An overview on the presence of Iris unguicularis (Iridaceae) in Salento (Apulia, southern Italy) and a new record of Iris unguicularis subsp. carica for the Italian vascular flora

Iris unguicularissensu lato is an endemic species to the Mediterranean region. In Italy, the species is alien and recorded in Liguria, Tuscany, Abruzzo, and Apulia administrative regions. In the latter region, the species was recorded in Salento, Province of Lecce (Southern Apulia), in three main stations: Li Fani, in the administrative territory of the municipality of Salve, Serra del Rio, Castiglione d’Otranto (Andrano) in the residual Mediterranean scrub areas, along with the new station of Serra of Masseria Grande, Spongano, and on a site near Surano. Morphological analyses and genetic investigations made it possible to establish how the specimens from Li Fani (Salve) belong to I. unguicularis subsp. unguicularis, a species of allochthonous origin, while the plants of Castiglione d’Otranto and Spongano represent a taxonomically distinct group, identifiable as I. unguicularis subsp. carica. The presence of this subspecies in Salento redefines the western boundaries of the area known to date, constituting a novelty for the Apulian and Italian flora.