No abstract

No abstract

In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of native vascular flora in Italy are presented. It includes new records, confirmations, exclusions, and status changes to the Italian administrative regions for taxa in the genera Ajuga, Chamaemelum, Clematis, Convolvulus, Cytisus, Deschampsia, Eleocharis, Epipactis, Euphorbia, Groenlandia, Hedera, Hieracium, Hydrocharis, Jacobaea, Juncus, Klasea, Lagurus, Leersia, Linum, Nerium, Onopordum, Persicaria, Phlomis, Polypogon, Potamogeton, Securigera, Sedum, Soleirolia, Stachys, Umbilicus, Valerianella, and Vinca. Nomenclatural and distribution updates, published elsewhere, and corrigenda are provided as Suppl. material 1.

Show caves are vulnerable environments whose conditions should be monitored over time. Many factors, such as visits by tourists and the installation of lights, can easily alter the equilibrium of the cave system. Grotta Zinzulusa is a show cave located on the southeastern coast of Italy. This cave is renowned for the richness of its faunal biodiversity, but little is known about its microclimate and about its microbial diversity in the form of lampenflora growth near the light sources. We investigated the photosynthetic microorganisms living in the Zinzulusa in regard to its microclimatic conditions one year after the change of the lighting system from tungsten to LED (light emitting diode) lamps. Most microbial activity was found in areas with vermiculations. We established four distinct communities based on macroscopic characteristics as a function of light intensity and wavelength. The observations were compared both with previous data collected in the last decade and with other caves reported in the literature. Results show that not much has changed within the first year after switching to a LED system with respect to the 1999 state. This research contributes to the knowledge of the environmental attributes and provides a baseline to check for changes in the lampenflora community over time in the Zinzulusa.

Poa jubata A. Kern., an annual South-eastern European species, is reported for the first time from Italy. It is a therophyte linked to temporary ponds with soils flooded during the winter period. It is a very rare and enigmatic species, currently known only from a few localities of the Balkan Peninsula. Recently, it was surveyed in an Apulian wetland, near Brindisi, where it grows with several other annual hygrophytes. For its taxonomical isolation, it is included in a monospecific section, as P. sect. Jubatae. In addition to a detailed description, the chromo-some complement (2n = 14) of this species is examined for the first time and a new iconography is provided.