provides relevant informations on the taxonomic relationships at generic and specific rank (Cerceau-Larrival 1962; Das 2017). Previously, the seedling of Ferula species were studied by Cerceau-Larrival (1962), who examined those ones of F. communis, while Brullo et al. (2018) treated F. communis, F. melitensis and F. arrigonii highlighting the morphological differences. Based on these investigations, the seedlings of F. sommieriana (Fig. 6 A-B) differs from that one of F. communis (Fig. 6C) in having cotyledons max 9 cm long and blade 1.8���2.5 mm wide (versus up to 14 mm long and 3.5���5 mm wide), metaphyll blade 3���5 �� 3.5���5.5 mm (versus 4.5���8 �� 4.5���8 mm), metaphyll petiole longer, rarely subequal, than cotyledons (versus shorter than cotyledons). The seedlings of F. sommieriana differ very well also from that one of F. melitensis (Fig. 6D) in having cotyledons 7���9 mm long and blade 1.8���2.5 mm wide (versus 9���11 mm long and blade 3.5���4 mm wide), metaphyll petiole longer, rarely subequal, than cotyledons (versus subequal to shorter), metaphyll blade with segments 0.5���1 mm wide (versus 1���1.5 wide). Finally, some significant differences there are between the seedlings of F. sommieriana and that one of F. arrigonii. In particular, F. sommieriana shows seedlings much larger with cotyledons 7���9 mm long (versus 4.5���5.5 mm long), metaphylls 9���16 mm long (versus 6.5���8 mm long), with blade 3���5 mm long (versus 2.3 mm long) and petiole 6.5���11 mm long (versus 5���6.5 mm long), longer, rarely subequal, than cotyledons (versus shorter), metaphyll blade with segments 2���11 �� 0.5���1 mm (versus 2.5 �� 1.5���2 mm). Mericarp morphology:���According to literature (Cauwet-Marc 1981a,b; Safina & Pimenov 1983, 1990; Arenas Posada & Garc��a Mart��n 1993; Duman & Sağıroğlu 2005; Sağıroğlu & Duman 2007, 2010; Pimenov & Kljuykov 2013; Brullo et al. 2018; Akalın et al. 2020) the carpological investigations provide relevant information on the taxonomy of the genus Ferula. The two mericarps compressed dorso-ventrally, with a wing per side, are characterized by a dorsal and a commissural face, with 3 thin dorsal ribs, each with a vascular bundle, secretory ducts occur in the vallecoles interposed between the ribs and in the commissural faces. As concerns the mericarps of F. sommieriana, they are rounded to rounded-oblong, showing a quite variable size with a range of 9���16 �� 8���14 mm, provided with a wing 1.5���2.5(3) mm wide (Fig. 3A); the secretory ducts are 2���3 per vallecula, while the commissural ones are 4���6 (Fig. 7A). On the whole, based on our investigations and literature data, the mericarps of F. sommieriana result well differentiated from those ones of the allied species known in literature such as F. communis s.str., F. glauca. F. tunetana, F. arrigonii and F. melitensis. The mericarps of F. communis s. str. are obovate to elliptical, (10)12���18(20) �� 7���12 mm, with wings 2���3 mm wide, secretory ducts 1���3 per vallecula, and commissural secretory ducts 2���4 (Fig. 3B, Fig. 7B; Safina & Pimenov 1990, Fig. 1). In F. glauca the mericarps are elliptical, 13���20 �� 7���12 mm, with wings 1.0��� 1.5 mm wide, secretory ducts 2���4 per vallecula, and commissural secretory ducts 4���6 (Safina & Pimenov 1990, Fig. 3B). The mericarps of F. tunetana are orbicular to elliptical, 12���18 �� 12���14 mm, with wings 2.5 mm wide, secretory ducts 3 per vallecula, and commissural secretory ducts 4 (Bonnet & Barratte 1895: pl. 8). The mericarps of F. arrigonii are oblong to ovate-oblong, (5)7���10 �� 3���6 mm, with wings 0.5���1.0 mm wide, secretory ducts 1���3 per vallecula, and commissural secretory ducts 4(6) (Brullo et al. 2018, Fig. 3C and 4C). Finally, F. melitensis shows orbicular to orbicular-oblong mericarps, 11���14 �� 9���11 mm, with wings 1.5���2.0 mm wide, secretory ducts 1���4 per vallecula, and commissural secretory ducts 4���7 (Fig. 3C, Fig. 7C; Brullo et al. 2018, Fig. 3A and 4A). Leaf anatomy:���The leaf blade in Ferula shows usually a remarkable diacritical value for the taxonomic differentiation of the species among them. In fact, most often a very flashy character which allows to easily distinguish one species from another is the leaf morphology and it is widely used in the drafting of keys in the floras (Cannon 1968; Peşmen 1972; S��nchez Cuxart 2003). Besides, the anatomical investigations on the leaf blade can provide further information to improve knowledge in the case of critical groups or in the description of new species (Ashena et al. 2014; Akhemetova et al. 2015; Imanbayeva et al. 2015; Brullo et al. 2018). Morphologically, Ferula sommieriana for its leaf blade is clearly differentiated from the other allied