New records for Albania based on taxa from the Prespa National Park

Abstract Twelve taxa are enumerated as new and three taxa confirmed for the flora of Albania. They were collected between 2007 and 2012 in the Prespa National Park of Albania which is part of the Prespa International Park, a biological protected area at the borders with F.Y.R. Macedonia and Greece. Four taxa, viz., Centaurea galicicae, Festuca galicicae, Laserpitium ochridanum and Micromeria cristata subsp. kosaninii are restricted to Dry and Galičica Mountains. Centaurea decora, a recently described species, is treated as a synonym of Centaurea soskae thus extending the known localities of the latter to the southeast. Detailed information on distribution, occurrence and habitats in Albania are provided for each taxon.


Introduction
The Prespa National Park in Albania is part of Prespa International Park (here abbreviated to PIP), a region designated for nature conservation at the borders of Albania, Greece and F.Y.R. Macedonia (Fig. 1). PIP lies between the geographical coordinates 40°43' to 40°5 1'N and 20°00' to 21°10'E and has a total surface area of 2519.1 km including lakes Megali and Mikri Prespa. The park is considered to be an integrated ecosystem of global significance unique for its habitats, rich floristic biodiversity and high number of local and Balkan plant endemics. According to Pavlides (Pavlides 1997) the Greek part of the PIP has c. 1326 plant species, the Macedonian part c. 1597 taxa (Matevski 2010) and from current investigation, the Albanian part has at least 1130 species.
The terrestrial area of the Albanian part covers 228 km , much of which comprises the east-and southeast-facing karstic slopes of a ridge called Mali i Thatë or Dry Mountain; this continues in Macedonia under the name Galičica Mt. The slopes of the Mikri and Megali Prespa watershed have steep inclinations of 50-85% and altitudes rising from 848 m at the lake surface to 2288 m at Pllaja e Pusit, the highest peak of Dry Mt.
Terra rossa overlying limestone covers more than 95% of the ground area and only a few hectares near Zagradeci village at Mikri Prespa are predominantly serpentine. The climate is mostly moderate-continental as in central Europe and there are Mediterranean-like warm and dry periods alternating with very cold and wet ones. The lakes, high altitude and westfacing slopes of Dry Mt play an important role in creating and influencing the sub-Mediterranean-continental character of the National Park (Mersinllari 1997, Shuka et al. 2008. Climate and soil composition has also favoured the development of a rich flora with Mediterranean, Balkan and Central European floristic elements. All species which are recorded in the Albanian side of the park belongs to 438 genera and 101 plant families. This constitutes nearly 33% of the total flora of Albania within such a small area of 228 km . According to Mersinllari (Mersinllari 1997), Balkan endemics account for c. 12% of the flora of Dry Mt and most of these occur in the upper montane zone. More than 30 taxa have been described from Galičica and Dry Mts, and 10-13 of these are considered restricted to Galičica Mt (Matevski 2013, pers. comm.).

Map of area showing distribution of selected species
Our study was based on fieldwork in the Prespa National Park, carried out jointly with Til Dieterich from Baku State University (Azerbaijan) during the years 2007, 2011 and 2012. More than 300 specimens which could not easily be named in the field were collected, identified and deposited in the herbarium of Tirana University (TIR). Relevant literature and herbarium material from JE, SKO and TIR were checked and all the species which have their locus classicus in F.Y.R. Macedonia were investigated in their original locality. The families and species in the following text are listed in alphabetical order.

Distribution
This species has been reported only from Galičica Mt. in F.Y.R. Macedonia. It has not yet been found in NW Greece.

Ecology
Phenology: Flowering in June to mid-July, fruiting mid-July to August.
Habitat: Calcareous northeastern slopes of Dry and Ivani Mts, in subalpine meadows, stony places or at the border of tree line and subalpine pasture. Found in association with Achillea holosericea, Aster linosyris, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Dianthus cruentus, D. carthusianorum, Iberis sempervirens, Festuca paniculata and Thymus boissieri.

Distribution
Previously known only from the type locality.

Ecology
Phenology: Flowering in June to early July, fruiting from mid-July to August.

Habitat:
The new locality in Albania is further south than the type locality in F.Y.R. Macedonia but habitat and altitude are similar. The limestone slopes of the peninsula were covered with Cephalaria ambrosioides, Centaurea soskae, C. graeca var. ceccariniana, Ephedra fragilis, Euphorbia characias subsp.
wulfenii, Lilium chalcedonicum, Micromeria juliana, Satureja montana, Sedum acre and Umbilicus luteus. Less than 50 individuals of the Centaurea were noted but they are not threatened by grazing or human activities. -Rare, new for Albania.

