Integrative Taxonomy of (Plumbaginaceae), with a Special Focus on the Putative Subspecies Endemic to the Apennines.

Three subspecies of are reported from Italy, two of which are considered endemic to the Apennines. The taxonomic value of these two taxa ( subsp. and subsp. ) is unclear. Moreover, the relationships between subsp. and Northern Italian populations-currently ascribed to subsp. -have never been addressed. Accordingly, we used an integrated taxonomic approach, including morphometry, seed morpho-colorimetry, karyology, molecular systematics (, , , , and region), and comparative niche analysis. According to our results, French-Northern Italian populations are clearly distinct from Apennine populations. In the first group, there is evidence which allows the recognition of s.str. (not occurring in Italy) and subsp. . In the second group, the two putative taxa endemic to the Northern Apennines cannot be separated, so a single subspecies is here recognized: subsp.