Article

The vascular flora of the Upper Sestaione valley is here examined. The check-list reported consists of 580 species, from which 8 must be excluded (excludendae) and 27 considered doubtful. The checked flora totals 545 species: 99 of these were not found during our researches and cannot be confirmed. The actual flora consists of 446 species, 61 of these are new records for the Upper Sestaione Valley. The biological spectrum shows a clear dominance of hemicryptophytes (67.26 %) and geophytes (14.13 %); the growth form spectrum reveals the occurrence of 368 herbs, 53 woody species and 22 pteridophytes. From phytogeographical analysis it appears there is a significant prevalence of elements of the Boreal subkingdom (258 species), including the Orohypsophyle element (103 species). However the "linkage groups" between the Boreal subkingdom and Tethyan subkingdom are well represented (113 species). Endemics are very important from the phyto-geographical point of view: Festuca riccerii, exclusive to the TuscanEmilian Apennine and Murbeckiella zanonii exclusive of the Northern Apennine; Saxifraga aspera subsp. etrusca and Globularia incanescens are endemic to the Tuscan-Emilian Apennine and Apuan Alps whilst Festuca violacea subsp. puccinellii is endemic to the northern Apennines and Apuan Alps. The Apennine endemics total 11 species. A clear relationship with the Alpine area is evident from 13 Alpine-Apennine species. The Tuscan-Emilian Apennine marks the southern distribution limit of several alpine and northern-central European entities. Analysis of different habitats reveals a significant prevalence of grasslands (118 species) and woods (74 species), while the ecological spectrum shows a particular dominance of the grass (137 entities) and nemoral elements (74 entities). From the conservation point of view, the flora includes many species subject to L. R. 56/2000 (Tuscany); others are included in the "Directive 92/43/CEE"; according to Red-List many species are considered to be facing an extremely high risk of extinction in Tuscany