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| Campanula bergomensis F. Mangili & L. Mangili, in Valle, Eustacchio, Gallo, Beretta, Bonelli, Zanzottera, Gianfranceschi, Federici, F. Mangili, L. Mangili, Perico, Traini et Caccianiga, 2024. |
Abstract
A new species of Campanula (Campanulaceae), C. bergomensis sp. nov., is described from the Bergamo Prealps (Orobic Prealps, Lombardy, Northern Italy), based on both morphological and molecular evidence. The new species was considered in the past as an isolated population of C. cespitosa, which presents an eastern Alpine distribution. C. bergomensis is morphologically well distinguishable from C. cespitosa on the number of flowers in the racemose inflorescence, the corolla shape, and the whitish-yellow pollen surface with many spinulae. Genetically, the presence of an insertion of 81-bp in the trnL-F sequences is very characteristic. Further studies are needed to better define the phylogenetic relationship among the three closely related species, C. bergomensis, C. cespitosa and C. cochleariifolia. C. bergomensis inhabits dolomitic debris cones at low elevations. The species is range-restricted and is severely threatened by human activities. Therefore, it is urgent to adopt protection and conservation measures for the new species.
Key words: Biodiversity, Campanula cespitosa, Endemism, Genetics, Morphology
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| Morphological features of Campanula bergomensis A: plant habitus (scale bar 5 cm). B: the plant in its habitat. C: winter habitus. D: leaf shapes (scale bar 1 cm). E, F: flower shape and fresh pollen color (scale bars 1 cm). |
Campanula bergomensis F. Mangili & L. Mangili sp. nov.
Etymology:—The epithet refers to the Province of Bergamo (called “Bergomum” in Roman antiquity), where all
known populations of the new species are found.
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| Morphological comparison between Campanula bergomensis sp. nov. (A, C, E, G) and C. cespitosa (B, D, F, H). A, B: plants habitus (scale bars 5 cm). C, D: flower shape. E, F: dried pollen color. G, H: pollen ornamentation observed with SEM (scale bars 5 µm). |
Barbara Valle, Elena Eustacchio, Guido Roberto Gallo, Mario Beretta, Marco Bonelli, Alice Zanzottera, Luca Gianfranceschi, Germano Federici, Federico Mangili, Luca Mangili, Giovanni Perico, Myriam Traini and Marco Caccianiga. 2024. Campanula bergomensis (Campanulaceae), A New Species from Bergamo Prealps (Northern Italy). Phytotaxa. 637(2); 120-132. DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.637.2.1