Festuca silana (Poaceae), a new species from the Sila plateau in Italy

By

Pallanza, Mattia
Orsenigo, Simone
Ardenghi, Nicola Maria Giuseppe
Bernardo, Liliana
Šmarda, Petr
Šarhanová, Petra
Rossi, Graziano
Foggi, Bruno

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2025

Original Publication

PhytoKeys

Volume

255

Pages

85--102

Subjects

Calabria , endemic , Fescue , flow cytometry , Italy , morphometry , new species , ploidy , RAD sequencing

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers [2010]-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.255.146942

 

Abstract

A new hexaploid species of fine-leaved fescue from Festuca sect. Festuca (Festuca silana Ardenghi, Pallanza & Foggi, sp. nov.) endemic to the Sila plateau is described. The new taxon shows morphological affinities with species of the F. marginata group from which it can be distinguished by higher ploidy, ecology, and leaf cross section anatomy. ddRADseq data suggests F. silana could be a local hexaploid descendant/derivate of the widespread diploid F. marginata. Its distribution is restricted to several localities in the Sila highlands of the Southern Apennines, Italy.