Search results for "Botanica"

New findings for the charophyte flora of Sicily (Italy)

2022

Towards the identification of species-specific monitoring protocol for the Italian flora of Community interest

2016

The ongoing activities for the identification of monitoring methods for the Italian flora of Community interest (FCI) are presented. The reference framework is the Directive 92/43/EEC. Monitoring is an obligation arising from Art. 11 and the results have to be reported every six years, according to Art. 17. In the last Italian National Report, covering the period 2007-2012, the status of the FCI was assessed using available knowledge and expert judgment, still revealing relevant lack of data for some plant species and, in turn, population parameters (Ercole and Giacanelli, 2014). To overcome these deficiencies, in 2015 began a project aims to set future monitoring activities and to optimize…

Drafting a prioritized checklist of Crop Wild Relatives and Wild Harvested Plants of Italy: problems and solutions

2022

The National checklists of Crop Wild Relatives (CWR) and Wild Harvested Plants (WHP) are the basic tools for the development of in situ and ex situ conservation strategies of plant genetic resources. Here we discuss the methodologies and the prioritization process we previously used in the preparation of the prioritized checklist of CWR and WHP for Italy. The starting point were the most up-to-date Italian checklists of native and alien flora with their updates used as a nomenclatural and distributive source of data. Sardinia and Sicily were kept separate from peninsular Italy to perform detailed analyses focused on the taxa of the two major islands. The origin, the endemic status, cultivat…

Seed germination reports for Sicilian endemic taxa of the genus Helichrysum (Asteraceae)

2021

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.

On the presence of Diplomitoporus lindbladii and Phellinus pseudopunctatus in Sicily (southern Italy)

2007

Diplomitoporus lindbladii and Phellinus pseudopunctatus are reported for the first time from Sicily (southern Italy). The ecological and distributive features of these two interesting species are here reported.

Evolution of the forest landscape in the Punic Eparchy area (West Sicily): the importance of cork oak in natural residual vegetation for the purposes…

2018

The natural forest vegetation in the territory of the western provinces of Sicily (Palermo, Trapani and Agrigento) has almost completely disappeared. This area coincides with the ancient administrative ter- ritorial unit that precedes the division into three "valleys" of the most inhabited island of the Mediterranean: it is the Val di Mazara, remembered by archaeologists as "Punic Eparchy". As a seat of important Greek cities (Himera, Solunto, Entella, Agrigento, Gela, Eraclea Minoa, Segesta, Selinunte, Erice, Lilibeo, Mozia, etc.), it was a Punic domain before being abandoned. Due to the lack of a marked relief and the benefit of climate, agriculture was practiced for three millennia. In t…

Plant landscape and phytodiversity in the ancient town of Erice (NW Sicily)

2018

The The town of Erice, in the province of Trapani, is an environmental unicum in the context of the ancient settlements of western Sicily. Its history, substrates, and particular climate, generated by its geo-orographic position, make it a particular hotspot of natural and cultural biodiversity. Located on the top of Mount San Giuliano, in addition to natural habitats with their specific florulas, the town shows small gardens and among the few inhabitants there is a widespread green culture. A tourist des- tination by its various architectural and landscape historical peculiarities, Erice presents a residential center made up by small stone buildings, with small courtyards or “bagli” often …

Bioactive compounds from brown algae inhabiting the north-western Mediterranean Sea

2021

Marine algae produce a great amount of secondary metabolites (e.g. terpenoids, fatty acids, steroids, polysaccharides and polyphenols) to face environmental stressors they are exposed to, but also to defend themselves from biological pressures such as competitors, pathogens, grazers and epiphytes. Over the last decade, secondary metabolites isolated from brown algae and phenolic compounds, in particular, are receiving increasing attention due to their putative ecological roles, and several biological properties. Brown fucoid algae of the genus Cystoseira sensu latu (Sargassaceae) and Dictyotaceae produce a wide variety of secondary metabolites which have been investigated mainly for their d…

Building the jigsaw puzzle of the critically endangered Pleurotus nebrodensis: historical collection sites and an emended description

2011

Historical collection sites of the critically endangered Pleurotus nebrodensis were retraced in Sicily (southern Italy) using recently rediscovered documents and through interviews with local people. These localities were visited in 2009 and checked for the presence of this rare mushroom, confirming a continuing decline in fruiting. An emended description of the taxon is provided based on observations on abundant recently collected material. The need for more incisive action to safeguard this valuable mushroom by the University of Palermo, Regional Park of Madonie Administration and policy makers is emphasized.

A new record of the desert truffle Picoa lefebvrei in Saudi Arabia

2012

A new record of Picoa lefebvrei from Saudi Arabia is reported accompanied by notes on its taxonomy, ecology, and distribution.