Article

Monte Pisano includes a group of hills spreading from NW to SE between the Lucca and Pisa plains in NW Tuscany, Centrai ltaly. In spite of its modest height (max . 9 17 m a.s.l.) and size (20 x IO km), Monte Pisano shows a rugged morphology with numerous peacks, va lIeys, siopes and piains, springs and streams. Its geological history, Iinked to that one of the Apuan Alps, dates back to Palaeozoic era. A wide variety oflithological types, stones ("verruca no" and Saint Giuliano "marble" were used to build the medieval Lucca and Pisa towns), substrates and habitats is offered to visitors, as well as numerous aspects of the anthropic history, i.e. ancient settlements, casti es, fortresses, villas and churches remains. During last decades fieid investigations carried out by many researchers of Pisa University enlarged the knowledge of several naturalistic aspects ofMonte Pisano, includind the geobotanical ones. Special attention was recentIy payed to the pteridology of the area. The main result of these investigations may be summarized as follows. Nine species previously documented in PI, FI, SIENA and other Herbaria may be considered as extinct for the area. Among them, Hymenophyllum tunbrigense, Phegopteris connectilis, Marsilea quadrifolia, Sa/vinia na/ans. The presence of Dryop/eris oreades is confirmed, together with those of Oreopteris limbosperma, Cheilantes tinaei, Asp/enium foreziense and çJphiog/ossum azoricum. A decaploid cytotype (2n= 11 O) of lsoetes duriei was identified. The gametophytic generation of Vandenboschia speciosa , new to the area, was discovered in a couple of spots. Sa/vinia molesta, a floating invasive tropical fem ("Kariba weed") was identifi ed as new for the exotic flora of Italy. Actually 39 specific units (30% of the pteridological flora of Italy) are present on Monte Pisano; Il ofthem are mentioned in the Tuscan Red List of fems threatened with extinction (in total, 27 for Tuscany).