Anna Guglielmo

Three new species of Allium sect. Codonoprasum from Greece

Abstract Three new species of Allium from Greece are described. They are A. dirphianum, A. phitosianum and A. rausii, all included in A. sect. Codonoprasum. Morphology, karyology, distribution and relationships are examined for each of them.

Cytotaxonomical notes on some rare endemic species of Allium (Alliaceae) from Greece

Abstract Five Greek endemic species of Allium (A. meteoricum, A. parnassicum, A. pilosum, A. luteolum and A. frigidum) are examined. The study, based on field and herbarium investigations, allowed to better define the morphology, karyology and chorology of these critical taxa as well as their relationships.

Cytotaxonomic consideration ofAllium fuscum Waldst. et Kit. (Liliaceae), a critical species of the European flora

A critical species of the European flora,Allium fuscumWaldst. & Kit., belonging toA. sect.CodonoprasumRchb., is investigated. The species was previously confused with other taxa of theA. paniculatum group, but on the basis of herbarium and field investigationsA. fuscum is a rare chasmophyte, distributed in Romania and Bulgaria. The description, chromosome number (2n=16), taxonomy, chorology and ecology are provided. The relationships of this species with some related taxa of theA. paniculatum group are also examined.

Seed germination in Sarcopoterium spinosum (L.) Spach from South-Eastern Sicily

Abstract Sarcopoterium spinosum (L.) Spach is a nanophanerophyte whose presence in Sicily is limited to the South-East of the island. A study on seed germination behaviour of seeds collected from some populations indicates low viability of seedlings which could seriously put the long-term survival of these populations at risk.

Osservazioni ecologiche preliminari su Petagnia saniculifolia Guss., raro endemismo siculo

Abstract Preliminary ecological observations on Petagnia saniculifolia Guss., a rare sicilian endemism. — The Authors present the preliminary results of some observations on the anatomy and ecology of Petagnia saniculifolia Guss. and a synthetic phytosociological table in which some species of Molinio-Arrhenatheretea and Querco-Fagetea are present. The particular needs of this species and the precarious environmental conditions are pointed out.

Spatial patterns and floristic composition of plant communities in coastal salt marshes of southeastern Sicily (Italy)

Abstract The results of a study on the spatial patterns, composition and structure of coastal salt marsh plant communities of a central Mediterranean area are presented. Eleven transects perpendicular to the salt marsh shore were selected in southeastern Sicily. For each transect, the floristic composition and cover were determined using standard relevé methods, collecting 220 plots. The plot data were analysed using classification (Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean, similarity ratio) and ordination methods (Detrended Correspondence Analysis). A total of 15 plant communities with specific floristic compositions were recognized, mainly distributed in two different habitats: a regularly flooded lower zone and an irregularly flooded upper zone. According to detrended correspondence analysis, the spatial patterns of plots follow an ecological gradient that can be related to flooding time, the main ecological factor affecting the distribution of communities in the salt marshes. Moreover, floristic richness and diversity index increased from the lower zone towards the upper zone. The regularly flooded soils contain the lowest shrub abundance and the lowest diversity, whereas the irregularly flooded soils have the highest shrub abundance and the highest diversity.

Pollen morphology and seed germination studies on Retama raetam ssp. gussonei, endemic subspecies from Sicily

A study on pollen morphology and seed germination behaviour of Retama raetam (Forssk.) Webb ssp. gussonei (Webb) Greuter, endemic subspecies from Sicily and Calabria, is herein presented, aiming to preserve these populations strongly affected by anthropic pressure.

Seed germination in the Sicilian subspecies of Dianthus rupicola Biv. (Caryophyllaceae)

Abstract Five populations belonging to three subspecies of Dianthus rupicola Biv. (D. rupicola subsp. rupicola, D. rupicola subsp. aeolicus, and D. rupicola subsp. lopadusanus) and growing in different geographical areas of Sicily were tested for seed germination at various temperatures. All populations showed high germination rates with an optimum temperature between 15°C and 25°C. Efficient seed germination might contribute significantly to the preservation of these subspecies which are currently exposed to several environmental threats.

Notes on Allium rhodopeum (Alliaceae), a neglected species from the E Mediterranean area

ABSTRACT Allium rhodopeum, a critical species of the E Mediterranean flora, was investigated from a taxonomic, karyological and chorological point of view. It belongs to A. sect. Codonoprasum and shows close relationship with the A. paniculatum group. Its chromosome complement is diploid with 2n = 16, with metacentric chromosomes. The species consists of subsp. rhodopeum from Bulgaria and Greece and subsp. turcicum, new to science, from NW Turkey and NE Greece.