Lycopodiidae for the “Flora Critica d’Italia”: material and methods

Abstract

Procedures are presented that were followed during the preparation of the first pteridophyte family treatments for the “Flora Critica d’Italia”: Lycopodiaceae, Isoetaceae, Selaginellaceae. The work was mainly based on the study of literature and herbarium specimens. In some cases SEM observation of spores has proved useful. Data collected from herbarium specimens and other verified sources were loaded into a database, from which a distribution map was prepared for each taxon. Several preliminary papers have been published, and for each family a taxonomic conspectus, with type designations, maps and an identification key, has been prepared. The treatment of these three families for the “Flora Critica d’Italia” (in Italian) is about to be published or (Isoetaceae) has already been published.