Il floristic population of the National Park of Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni boast around 1800 different species of spontaneous native plants. Here are some key points:
- Floristic Diversity: The park is home to a rich floristic population with around 1800 different species of spontaneous native plants.
- Phytogeographical Importance: About 10% of these species are considered of considerable phytogeographic importance as they are endemic and/or rare. This underlines the diversity and uniqueness of the plant heritage present in the park.
- Primrose of Palinuro: One of the best known and most important species is the Primula di Palinuro, which is also the symbol of the Park. It is a paleoendemic species with an extremely localized diffusion, giving a special significance to its presence in the park area.
- Geographical Distribution: Given its central position in the Mediterranean Basin, the Park hosts typically southern entities of arid environments, which are located at the upper limit of their expansion. At the same time, there are species with a purely northern distribution that reach the southern limit of their range. This variety of species contributes to the ecological richness and biogeographical diversity of the Park.
- Interaction of Biogeographical Elements: In the Park territory, interactions occur between southern, northern, eastern and western biogeographical elements, creating a unique environment in which species from different geographical areas meet and coexist.
This highlights the importance of Cilento National Park, Vallo di Diano and Alburni not only as a naturalistic area of beauty and ecological value, but also as a meeting and interaction point for a variety of plant species from different biogeographical regions.
Among the typical plants of this area which is particularly interesting for what has been described above, the " Iberia ".
Here is a summary of the information on this typical plant, in particular, of Capo Palinuro:
- Scientific name: Iberis semperflorens
- Morphological characteristics:
- Shape: Hemispherical bushes
- Branching: Old branches with scars laced with dead leaves, young ones erect and glabrous.
- Leaves: Single spatulate basal leaves (11-12 x 35-45 mm), pure spatulate cauline leaves of 4 x 11 mm.
- Flowers: Contracted corymbs, umbelliform; sepals ovate (3×3.5 mm) edged in white; white petals, pale towards the base, of variable dimensions (from 6×11 mm to 4-7 mm).
- Fruits: Siliquette wider than long (10×6 mm).
- Distribution: Endemic in Sicily, also present in Panarea, Basiluzzo, Marettimo, Favignana, and Capo Palinuro. Also reported on the island of Zembra in the Gulf of Tunis.
- Habitat: Rock stations, rock faces, sub-Mediterranean areas.
- Ecology: The plant show tendency towards reduction of the vegetative system and can vary from bushy species to suffrutics and annual herbs.
- Additional Notes: The variability of the plant is limited, and can be found in high mountains with a general reduction of all parts. Iberis semperflorens is described as a jewel of the plant species Sicilian, with splendid winter flowering, and its presence is also recommended in cultivation.
