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ISRAEL JOURNAL OF PLANT SCIENCES  53











































             Figure 5. Distribution of Centaurea aegusae on the island of Favignana: 1. Monte Santa Caterina at Scindo Passo; 2. Monte Santa
             Caterina at Portella Cervo; 3. Scalo Cavallo.




             Etymology. The species epithet refers to “Aegates”, the  Pojero 1903), but has not been found by subsequent
             ancient Latin name of the Egadi islands, derived from  botanists (Francini & Messeri 1956, Di Martino & Tra-
             ancient Greek aἴξ (goat).                          pani 1966, Gianguzzi et al. 2006;Romanoet al. 2006),
                                                                or by ourselves, on either Marettimo or Levanzo.
             Distribution and ecology. Centaurea aegusae was col-
             lected in three localities on the island of Favignana:  Conservation status. The three populations found on
             Monte Santa Caterina at Scindo Passo, Monte Santa  the island of Favignana comprise plants of different
             Caterina at Portella Cervo and Scalo Cavallo (Figure 5).  ages, indicating good regeneration. In total we
             It grows from sea level up to 200 m a.s.l. on sea-facing  observed more than 1000 adult individuals on and
             carbonate cliffs. It participates to a vegetation com-  beneath the cliffs, in the rocky habitats. Gene flow
             munity, rich in endemics, dominated by chasmo-     between the two populations on Mt Santa Caterina,
             phytes  belonging   to  the   Scabioso  creticae–  separated by a distance of about 1.5 km, is likely to
             Centauretum ucriae Brullo and Marcen o 1979. Associ-  occur. The population of Scalo Cavallo is located
             ated taxa include Brassica macrocarpa Guss., Capparis  about 3.5 km away from the others, the gene flow
             spinosa subsp. rupestris (Sm.) Nyman, Dianthus rupi-  being less easy. No population trend data are avail-
             cola Biv., Euphorbia dendroides L., E. papillaris (Boiss.)  able. On the basis of known data, conservation status
             Raffaelli & Ricceri, Iberis semperflorens L., Jacobaea  can be evaluated according to criterion B of IUCN
             maritima (L.) Pelser & Meijden, Lomelosia cretica (L.)  (2001). The Extent of Occurrence (EOO) is 3.075 km 2
                                                                                                     2
             Greuter & Burdet and Seseli bocconei Guss.         and the Area of Occupancy (AOO) 12 km based on
               Centaurea aegusae has been reported from all the  the IUCN default cell width of 2 km. Thus, Centaurea
             Egadi islands as “C. cineraria” (Gussone 1843; Lojacono-  aegusae can be classified as Endangered, CR B1a.
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