List of endemic plants of Sicily explained

Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and is home to dozens of endemic species and subspecies of plants, including the endemic genera Petagnaea and Siculosciadium.^[1] Although it is politically part of Italy, the World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions treats Sicily as distinct botanical country together with neighboring islands and island groups including Malta (a sovereign country comprising two main islands, Malta and Gozo), the Aegadian Islands, Aeolian Islands, Lampedusa, Pantelleria, Pelagie Islands, and Ustica.^[2]

Plants are listed alphabetically by plant family. Extinct and presumed extinct species are indicated with †.

Amaranthaceae

• Arthrocaulon meridionalis – western Sicily
• Atriplex lanfrancoi – Malta and Gozo
• Caroxylon agrigentinum – central Sicily
• Salsola basaltica
• Salsola melitensis – Malta
• †Suaeda kocheri – southern Sicily
• Suaeda pelagica – Lampedusa

Amaryllidaceae

• Allium aetnense
• Allium agrigentinum
• Allium castellanense
• Allium franciniae – Aegadian Islands
• Allium hemisphaericum
• Allium lojaconoi – Malta
• Allium lopadusanum – Lampedusa
• Allium nebrodense
• Allium obtusiflorum
• Allium panormitanum
• Allium pelagicum

Apiaceae

• Bupleurum dianthifolium – Sicily (northern Marettimo I.)
• Bupleurum elatum – northern Sicily (Madonie Mountains)
• Daucus carota subsp. rupestris – Malta, Lampedusa, Lampesina
  • Eryngium tricuspidatum subsp. bocconei Eryngium tricuspidatum subsp. tricuspidatum
• Ferula melitensis – Malta
• Ferula sommieriana
  • Ferulago nodosa subsp. geniculata Petagnaea
  • Petagnaea gussonei – northern Sicily
  • Pimpinella tragium subsp. glauca Siculosciadium
  • Siculosciadium nebrodense – Sicily (Madonie Mountains)
• Siler siculum – northern Sicily
  • • Smyrnium perfoliatum subsp. dimartinoi Thapsia garganica subsp. messanensis Thapsia pelagica

Aristolochiaceae

• Aristolochia sicula

Asparagaceae

• Prospero hierae – Marettimo
• Scilla dimartinoi – Lampedusa

Asteraceae

• • Adenostyles alpina subsp. nebrodensis Anthemis aeolica
• Anthemis aetnensis – Sicily (Mount Etna)
• Anthemis concolor
  • Anthemis cretica subsp. messanensis Anthemis cupaniana
• Anthemis ismelia – western Sicily
• Anthemis muricata – western Sicily
• Anthemis parlatoreana
• Anthemis pignattiorum
• Anthemis pseudoabrotanifolia
• Carduus membranaceus
  • • • Carduus nutans subsp. siculus Carduus pycnocephalus subsp. intermedius Carlina sicula var. longibracteata Carlina sicula subsp. sicula
• Centaurea aeolica – Aeolian Islands
• Centaurea erycina
• Centaurea giardinae – Sicily (Mount Etna)
• Centaurea gussonei – northeastern Sicily
• Centaurea lacaitae
• Centaurea macroacantha
• Centaurea panormitana
  • Centaurea panormitana subsp. aegusae – Favignana I.
  • Centaurea panormitana subsp. panormitana
    • • • • • Centaurea panormitana subsp. todaroi Centaurea panormitana subsp. ucriae Centaurea panormitana subsp. umbrosa Centaurea parlatoris – northwestern and north-central Sicily
• Centaurea phalacrica
• Centaurea saccensis
• Centaurea seguenzae
• Centaurea sicana – west-central Sicily
• Centaurea tauromenitana
• Centaurea valdemonensis
• Centaurea virescens
• Cheirolophus crassifolius – Malta and Gozo
• Chiliadenus bocconei – Malta
• Chiliadenus lopadusanus – Lampedusa
• Crepis paniculas
  • • Crepis vesicaria subsp. bivonana Cynara cardunculus subsp. zingaroensis Filago lojaconoi
• Helichrysum errerae – Pantelleria
• Helichrysum errerae var. errerae – Pantelleria
  • Helichrysum errerae var. messerii Helichrysum hyblaeum
• Helichrysum nebrodense
• Helichrysum panormitanum
  • • • Helichrysum panormitanum subsp. brulloi Helichrysum panormitanum subsp. melitense – Malta
  • Helichrysum panormitanum subsp. panormitanum
    • Helichrysum panormitanum var. stramineum Hieracium aetnense – Sicily (Mount Etna)
• Hieracium busambarense – west-central Sicily
• Hieracium hypochoeroides subsp. montis-scuderii – northeastern Sicily (Monte Scuderi)
• Hieracium lucidum – northwestern Sicily
• Hieracium murorum subsp. atrovirens – northern Sicily
• Hieracium pallidum subsp. pallidum – northern and northeastern Sicily
• Hieracium racemosum subsp. pignattianum – northern Sicily
• Hieracium schmidtii subsp. madoniense – northern Sicily
• Hieracium schmidtii subsp. nebrodense – northern Sicily
• Hieracium symphytifolium – northern Sicily
• Jacobaea ambigua subsp. ambigua
• Jacobaea candida – northern Sicily
• Jacobaea maritima subsp. sicula – Sicily and Malta
• Jurinea bocconei
• Lophiolepis vallis-demonii subsp. vallis-demonii
  • Pilosella hoppeana subsp. sicula Ptilostemon greuteri
• Senecio aegadensis – western Sicily
• Senecio aethnensis – northeastern Sicily
• Senecio × glaber (S. aethnensis × S. siculus) – northeastern Sicily
• Senecio vernus – western Sicily
  • Tanacetum vulgare subsp. siculum Taraxacum garbarianum
• Tolpis gussonei
• Tripolium sorrentinoi

