Natural History Sciences. Atti Soc. it. Sci. nat. Museo civ. Stor. nat. Milano, 10 (1): 83-86, 2023 DOI: 10.4081/nhs.2023.637
1 Scuola di Bioscienze e Medicina Veterinaria, Università
di Camerino, (Macerata); Centro Ricerche Floristiche
dell’Appennino, Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso e Monti della
Laga, San Colombo, Via Provinciale km 4,2, 67021 Barisciano
(L’Aquila), Italia.
2 Dipartimento per il monitoraggio e la tutela dell’ambiente e per
la conservazione della biodiversità, Istituto Superiore per la
Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), via V. Brancati 60,
00144 Roma, Italia.
E-mail: valeria.giacanelli@isprambiente.it
* Corresponding author: fabio.conti@unicam.it
© 2023 Fabio Conti, Valeria Giacanelli
Received for publication: 22 June 2022
Accepted for publication: 26 September 2022
Online publication: 26 April 2022
Short communication
Contribution to the vascular flora of Ventotene and Santo Stefano
islands (Pontine Islands, Lazio, Italy) with two taxa new to Lazio
Fabio Conti1*, Valeria Giacanelli2
Abstract - In this paper, based on field, herbarium and bib-
liographic research, new distributional data for 16 species and sub-
species (13 natives and 3 aliens) are reported for Ventotene and Santo
Stefano islands. Particularly, 6 are new or confirmed to Ventotene and
8 to Santo Stefano. One species is excluded from the flora of Ventotene
and one is to be considered locally extinct. One native and one alien are
new to Lazio administrative region.
Key words: alien species, biodiversity, distribution, native species,
vascular flora
Riassunto - Contributo alla flora vascolare di Ventotene e Santo
Stefano (Isole Ponziane, Lazio, Italia) con due taxa nuovi per il Lazio.
In questo lavoro, sulla base di ricerche di campo, d’erbario e biblio-
grafiche, vengono riportati nuovi dati distributivi per 16 specie e sot-
tospecie (13 autoctone e 3 alloctone) per le isole di Ventotene e Santo
Stefano. In particolare, 6 sono nuove o confermate per Ventotene e 8
per Santo Stefano. Una specie è esclusa dalla flora di Ventotene e una
è da considerarsi localmente estinta. Un’autoctona e un’alloctona sono
nuove per la Regione Lazio.
Parole chiave: biodiversità, distribuzione, flora vascolare, specie
autoctone, specie alloctone.
INTRODUCTION
The Pontine Islands (Isole Ponziane) form a volcanic
archipelago located in the Thyrrenian Sea and belong to
Lazio administrative region. They are subdivided in two
groups: a northwestern group, including Ponza, Palma-
rola and Zannone, and a southeastern group, comprising
Ventotene and Santo Stefano. This paper is a contribu-
tion to the knowledge of the flora of Ventotene and San-
to Stefano, presenting unpublished floristic findings and
confirmations of old records. The flora of the two islands
was studied by Béguinot (1902, 1905) and Anzalone &
Caputo (1976). Lucchese (2017) updated the alien flora.
Some original records are reported in Mazzella & Maz-
zella (1997) and in Calbi et al. (2017), and other updates
to the checklist and conservation measures can be found
in Pretto et al. (2010), Celesti-Grapow et al. (2017).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The floristic data are based on field investigations
carried out from 26 to 29 May 2022, and bibliographic
analysis. Herbarium specimens are preserved in APP
(herbarium code follows Thiers, 2022+).
Nomenclature follows the checklists of the Italian
native (Bartolucci et al., 2018) and alien (Galasso et al.,
2018) vascular flora, and subsequent updates summarized
in the Portal to the Flora of Italy (2022; see also Martellos
et al., 2020). Taxa are classified as natives or aliens and
ordered alphabetically within each category.
The following information is provided for each taxon:
currently accepted name; family; reason(s) for it being
recorded; current invasiveness status (only for the exotic
units); examined herbarium materials, with details about
the location (in Italian, according to the information in
the herbarium label), UTM coordinates (datum WGS84),
altitude, growth habitats, collection date, collector(s), and
herbarium storage code; any additional notes.
RESULTS
Native plants
Catapodium pauciflorum (Merino) Brullo, Giusso,
Miniss. & Spamp. (Poaceae)
Species new for Ventotene, Santo Stefano and the
Pontine Islands.
Santo Stefano, tra l’approdo settentrionale e il carcere,
UTM WGS84: 33T 369720E 4516703N, prati aridi, ca.
50 m, 29 Mai 2022, F. Conti & V. Giacanelli (APP).
84
Ventotene, sopra Cala Bosco, UTM WGS84: 33T
367457E 4517787N, prati aridi, 23 m, 26 Mai 2022, F.
Conti & V. Giacanelli (APP).
For Ventotene and Santo Stefano Béguinot (1902) record-
ed Catapodium balearicum (Willk.) H.Scholz (as C. loliace-
um (Huds.) Link); Anzalone & Caputo (1976, as Catapodium
marinum (L.) C.E.Hubb.) confirmed it for Ventotene.
Centaurium erythraea Rafn subsp. erythraea
(Gentianaceae)
Species confirmed for the flora of Santo Stefano.
Santo Stefano, tra l’approdo settentrionale e il carcere,
UTM WGS84: 33T 369720E 4516703N, prati aridi, ca.
50 m, 29 Mai 2022, F. Conti & V. Giacanelli (APP).
Species previously recorded by Béguinot (1905).
Echinophora spinosa L. (Apiaceae)
Species confirmed for the flora of Ventotene.
One individual was observed in Cala Rossano, in the sou-
thern part of the beach, inside the area fenced to prevent acci-
dents due to falling rocks. In Calanave, the locality mentioned
in a previous report (Anzalone & Caputo, 1976), the species
is now extinct due to erosion and the impact of tourism.