species belonging to F. communis group. In fact, the terminal segments of the leaf blade are very short (max 5 mm long), minutely scabrous-hispidulous on both faces (Fig. 8C, D). As concerns the others examined species as F. communis (Fig. 8A) and F. melitensis (Fig. 8B), as well as F. glauca, F. arrigonii, the terminal segments can reach a length far greater than 5 mm and have the surface perfectly smooth. A certain similarity in the size of the terminal segments was observed between the leaves of F. sommieriana and F. tunetana, but they differ in some features, since the terminal segments in F. tunetana are smooth and slightly larger (1-2 mm wide), even if in length they do not exceed 2 mm. Investigations on the anatomy of the terminal leaf segments in F. sommieriana showed much greater differences compared to those of the other related species of Ferula. In the cross section the leaflets reveal a flat outline rounded at the ends, rounded abaxially and furrowed adaxially (Fig. 2E). The tissues have an amphistomatic dorsiventral arrangement, with a cuticle with cells larger in the adaxial face, where the stomata are few in number, with large substomatal chambers in the abaxial face, placed on both sides of the midrib; all the surface is covered by scattered minute protuberance, that give a some roughness. The palisade tissue is two-layered, with cells diversified on the two faces; in the adaxial face the cells in cross section are elongated with those of the outer layer longer and those of the inner one much shorter; while the palisade tissue in the abaxial faces is characterized by smaller and rounded cells; the palisade is interrupted by small collenchymatic cells bundle above and below the midrib. The spongy tissue fills the central part of the leaflets and consists of small rounded compact cells, where three vascular bundles are located, a biggest central one and two smaller marginal ones, each one is associated with a secretory duct of proportional size located towards the abaxial face; the whole structures are surrounded by a layer of mechanical cells and enclosed by an external well-developed collenchyma. In the cross section the central segment of the leaflets is characterized by a palisade tissue multilayered with 6���7 vascular bundle and a very deep furrow in adaxial face (Fig. 2F). Based on investigations carried out by Brullo et al. (2018), the terminal leaf segments of F. sommieriana in cross section result quite similar to that one of Ferula communis. The two species share the same width of the terminal segments, as well as they have three vascular bundles, palisade tissue interrupted by small collenchymatic cells on both faces, while they differ for the occurrence in F. communis of palisade cells elongated and larger in the abaxial face; besides the leaflets surface is completely smooth (Brullo et al. 2018, Fig. 6D). The leaflets in cross section of others investigated species (F. arrigonii, F. melitensis, F. tunetana) are more differentiated compared to F. sommieriana mainly for the occurrence usually of a greater number of vascular bundles (1���2 intermediate bundles), epidermal cells larger, as well as but limitedly to F. melitensis and F. tunetana, the lack of furrow and collenchymatic bundles in the adaxial face (Brullo et al. 2018, Fig. 6A, B, C). Unfortunately, due to the lack of living material, it was not possible to carry out analyzes on the anatomy of the leaves of F. glauca, a species quite related to F. communis, but based on literature data (Cannon 1968; Anzalone et al. 1992) it differs morphologically from F. sommieriana in having terminal segments of leaflets longer and wider (5���30 �� 1���3 mm), which are distinctly green above and glaucous below., Published as part of Cambria, Salvatore, Brullo, Cristian, Tavilla, Gianmarco, Sciandrello, Saverio, Minissale, Pietro, Galdo, Gianpietro Giusso Del & Brullo, Salvatore, 2021, Ferula sommieriana (Apiaceae), a new species from Pelagie Islands (Sicily), pp. 89-108 in Phytotaxa 525 (2) on pages 90-102, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.525.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5701858, {"references":["Linnaeus, C. (1753) Species plantarum, 2 vols. Laurentii Salvii, Holmiae [Stockholm], 1200 pp.","Gussone, G. (1843) Flora Siculae Synopsis, vol. 1. 