Boraginaceae

• • Echium italicum subsp. siculum Myosotis tineoi
  • Onosma echioides subsp. canescens Symphytum gussonei

Brassicaceae

• Aubrieta columnae subsp. sicula – northern Sicily
  • Brassica incana subsp. raimondoi Brassica macrocarpa – Aegadian Islands
  • Brassica rupestris subsp. hispida Brassica rupestris subsp. tardarae – southern Sicily
• Brassica villosa
  • Brassica villosa subsp. bivoniana – western Sicily
    • • Brassica villosa subsp. brevisiliqua Brassica villosa subsp. drepanensis – northwestern Sicily
      • Brassica villosa subsp. tineoi Brassica villosa subsp. villosa – northwestern Sicily
• Cardamine dubia
• Draba olympicoides
• Draba turgida
  • • • Draba turgida subsp. eriocarpa Draba turgida subsp. turgida
• Erysimum bonannianum – northern and west-central Sicily
• Erysimum brulloi – Alicudi Island
• Erysimum etnense – northeastern and central-eastern Sicily
• Erysimum metlesicsii – north-central and south-central Sicily
  • Matthiola incana subsp. glandulifera Matthiola incana subsp. melitensis – northern Malta and Gozo
• Matthiola incana subsp. pulchella – Pantelleria
• Odontarrhena nebrodensis subsp. nebrodensis – northern Sicily

Campanulaceae

• Campanula marcenoi
• Solenopsis bivonae subsp. bivonae – northwestern Sicily
• Solenopsis bivonae subsp. madoniarum – northern Sicily
  • Solenopsis bivonae subsp. peloritana Solenopsis mothiana – western Sicily
• Trachelium × halteratum (T. caeruleum × T. lanceolatum)
• Trachelium lanceolatum

Caprifoliaceae

• Pseudoscabiosa limonifolia
• Scabiosa cephalarioides

Caryophyllaceae

• Cerastium tomentosum var. aetnaeum – Sicily (Mount Etna)
• Dianthus busambrae – northern Sicily
• Dianthus gasparrinii – northern Sicily
• Dianthus graminifolius
• Dianthus rupicola subsp. aeolicus – northeastern Sicily and Aeolian Islands
• Dianthus rupicola subsp. lopadusanus – Lampedusa
• Dianthus siculus – northern Sicily
• †Herniaria fontanesii subsp. empedocleana – southern Sicily
  • Petrorhagia saxifraga subsp. gasparrinii Scleranthus annuus subsp. aetnensis – Sicily (Mount Etna)
  • Scleranthus perennis subsp. stroblii Scleranthus perennis subsp. vulcanicus – Sicily (Mount Etna)
• Silene crassiuscula
• Silene hicesiae – Sicily (Panarea I. near Palermo)
• Silene kemoniana
• Silene minae
• Silene nefelites
• Silene peloritana – northeastern Sicily
  • Silene saxifraga subsp. rupicola †Silene vulgaris subsp. aetnensis – Sicily (western Mount Etna)
• Spergularia madoniaca – northern Sicily

