Conservation status of the endemic and near endemic plant taxa of the Korça region, Albania

Endemic and near endemic taxa are good indicators of habitat quality and the evaluation of ecosystem health. Furthermore, they are key indicators for the elaboration of conservation policies and strategies for the protection of biodiversity in national or global scale. Using IUCN categories and criteria, we assessed the national conservation status of 24-endemic and near endemic plant taxa from Korça region in the south-eastern part of Albania. Only 11-taxa have been assessed before referring the National Red List of 2013, whereas all the other taxa are assessed for the first time in this study for the Albanian National Red List. The existing data collected during plant monitoring in the years 2019-2022 allow us to assess the conservation status using criteria B, C and D. One taxon is assessed as CR, nine taxa as EN, four taxa as VU, six taxa as LC and four others as DD. Out of 24-assessed taxa only six of them, Acantholimon albanicum, Centaurea pindicola, C. shumkana, Dichoropoetalum stridii, Heliosperma pusillum subsp. chromodontum, Oxytropis dinarica subsp. weberi occur within the current territory of the protected areas of Albania, while three others, Centaurea candelabrum, Dianthus galicicae and Odontarrhena albiflora occurs outside the network of protected areas. The distribution range of 15-other taxa occurs partly within and/or outside of the protected areas of Albania. Eight taxa out of 24 assessed are Albanian endemics and 16-others are near endemics which have a limited distribution range even in the neighbouring territories of Greece and North Macedonia. Based on the reference list of threats of IUCN, the assessed endemic and near endemic taxa of Korça district are directly or indirectly threatened by climate change, overgrazing and natural biotic and abiotic processes (abiotic natural processes and reduced fecundity)

