New records for the Laga Mountains (Marche, Abruzzo, Lazio) and the central Apennines

This study includes 47 species collected between 1980 and 2012, most of them not previously reported for the Laga Mountains. These include a number of species that are rare or are of particular phytogeographical interest, with their presence hereby confirmed. In particular, the survey includes one new species for the central Apennines (Aconitum variegatum subsp. variegatum), seven for Marche (Alchemilla exigua, Alchemilla marsica, Alchemilla sinuata, Alchemilla undulata, Alchemilla versipila, Equisetum variegatum, Juncus articus), two for Abruzzo (Aconitum variegatum subsp. variegatum, Alchemilla incisa), and one for Lazio (Veronica alpina). The presence in the central Apennines of Oxytropis pilosa subsp. pilosa is also confirmed; although it has already been reported in several studies, it has been neglected in recent floras. In agreement with previous scientific contributions, the present study confirms the considerable biogeographical interest of the area due to the presence of species with an Arctic-Alpine distribution and/or of European orophytes, as well as species that are endemic to the mountain range of the Laga Mountains, which represents the southern limit of their distribution along the whole Apennine range.