Article

The inventory of the taxa collected during a survey held in 2011-2013 in Uria Basin, Catanzaro Province (Calabria, S-Italy) is here reported. The investigated territory, part of an area locally known as Presila Catanzarese, is located between the Ionian Sea and the Sila Massif, along the Ionian coast of Calabria region. The vascular flora of the area is scarcely known. The floristic samplings were performed in 318 sites selected as representative of the local environmental diversity as regards to climate, litho-morphology and land-use. The research led to the identification of 871 species and subspecies of vascular plants (652 of which never recorded before in the area), belonging to 100 families and 452 genera. Among these taxa, 8 are new [the most relevant being Erodium salzmannii, Helianthemum jonium, Hypericum hircinum subsp. hircinum, Leontodon siculus, Populus nigra subsp. neapolitana] and 3 confirmed for Calabrian flora, 51 are endemic to Italy, 32 included in IUCN Red Lists of Italian flora. In the area have been found 54 alien species, 2 of which new to Italy [Eucalyptus astringens and E. propinqua], 2 formerly considered native (or crytogenic) to Italy (Oxalis corniculata and Juglans regia). Data confirmed the great relevance of this territory for plant diversity and the need of long-term protection that seems to justify the recent establishment of two specific protected areas (Valli Cupe Regional Natural Reserve and ZSC Valle Uria - IT9330185)