Cistaceae

• • Helianthemum oelandicum subsp. nebrodense Helianthemum sicanorum

Convolvulaceae

• Convolvulus cneorum var. cneorum

Crassulaceae

• Crassula basaltica – Sicily (Mount Etna)
• Sedum album subsp. rupimelitense – Malta

Cupressaceae

• Juniperus communis var. hemisphaerica – Sicily (Mount Etna)

Elatinaceae

• Elatine gussonei – Malta and Gozo, Lampedusa

Ephedraceae

• Ephedra aurea
• Ephedra strongylensis – Aeolian Islands

Euphorbiaceae

• Euphorbia melitensis – Malta
• Euphorbia papillaris – Aegadian Islands
• Euphorbia sommieriana – Malta and Lampedusa

Fabaceae

• Adenocarpus complicatus subsp. bivonae – Sicily (Mount Etna)
• Anthyllis hermanniae subsp. melitensis – Malta
• †Anthyllis hermanniae subsp. sicula – southern Sicily
  • • Anthyllis vulneraria subsp. busambarensis Astragalus caprinus subsp. huetii Astragalus kamarinensis
• Astragalus nebrodensis – northern Sicily
• Astragalus raphaelis
• Astragalus siculus – northern and northeastern Sicily
• Bituminaria basaltica
• Cytisus aeolicus – Vulcano, Lipari, and Stromboli
• Genista aristata
• Genista cupanii – northern Sicily
• Genista demarcoi – northern Sicily
• Genista etnensis subsp. etnensis
• Genista gasparrinii – northern Sicily (Mt. Gallo)
• Genista madoniensis
• Genista tyrrhena subsp. tyrrhena – Aeolian Islands
• Lupinus albus subsp. albus
• Trifolium bivonae
  • Trifolium mutabile subsp. gussoneanum Vicia brulloi

Fagaceae

• Quercus × fontanesii (Q. gussonei × Q. suber) – northern Sicily
• Quercus gussonei – northern Sicily

Iridaceae

• Crocus siculus – northern Sicily
• Iris pseudopumila subsp. gozoensis – Gozo
• Iris statellae
• Romulea × melitensis – Malta and Gozo
• Romulea variicolor – Malta
  • Romulea variicolor var. martynii – Malta
  • Romulea variicolor var. mirandae – Malta
  • Romulea variicolor var. variicolor – Malta

Isoetaceae

• Isoetes × angeloi (I. gymnocarpa × I. longissima)

Lamiaceae

• Clinopodium canescens
• Clinopodium minae
• Origanum × nebrodense (O. majorana × O. vulgare subsp. viridulum)
• Thymus paronychioides
• Thymus praecox subsp. parvulus – northeastern Sicily
• Thymus richardii subsp. nitidus – Sicily (Marettimo I.)

Liliaceae

• Gagea sicula

Linaceae

• Linum punctatum subsp. punctatum

Onagraceae

• Epilobium × brevipilum nothosubsp. nebrodense (E. hirsutum × E. tetragonum subsp. tournefortii)

Orchidaceae

• Anacamptis pyramidalis var. urvilleana – Malta
• Anacamptis × semisaccata nothosubsp. santamariotae (A. collina × A. morio subsp. longicornu)
• Epipactis cupaniana
• Epipactis × nicolosii (E. helleborine × E. meridionalis)
• Neotinea commutata
• Ophrys × benoitiana (O. lunulata × O. sphegodes subsp. atrata)
• Ophrys × cugniensis (O. bertolonii × O. lutea)
• Ophrys × denisiana (O. bertolonii × O. speculum)
  • Ophrys holosericea subsp. biancae Ophrys × lidbergii (O. lunulata × O. tenthredinifera)
• Ophrys lunulata
• Ophrys lutea subsp. laurensis – Sicily (Monte Lauro)
• Ophrys × mazzolana (O. bertolonii × O. lunulata × O. sphegodes subsp. sphegodes)
• Ophrys × montis-grossi (O. holosericea subsp. oxyrrhynchos × O. speculum)
• Ophrys × sicana (O. holosericea subsp. oxyrrhynchos × O. lunulata)
• Ophrys × syracusana (O. lunulata × O. speculum)
• Ophrys × vittoriana (O. bertolonii × O. lunulata)
• × Orchinea razzarae (Neotinea lactea × Orchis italica)
• Serapias frankavillae