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Key to the species of Ferula subg. Ferula sect. Ferula 1. Terminal leaf segments 0.5-5(6) mm long..........................................................................................................................................2 - Terminal leaf segments usually more than 5 mm long.......................................................................................................................7 2. Terminal leaf segments 0.4-1 mm wide..............................................................................................................................................3 - Terminal leaf segments 1-2 mm wide.................................................................................................................................................6 3 Terminal leaf segments scabrous-hispidulous............................................................................................................. F. sommieriana - Terminal leaf segments glabrous........................................................................................................................................................4 4. Leaves four times pinnate, rounded to obovate mericarps............................................................................................. F. marmarica - Leaves five-six times pinnate, elliptical mericarps............................................................................................................................5 5. Hermaphrodite umbel with 16-28 rays, 20-35 mm long, staminate umbels with 14-18 rays, 8-14 mm long, mericarps 10-13 x 6.5- 8.5............................................................................................................................................................................................. F. linkii - Hermaphrodite umbel with 7-14(20) rays, more than 35 mm long, staminate umbels with 6-10 rays, 16-27 mm long, mericarps 6.5-11 x 5-6.5........................................................................................................................................................................ F. loscosii 6. Lower leaf blade 15-40 cm long, terminal leaf segments 1-2 mm long, staminate umbels with 9-12, mericarp 12-14 mm wide.................................................................................................................................................................................................. F. tunetana - Lower leaf blade 40-60 cm long, terminal leaf segments 2-6 mm long, staminate umbels with 16-18, mericarp 6-8 mm wide................................................................................................................................................................................................... F. tingitana 7. Lower leaf blade 8-20 cm long, hermaphrodite umbel with 7-12 rays................................................................................ F. sinaica - Lower leaf blade 20-100 cm long, hermaphrodite umbel with 12-40 rays........................................................................................8 8. Lower leaf blade up to 100 cm long, four-five times pinnate, with terminal segments 20-40(50) mm long................... F. communis - Lower leaf blade 20-60 cm long, two-four times pinnate, with terminal segments 2-15 mm long...................................................9 9. Inflorescence with contracted umbels, mericarps 7-10 mm long and 3-6 mm wide, with wings 0.5-1 mm wide............ F. arrigonii - Inflorescence with loose and expanded umbels, mericarps 11-15 mm long and 7-11 mm wide, with wings 1-2 mm wide...........10 10. Leaf blade green adaxially and glaucous abaxially, mericarp elliptical, 7-8 mm wide, with wings 1-1.2 mm wide.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... F. glauca - Leaf blade uniformly green, mericarp rounded to rounded-oblong, 9-11 mm wide, with wings 1.5-2 mm wide........... F. melitensis, Published as part of Cambria, Salvatore, Brullo, Cristian, Tavilla, Gianmarco, Sciandrello, Saverio, Minissale, Pietro, Galdo, Gianpietro Giusso Del & Brullo, Salvatore, 2021, Ferula sommieriana (Apiaceae), a new species from Pelagie Islands (Sicily), pp. 89-108 in Phytotaxa 525 (2) on page 103, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.525.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5701858

A new subspecies of Epipactis microphylla, proposed as subsp. cossyrensis is described and illustrated from Pantelleria, a volcanic island near Sicily. It differs from subsp. microphylla mainly in the shape and size of leaves and bracts and several floral traits. This taxon, previously attributed to E. pollinensis, a species currently treated as a synonym of E. purpurata, grows in the undergrowth of thermophilous woodlands occurring on the top of the island, where it numbers a few tens of individuals. The conservation status, phenology and taxonomic remarks are provided. Keys for the species belonging to the Epipactis atrorubens group (= subsect. Atrorubensae), including E. microphylla, are presented.