<i>Brassica tardarae</i> (Brassicaceae), a New Species from a Noteworthy Biotope of South-Western Sicily (Italy)

Abstract

A new species of Brassica sect. Brassica is described here from Sicily (Italy), which is known to be one of the centers of the diversification of wild taxa of this group. The new species (named Brassica tardarae) is restricted to the carbonate cliffs in the Tardara Gorges between Menfi and Sambuca di Sicilia (Agrigento province), an area with a peculiar geological history and where another strictly endemic species was recently described. The morphological relationships between the new species and other similar taxa are discussed, and an analytical key to the Sicilian taxa belonging to the genus Brassica sect. Brassica is also provided.

Keywords

• Mediterranean flora
• morphological variability
• endemism
• Tardara Gorges
• speciation center
• Cruciferae