Primula albenensis sp. nov., una nuova entità del sottogenere Auriculastrum nelle Prealpi Bergamasche (Alpi sudorientali, Lombardia)

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Authors describe a new species of Primula they found some years ago on Mount Alben, to the northeast of Bergamo. Primula albenensis sp. nov. in very close to P. hirsuta All.; the new entity is easily distinguished by a conspicuous farinosity scattering nearly all vegetative aerial parts of the plant, lacking at all in P. hirsuta. Another important difference deals with the ecology of the new species: it grows directly on dolomitic rocks belonging to the Dolomia Principale formation, where the soil is quite absent and basic conditions strongly dominate. These circumstances determine a clear isolation that corroborates the systematic independence of the taxon that represents one of the «smallest groups that are consistently and persistently distinct, and distinguishable by ordinary means». The species, characterized by a morphological, not only ecological population uniformity, is completely fertile with normal pollen development and might be assumed to have originated before the last glaciation as consequence of isolation or, less probably, as speciation product deriving from an ancient hybridization. Latin diagnosis and description are provided. Finally distribution ecology and phytosociology of the new species are taken into consideration.