Gymnospermium peloponnesiacum Strid 2009

3. Gymnospermium peloponnesiacum (Phitos) Strid in Karl & Strid (2009: 338).― Fig. 6. Synonym:— Gymnospermium altaicum (Pallas) Spach subsp. peloponnesiacum Phitos (2003: 81); G. altaicum subsp. odessanum sensu Kosenko (1977: 238) non E.Mayer & Pulević in Mayer (1984: 278). Type:― GREECE. Peloponnese: Mons Panachaikon, in declivibus occidentalis, in petrosis calc., 1400–1500 m, 13 May 1987, Phitos & Kamari 19922 (holotype UPA!, isotype private herbarium Strid). Glabrous perennial herb with depressed, subglobose tuber (1.5–)2.5–3.5(–6) cm (mean 3 cm) across (Fig. 6A). Flowering stems 4–6, terete, green to reddish-purple, 2–3 mm in diameter, 10–20 cm long, subterranean for 2/3–3/4 of their length; each flowering stem with a ± subsessile, cauline leaf immediately below the raceme. Basal leaves 5–10, compound-ternate, primary divisions often divided palmately into 4–7, entire, broadly obovate or oblong-obovate, 10–20 mm long, sessile or subsessile, obtuse-mucronate or emarginate, subfleshy leaflets dark green above and glaucous beneath, often suffused purplish at margins; leaflets about the size of the cauline ones. Raceme terminal, compact, 3–4 cm long, bracteate, with 4–16 hermaphrodite, trimerous flowers. Bracts conspicuous, ovate to suborbicular, 5–7 × 6–9 mm, entire, lower sometimes toothed or lobed. Pedicels 6–15 mm long, recurved in fruit. Sepals 3 + 3, oblong-ovate, (7–)10 × 3.0–3.5(–4.0) mm, obtuse, conspicuous, petaloid, bright lemon yellow turning dull golden-yellow, patent-spreading in full sunshine, closing under clouded skies or in rain. Petals (honey-leaves) 6, shorter than stamens, greenish yellow, cuneiform, 3.5–4 mm long, shallowly toothed, recurved and a darker yellow at apex (Fig. 6B). Stamens 6, opposite and 1.7 × length of the petals; anthers dehiscing by apically-hinged, flap-like valves. Carpel solitary, superior; ovules 2–6, on a basal placenta. Fruit a subglobose capsule 5–7 mm in diameter, pendent; pericarp thin, expanding and splitting to expose the unripe seeds (Fig. 6C). Seeds 1–4, ovoidpyriform, 5–8 mm long (incl. strophiole), green turning black to blackish-brown, with the white strophiole shrivelling to a bright orange-red, surrounded by remains of pericarp and remaining attached for some time before dispersal (Fig. 6D). Flowering mid-March to early May; fruiting May to June. Distribution, habitat and ecology:— In rocky subalpine habitats of open Abies cephalonica Loudon forest and stony meadows at 800–1700 m, often by streams. The species is now known from several limestone mountains in the northern and central Peloponnese: Mts. Panachaiko, Klokos, Chelmos, Rouskio, Skepasto, Killini and Menalo, etc. (Tan, Kit et al. 2009). Bornmüller (1928) recorded its occurrence in the vicinity of the Vouraikos gorge, near Mega Spileo. This record has never been confirmed. However, it was collected near the village of Kamarovrissi to the east, on an unnamed mountain at almost the same latitude and in the same eparchia Kalavriton so there is no reason to doubt Bornmüller's record (Tan, Kit et al. 2007). On Mt Panachaiko there are small populations of 50–100 individuals on calcareous alluvial soil (terra rossa) at 1400–1500 m; one population is near a spring in an area grazed by sheep and goats. Approximately 500 plants were found growing together with Corydalis solida subsp. incisa in open, stony, damp meadows overlying limestone on the northeastern slopes at 1400–1700 m on Mt. Klokos, and also at 1280–1350 m in stony places by a stream in an opening of Abies cephalonica forest. At the eastern limits of its distribution, more than 10,000 individuals occur on the calcareous stony slopes in Abies forest. It was recently discovered on Mt. Killini, also by a stream in Abies forest (pers. comm. G. Zarkos, April 2011). On Menalo, it was found at 1600 m, near the top of Mourtzia peak. Besides Corydali s, other associated species are Anemone spp., Crocus olivieri Gay, Doronicum orientale Hoffm., Geranium macrostylum Boiss., Lamium garganicum L., Ornithogalum spp., Pulmonaria cesatiana (Fenzl & Friedr.) Selvi et al. (syn. Paraskevia cesatiana (Fenzl & Friedr.) W.Sauer & G.Sauer), Ranunculus and Trifolium spp. The flowering stems emerge before the basal leaves although it is stated by Phitos & Kamari (1990) that the leaves appear before the flowers. Chromosome number and genome size:— The chromosome number 2 n = 16 was determined by Kosenko (1977) based on material from Mt. Panachaiko, southern Greece. The genome size is 2C = 31.93 ± 2.38 pg. Additional specimens cited:— GREECE. Peloponnese: Nomos Achaias, Eparchia Egialias, Mt. Klokos, 1480–1660 m, 38°09'N, 22°03'E, 5 April 1991, Gutermann 24562 (private herbarium Gutermann); NE side of Mt. Klokos, ascent from village of Pteri, open Abies cephalonica woodland on rocky limestone slopes, 1450–1600 m, 38°10'N, 22°04'E, 12 April 1998, Strid, Kit Tan & Vold 45556 (ATH, G, private herbaria Kit and Strid); Nomos Achaias, Eparchia Kalavriton, Megaspileon, 38°05'N, 22°10'E, Liebmann (not seen); Nomos Achaias, Eparchia Kalavriton, Valimi to Zarouchla, near village of Kamarovrissi, open Abies forest, 1350–1500 m, 38°04'N, 22°16'E, 6 May 2007, Kit Tan & G. Vold 29310 (living plants to Copenhagen and Göteborg Botanical Gardens); loc. ibid., 25 May 2007, Kit Tan & G. Vold s.n. (seeds to Copenhagen and Göteborg Botanical Gardens); Nomos Achaias, Eparchia Kalavriton, Mt Rouskio, stony slopes, 1450 m, 38°09'N, 22°07'E, 15 March 2008, Lafranchis observation (several photos of flowering plants and habitat); Nomos Achaias, Eparchia Kalavriton, Mt Skepasto, stony meadows, 1300 m, fruiting, 38°05'N, 22°04'E, 12 May 2007, Lafranchis observation; Nomos Achaias, Eparchia Kalavriton, Mt Chelmos, Xerokambos, 1650 m, flowering, 37°58'N, 22°12'E, 13 April 2004, Lafranchis observation; loc. ibid., 1650 m, 12 April 2005, Lafranchis (photos); loc. ibid., flowering, 11 April 2006, Lafranchis observation; Nomos Achaias, Eparchia Patron, Mt Panachaiko, in rupestribus calcareis regionis alpinae, loco dicto 'Vrisi Beiku', [fruiting], 1700 m, 38°14'N, 21°52'E, 5 June 1893, Halácsy (WU-Hal); loc. ibid., 1650 m, 38°12'N, 21°50'E, 22 June 1973, Phitos 11921 (UPA); Nomos Arkadias, Eparchia Mandinias, Mt Menalo, Mourtzia, 1600 m, 37°37'N, 22°17'E, 20 April 1996, Vassiliades 1600 (UPA); Nomos Korinthias, Eparchia Korinthias, Mt. Killini, north of Mikri Ziria, in Abies cephalonica forest, 1506 m, 37°55'N, 22°28'E, 15 April 2007, Zarkos & Christodoulou observation (photos).Published as part of Tan, Kit, Shuka, Lulëzim, Siljak-Yakovlev, Sonja, Malo, Sadik & Pustahija, Fatima, 2011, The genus Gymnospermium (Berberidaceae) in the Balkans, pp. 1-17 in Phytotaxa 25 on pages 10-12, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.25.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/481467