Insular endemism in the Mediterranean vascular flora: the case of the Aeolian Islands (Sicily, Italy)

Abstract

The present paper briefly provides the state of the art of the knowledge on vascular plant endemism in the oceanic (“thalassogenous”) Aeolian Archipelago (Sicily). Preliminary analysis of distribution areas and review of recent literature on biosystematics of endemic species revealed that: (a) Aeolian strictly endemic taxa are just 6, i.e. about the 0.7 % of the local vascular flora; among them, just 4 can be considered (with doubt) derived from in situ evolution. (b) The other 18 endemics are taxa occurring in wider areas, so they cannot be generally considered “locally evolved” but relicts. This preliminary analysis confirms that not only continental (“chersogenous”) but all Mediterranean islands are primarily conservative rather than evolutionary active systems.