Eryngium maritimum L. (Apiaceae)
Species extinct from the flora of Ventotene.
Due to erosion and the impact of tourism, the species
is now extinct from Calanave, the locality mentioned in a
previous report (Anzalone & Caputo, 1976).
Euphorbia peplis L. (Euphorbiaceae)
Species confirmed for the flora of Ventotene.
Ventotene, Cala Rossano, UTM WGS84: 33T 367603E
4517659N, spiaggia, 0 m, 28 Mai 2022, F. Conti & V. Gia-
canelli (APP).
Due to erosion and the impact of tourism, the species
is now extinct from Calanave, the locality mentioned in a
previous report (Anzalone & Caputo, 1976).
Ferula glauca L. (Apiaceae)
Species excluded from the flora of Ventotene and San-
to Stefano.
The species was recorded for Ventotene and Santo Ste-
fano (Anzalone & Caputo, 1976; Mazzella & Mazzella,
1997; Calbi et al., 2017). All the individuals of Ferula
observed by the authors belong to F. communis L. subsp.
communis. Correctly, Anzalone et al. (1992) recorded
only F. communis for the Pontine Islands.
Galium murale (L.) All. (Rubiaceae)
Species confirmed for the flora of Santo Stefano.
Santo Stefano, parte alta dell’isola nelle vicinanze del
carcere, 29 Mai 2022, F. Conti & V. Giacanelli (APP).
Species previously recorded by Béguinot (1905) for
Ventotene and Santo Stefano but not confirmed by An-
zalone & Caputo (1976).
Juniperus macrocarpa Sm. (Cupressaceae)
The distribution and origin of this species in the Pon-
tine Islands deserve clarifications. Calbi et al. (2017)
hypothesized a natural origin for this juniper recorded for
Ventotene. We observed the taxon in the same two locali-
ties (Cala Rossano, over Cala Bosco) and, additionally, in
Via Parata Grande. Although the habitus and the growing
habitats could support the thesis of Calbi et al. (2017), we
learned from an inhabitant of the island that these junipers
were planted about 30 years ago by an agronomist.
Pancratium maritimum L. (Amaryllidaceae)
Species confirmed for the flora of Ventotene.
Due to the erosion and the impact of tourism the
species is now extinct from Calanave, the locality of a
previous report (Anzalone & Caputo, 1976; Mazzella &
Mazzella, 1997). In Cala Rossano, one clump was obser-
ved by Calbi et al. (2017). In the same locality we obser-
ved 6 clumps and 15 seedlings.
Populus nigra L. subsp. neapolitana (Ten.) Maire
(Salicaceae)
Subspecies new for the flora of Santo Stefano and for
Lazio administrative region.
Santo Stefano, parte alta dell’isola nelle vicinanze
del carcere, venendo dall’approdo settentrionale, UTM
WGS84: 33T 369689E 4516697N, boscaglia, ca. 60 m,
29 Mai 2022, F. Conti & V. Giacanelli (APP).
Populus nigra was recorded by Anzalone & Caputo
(1976) as probably introduced for Ventotene and Santo
Stefano, without indication of the subspecies.
Stachys major (L.) Bartolucci & Peruzzi (≡ Prasium
majus L.) (Lamiaceae)
Species new for the flora of Santo Stefano.
This species was observed in Santo Stefano, in the upper
part of the island, close to the “carcere”, on 29 May 2022.
Urtica membranacea Poir. (Urticaceae)
Species new for the flora of Santo Stefano.
Santo Stefano, parte alta dell’isola nelle vicinanze del
carcere, 29 Mai 2022, F. Conti & V. Giacanelli (APP).
For Ventotene and Santo Stefano Béguinot (1905) re-
corded Urtica urens L., subsequently confirmed only for
Ventotene by Anzalone & Caputo (1976), but probably
this datum is to be referred to U. membranacea.
Vinca difformis Pourr. subsp. difformis (Apocynaceae)
Species new for the flora of Ventotene and Santo Ste-
fano.
Santo Stefano, parte alta dell’isola nelle vicinanze
del carcere, venendo dall’approdo settentrionale, UTM
WGS84: 33T 369689E 4516697N, boscaglia, ca. 60 m,
29 Mai 2022, F. Conti & V. Giacanelli (APP).
This species was also observed over Calanave, in Via
Calanone.
Alien plants
Oenothera speciosa Nutt. (Onagraceae) (Fig. 1)
Casual alien species new for the flora of Ventotene and
for Lazio administrative region.
Ventotene, Via Olivi presso la stazione dei Carabinieri,
UTM WGS84: 33T 367113E 4517234N, scarpata, 56 m,
27 Mai 2022, F. Conti & V. Giacanelli (APP).
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85
Tropaeolum majus L. (Tropaeolaceae)
Casual alien species new for the flora of Ventotene.
Ventotene, Faro, UTM WGS84: 33T 367909E
4517382N, incolti, 10 m, 27 Mai 2022, F. Conti & V. Gia-
canelli (APP).
This species was observed in Punta Arco and Belve-
dere over Calanave.
Vitis ×koberi Ardenghi, Galasso, Banfi & Lastrucci
(Vitaceae)
Naturalized alien species new for the flora of Santo
Stefano and for Isole Ponziane.
Santo Stefano, parte alta dell’isola nelle vicinanze del
carcere, UTM WGS84: 33T 369560E 4516450N, incolti,
77 m, 29 Mai 2022, F. Conti & V. Giacanelli (APP).
Acknowledgements
We wish to thank Gabriele Galasso for confirming the
identification of Vitis ×koberi and the people of Ventotene
for their kindness and hospitality.
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