Article

In agreement with other authors, Ornithogalum L. is considered as a distinct genus in respect to Honorius S. F. Gray and Loncomelos Raf. Accordingly, the ltalian taxa of Ornithogalum s. str. are here listed and briefly commented in a frame of their classical morphological and karyological characters. o. umbellalum L. is represented by different polyploid cytotypes ( 2n= 27, 36, 45, 54, 90 and 108, with or without B chromosomes). Doubts about the possibility to discriminate o. vulgare Sailer in such a variable complex are expressed. o. divergens Boreau (2n=54 + B), o. orthophyllum Ten. (2n=I8), o. exscapum Ten. (2n=I8) and o. ambiguum Terracciano (2n= I8) are probably in relation with o. corsicum Jordan & Fourr. (2n=18). o. adalgisae Groves (2n=45, 54), o. refractum Kit. (2n=54) and O. brulium Terracciano (2n=36, 45,54 + B, 72) constitute a group ofunits whose affinity and distribution must be further evaIuated. o. kochii ParI. (2n=I8 + B), looks very similar to o. monticolum Jordan. & Foun·. (2n=20). o. collinum Guss. (2n=18), according with our records, is present only in Sicily. o. comosum L. (2n=18), belonging to sect. Obtusangula Zahar., is distributed from north-eastem Italy to Sicily. o. monlanum Cyr. (2n= 18 + B), the only representative of subgen. Oreogalum (Zahar.) Tomadore & Garbari, is present from southem Italy to Sicily. o. gussonei Ten. (2n=14

• B) of subgen. Hypogaeum Zahar. grows in Apulia and Sicily. A new specific unit will be described for some populations of the Gargano area (Apulia) with peculiar ecologicaI, karyologicaI (2n= 54, 63 with or without B) and morphologicaI characters. Lastly, the name o. etruscum ParI. is to be used for some centrai Italy polyploid populations (2n=72 + B), up to now wrongly assigned to o. orthophyllum Ten., an endemie diploid montane species of Abruzzi and Basilicata.