Distribution
Previously known only from the type locality near lake Ohrid. However, it has been reported from the western slopes of Dry Mt above Shengjergji village in Albania (Vangjeli et al. 1995:84).

Ecology
Phenology: Flowering and fruiting June to July.
Habitat: These localities are at lower altitudes (850-1200 m) and influenced by the Mediterranean and sub-Mediterranean climate, and the moderating effects of the Devolli and Drini Rivers. The occurrence on the rocky calcareous cliff faces of lakes Megali and Mikri Prespa extends the distribution range eastwards towards the lakes. Allium flavum subsp. flavum, Campanula versicolor, Fumana procumbens, Iris germanica, Nepeta spruneri, Ptilostemon afer, Salvia officinalis, Satureja montana, Sempervivum ciliosum, as well as the woody species Buxus sempervirens, Fraxinus ornus, Pistacia terebinthus and Prunus webbii were also noted on the cliff faces. Based on habitat and ecology, we believe that Centaurea soskae occurs and should be looked for in the Greek part of the Prespa lakes. -Confirmed for Albania and new for the Prespa National Park.

Taxon discussion
In 2011, Meyer described C. decora (Meyer 2011:167) as a new species of Centaurea from the rocky slopes above the villages of Shengjergji and Korita (Type:-Pogradec, Südabfall des Mali i Thatë, 800-1000 m, 5 July 1959, F.K. Meyer 3486 (holotype JE, digital specimen image!). We collected plants from the same slopes on 13 July 2011 and compared them with living plants of C. soskae from the locus classicus in F.Y.R. Macedonia, and concluded C. decora is identical to C. soskae. Meyer (2011) did not mention C. soskae in his publication and probably had not seen any material of the latter to realize the two taxa are conspecific.

Distribution
The locus classicus is Mt Piperitsa which is c. 10 km south of the present Greek-F.Y.R. Macedonian border and thus still within Greek territory, and not in F.Y.R. Macedonia as attributed by Rechinger (Rechinger 1965:209). This species occurs from S and N Pindos to NC Greece and in the southern part of F.Y.R. Macedonia.

Alkanna noneiformis
New records for Albania based on taxa from the Prespa National Park Ecology Phenology: Flowering late May to mid-June, fruiting late June and July.
Habitat: Alpine and subalpine meadows overlying limestone on the rocky eastern and northeastern slopes of Dry Mt, usually between 1500 and 2000 m. At lower altitudes it occurs with Daphne oleoides, Genista radiata, Juniperus communis subsp. alpina and J. oxycedrus. Although rare it does not seem to be under any threat as it occurs within the protected central zone of the National Park.

Taxon discussion
It is closely related to A. scardica (Grisebach 1844:91) from N Albania, F.Y.R. Macedonia, Kosovo and Montenegro; the latter differs by its completely eglandular indumentum, longer calyx, subglabrous corolla and distinctly reticulate nutlets. -Rare, new to Albania.

Distribution
This species was previously thought to be a local endemic of Galičica Mt in F.Y.R. Macedonia. It has since been found on Mt Jablanica (a limestone massif east of Mt Shebeniku near the border with southwestern F.Y.R. Macedonia) and Mt Boutsi in northern Greece. It probably occurs on other limestone mountains, e.g., a collection from the summit of Mt Cajupi near Gjirokaster in southern Albania has yet to be verified. We now confirm its occurrence in Albania based on collections first made in

Distribution
Also in NC and EC Greece. Undoubtedly very close to A. sericophyllus (Grisebach 1843:52) and plants of the latter from Mt Iti in Sterea Ellas, central Greece have been reported as A. mayeri (Karetsos 2002:100). The legumes of A. mayeri are striped like a zebra as the black and white hairs are confined to patches or in separate rows instead of intermixed.

Ecology
Phenology: Flowering late June to mid-July, fruiting July to August.

Taxon discussion
The plants of A. mayeri on Ivani Mt are more robust and larger than those from Galičica or Dry Mt especially from the latter where overgrazing is rampant and the herbaceous cover sparse. -New for Albania.

Distribution
Previously considered endemic to F.Y.R. Macedonia.

Ecology
Phenology: Flowering mid-June to early July, fruiting July to August.
Habitat: Rocky limestone slopes at Lake Ohrid in F.Y.R. Macedonia, and the western slopes of Dry Mt, only a few metres from the locality of Centaurea soskae. The population in the cliffs above Korita had fewer than 70 individuals which were found