Orobanchaceae

• Odontites bocconei
  • Odontites vulgaris subsp. siculus Orobanche chironii

Pinaceae

• Abies nebrodensis – northern Sicily

Plantaginaceae

• Cymbalaria pubescens – northern and southeastern Sicily
  • Linaria multicaulis subsp. aetnensis Linaria multicaulis subsp. humilis – southern Sicily
    • Linaria multicaulis var. messanensis Linaria multicaulis subsp. panormitana Linaria pseudolaxiflora – Linosa, Lampedusa, and Malta
  • Plantago afra subsp. zwierleinii Plantago peloritana

Plumbaginaceae

• Armeria nebrodensis
• Limonium aegusae
• Limonium albidum – Pelagie Islands
• Limonium algusae
• Limonium bocconei – northwestern Sicily and Aegadian Islands
• Limonium calcarae – central Sicily (near Caltanissetta)
• †Limonium catanense – Sicily (maritime cliffs near Catania); last recorded in 1900
• Limonium catanzaroi
• Limonium cophanense
• Limonium cosyrense – Pantelleria
• Limonium densiflorum – western Siciliy
• Limonium flagellare
• Limonium furnarii
• Limonium halophilum – southern Sicily
• Limonium hyblaeum
• †Limonium intermedium – Lampedusa
• Limonium jankae
• Limonium lanfrancoi – Malta
• Limonium lilybaeum
• Limonium lojaconoi
• Limonium lopadusanum – Lampedusa
• Limonium mazarae
• Limonium melancholicum
• Limonium melitense – Malta
• Limonium minutiflorum
• Limonium optimae
• Limonium opulentum
• Limonium pachynense
• Limonium panormitanum – northwestern Sicily (near Palermo)
• Limonium parvifolium Sicily (Pantelleria)
• Limonium pavonianum western and southern Sicily
• Limonium ponzoi – western Sicily
• Limonium secundirameum – Pantelleria
• Limonium selinuntinum
• Limonium sibthorpianum – northeastern Sicily
• Limonium syracusanum
• Limonium tauromenitanum
• Limonium tenuiculum Sicily (Marettimo I.)
• Limonium tineoi – southeastern Sicily
• Limonium todaroanum
• Limonium usticanum – Ustica I.
• Limonium zeraphae – Malta incl. Gozo and Comino

Poaceae

• Avena saxatilis – Sicily (I. Lipari, Marettimo, Limosa)
  • Festuca morisiana subsp. sicula Stipa sicula – Sicily (Madonie Mountains)

Polygalaceae

• Polygala preslii

Polypodiaceae

• Polypodium vulgare subsp. melitense – Malta

Portulacaceae

• Portulaca sicula

Ranunculaceae

• Delphinium emarginatum subsp. emarginatum – western Sicily
• Ranunculus angulatus
• †Ranunculus bulbosus f. macranthus – Malta

Rhamnaceae

• Rhamnus lojaconoi

Rosaceae

• Aria busambarensis – northern Sicily
• Aria madoniensis – northern Sicily
• Aria meridionalis
• Aria phitosiana – northeastern Sicily
• Malus crescimannoi – northeastern Sicily
• Prunus mahaleb subsp. cupaniana – northern Sicily
• Pyrus castribonensis – northern and north-central Sicily
• Pyrus ciancioi – northern Sicily
• Pyrus pedrottiana – Sicily (Nebrodi Mountains)
• Pyrus sicanorum – central Sicily
• Pyrus vallis-demonis – northeastern Sicily
• Rubus aetnensis
• Rubus cupanianus

Rubiaceae

• Cynanchica gussonei – northern Sicily (Madonie Mountains)
• Cynanchica peloritana – northeastern Sicily
• Galium litorale – western Sicily
• Hexaphylla rupestris – northwestern and southeastern Sicily and Aegadian Islands
• Valantia calva  – Linosa
• Valantia deltoidea – northern Sicily (Rocca Busambra)

Salicaceae

• Salix gussonei – northeastern Sicily

Ulmaceae

• Zelkova sicula – southeastern Sicily

Urticaceae

• Urtica rupestris

Violaceae

• Viola aethnensis subsp. aethnensis – Sicily (Mount Etna)
• Viola nebrodensis – northern Sicily
• Viola tineorum – northern Sicily
• Viola ucriana – northern Sicily

Notes and References

1. https://checklistbuilder.science.kew.org/reportbuilder.do Endemic plants of Sicily
2. Book: Brummitt, R. K. . 2001 . World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions . 2nd . International Working Group on Taxonomic Databases For Plant Sciences (TDWG) . 9 September 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20160125135239/http://www.nhm.ac.uk/hosted_sites/tdwg/TDWG_geo2.pdf . 2016-01-25.