Environmental effects on genetic variance are likely to constrain adaptation in novel environments.

Adaptive plasticity allows populations to cope with environmental variation but is expected to fail as conditions become unfamiliar. In novel conditions, populations may instead rely on rapid adaptation to increase fitness and avoid extinction. Adaptation should be fastest when both plasticity and selection occur in directions of the multivariate phenotype that contain abundant genetic variation.

New Data on Native and Alien Vascular Flora of Sicily (Italy): New Findings and Updates.

In this paper, based on fieldwork and herbaria surveys, new data concerning the presence of 32 native and alien vascular species for Sicily (Italy) are provided. Among the native species, the occurrence of the following is reported for the first time or confirmed after many decades of non-observation: , , subsp. , , , and .

Hidden genetic variation in plasticity provides the potential for rapid adaptation to novel environments.

Rapid environmental change is forcing populations into environments where plasticity will no longer maintain fitness. When populations are exposed to novel environments, evolutionary theory predicts that genetic variation in fitness will increase and should be associated with genetic differences in plasticity. If true, then genetic variation in plasticity can increase adaptive potential in novel environments, and population persistence via evolutionary rescue is more likely.

An integrated approach for the characterization of wild Crocus species adopting phenotypical and phytochemical traits.

Crocus is a taxonomically complex genus, characterized by high intra- and inter-specific variability. Five wild Crocus taxa - Crocus biflorus, C. longiflorus, C.

Adaptive divergence generates distinct plastic responses in two closely related Senecio species.

The evolution of plastic responses to external cues allows species to maintain fitness in response to the environmental variations they regularly experience. However, it remains unclear how plasticity evolves during adaptation. To test whether distinct patterns of plasticity are associated with adaptive divergence, we quantified plasticity for two closely related but ecologically divergent Sicilian daisy species (Senecio, Asteraceae).

Conditional Seed Dormancy Helps Brullo & Signor. Overcome Stressful Mediterranean Summer Conditions.

Investigations on seed biology and ecology are of major importance for the conservation of threatened plants, both providing baseline information and suggesting practical approaches. In our study, we focused on the germination behavior of Brullo & Signor., a narrow endemic species to Panarea and Alicudi (Aeolian Archipelago, Italy), as well as one of the 50 most threatened Mediterranean island plants.

Floristic and Vegetation Changes on a Small Mediterranean Island over the Last Century.

A synthetic and updated overview about the vascular flora and vegetation of the Island of Capo Passero (SE-Sicily) is provided. These data issue from two series of field surveys-the first carried out between 1997 and 2000, and the second between 2005 and 2019 and mostly focused on refining and implementing vegetation data. The current islet's flora consists of 269 , of which 149 (58%) are annual plants.

Seed Dormancy Breaking and Germination in and (Fabaceae).

Most legumes are well-known for the physical dormancy of their seeds; hence, the implementation of appropriate scarification techniques is essential for introducing new legume crops within agricultural systems. This study investigated morpho-anatomical traits and dormancy-breaking requirements in two taxa of the genus the widespread and the point endemic . As the species under investigation show monospermic indehiscent legumes, pods were used in this research.

Population variation in early development can determine ecological resilience in response to environmental change.

As climate change transforms seasonal patterns of temperature and precipitation, germination success at marginal temperatures will become critical for the long-term persistence of many plant species and communities. If populations vary in their environmental sensitivity to marginal temperatures across a species' geographical range, populations that respond better to future environmental extremes are likely to be critical for maintaining ecological resilience of the species. Using seeds from two to six populations for each of nine species of Mediterranean plants, we characterized patterns of among-population variation in environmental sensitivity by quantifying genotype-by-environment interactions (G × E) for germination success at temperature extremes, and under two light regimes representing conditions below and above the soil surface.

Temperature and storage time strongly affect the germination success of perennial species in Mediterranean regions.

This study aims to explore the effect of environmental factors (temperature, light, storage time) on germination response and dormancy patterns in eight Mediterranean native wildplants, belonging to the L. genus. In detail, we considered subsp.

(Psoraleeae, Fabaceae), a new species from Morocco.

A new species of is described and illustrated: Brullo, C. Brullo, Cambria, Cristaudo & Giusso, , which is endemic to Anti-Atlas Mountains (Morocco). It is a true chasmophyte, characterized by a suffruticose habit, several woody branches, leaflets coriaceous, rounded to ovate, small, few-flowered inflorescences and corolla pale coloured.

Phylogeographic patterns, genetic affinities and morphological differentiation between Epipactis helleborine and related lineages in a Mediterranean glacial refugium.

Background And Aims: In the Mediterranean basin, the Italian peninsula has been suggested to be one of the most important glacial refugia for temperate tree species. The orchid genus Epipactis is widely represented in the Italian peninsula by widespread species and several endemic, localized taxa, including selfing and outcrossing taxa. Here the phylogenetic and phylogeographic relationships in a group of closely related taxa in Epipactis are investigated with the aim of understanding the role of this refugial area for cladogenesis and speciation in herbaceous species, such as terrestrial orchids.