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A great deal of ethnobotanical knowledge, passed down from generation to generation by oral tradition, is still preserved in the Mediterranean basin. Over the years, efforts have been made to collect this information to avoid losing this heritage. This work is a contribution towards the ethnobotanical knowledge of Calabria (southern Italy) through a survey on the Tyrrhenian side of the Aspromonte Massif in the metropolitan city of Reggio Calabria, an area that has been little studied from the ethnobotanical point of view. For this purpose, several semi-structured interviews were conducted with informants on the current and past use of spontaneous and cultivated plants in this study area; the data were collected in a Microsoft Excel® spreadsheet and then processed. Fifty-nine people were interviewed. Results show that the most frequently used plant family is Asteraceae, the most mentioned taxon is Anethum piperitum (22 interviews), and the most recurrent use is use is culinary, for the preparation of side-dishes. This work highlights the presence of cultures that have used plants in the past and represents a further contribution to the ethnobotanical knowledge of this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The morphological characteristics, phytochemical composition of Pimpinella anisoides fruits was investigated. The morphological analysis of the monocarps contributed to distinguish P. anisoides from other related Pimpinella species used for commercial purposes, in particular P. anisetum and P. anisum. Our study showed that these fruits are different for their surface and shape: in particular, P. anisoides monocarps are glabrous, whereas the other two species are strigose. Two main compounds were identified in the essential oil of the five studied accessions: limonene (46.78-50.74%) and anethole (38.50-42.77%) whose sum ranged between 85.28 and 93.51%. estragole and β-phellandrene were other two representative compounds. All other volatiles accounted for less than 1% of the total volatile composition. One-way ANOVA analysis showed significant differences in almost all volatiles, whereas non-significant differences were found in the compounds detected in very low quantity. Hierarchical cluster analysis allowed to group the five accessions in three main clusters. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed that the first two principal components explained 71.80% of total variance. Results show that morphological and phytochemical features of the ripe fruits of P. anisoides can be used to distinguish this species from others, to avoid commercial sophistications and for a better conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human activities and climate change are the main factors causing habitat loss, jeopardising the survival of many species, especially those with limited range, such as endemic species. Recently, species distribution models (SDMs) have been used in conservation biology to assess their extinction risk, environmental dynamics, and potential distribution. This study analyses the potential, current and future distribution range of Salvia ceratophylloides Ard., an endemic perennial species of the Lamiaceae family that occurs exclusively in a limited suburban area of the city of Reggio Calabria (southern Italy). The MaxEnt model was employed to configure the current potential range of the species using bioclimatic and edaphic variables, and to predict the potential suitability of the habitat in relation to two future scenarios (SSP245 and SSP585) for the periods 2021–2040 and 2041–2060. The field survey, which spanned 5 years (2017–2021), involved 17 occurrence points. According to the results of the MaxEnt model, the current potential distribution is 237.321 km2, which considering the preferred substrates of the species and land-use constraints is re-estimated to 41.392 km2. The model obtained from the SSP245 future scenario shows a decrease in the area suitable for the species of 35% in the 2021–2040 period and 28% in the 2041–2060 period. The SSP585 scenario shows an increase in the range suitable for hosting the species of 167% in the 2021–2040 period and 171% in the 2041–2060 period. Assessing variation in the species distribution related to the impacts of climate change makes it possible to define priority areas for reintroduction and in situ conservation. Identifying areas presumably at risk or, on the contrary, suitable for hosting the species is of paramount importance for management and conservation plans for Salvia ceratophylloides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge on alien species is needed nowadays to protect natural habitats and prevent ecological damage. The presence of new alien plant species in Italy is increasing every day. Calabria, its southernmost region, is not yet well known with regard to this aspect. Thanks to fieldwork, sampling, and observing many exotic plants in Calabria, here, we report new data on 34 alien taxa. In particular, we found three new taxa for Europe (Cascabela thevetia, Ipomoea setosa subsp. pavonii, and Tecoma stans), three new for Italy (Brugmansia aurea, Narcissus 'Cotinga', and Narcissus 'Erlicheer'), one new one for the Italian Peninsula (Luffa aegyptiaca), and 21 new taxa for Calabria (Allium cepa, Asparagus setaceus, Bassia scoparia, Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris, Bidens formosa, Casuarina equisetifolia, Cedrus atlantica, Chlorophytum comosum, Cucurbita maxima subsp. maxima, Dolichandra unguis-cati, Fagopyrum esculentum, Freesia alba, Juglans regia, Kalanchoë delagoënsis, Passiflora caerulea, Portulaca grandiflora, Prunus armeniaca, Prunus dulcis, Solanum tuberosum, Tradescantia sillamontana, and Washingtonia filifera). Furthermore, we provide the first geolocalized record of Araujia sericifera, the confirmation of Oxalis stricta, and propose a change of status for four taxa (Cenchrus setaceus, Salpichroa origanifolia, Sesbania punicea, and Nothoscordum gracile) for Calabria. The updated knowledge on the presence of new alien species in Calabria, in Italy and in Europe could allow for the prevention of other new entries and to eliminate this potential ecological threat to natural habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]