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Biodiversity and crossbreeding in wild orchids:
case in the High Murgia, Bari province

Abstract

In term of species Orchidaceae is probably one of the richest families
respect to the other Phanerogams. Indeed, together with Asteraceae, is the
richest, thanks to its 20.000-25.000 species widespread throughout the
biosphere.
The most richest areas are notoriously the tropical ones; in Europe and
mediterranean countries 529 species of which 197 for Italy were reported
(DELFORGE, 1994, 2001, 2005). If one includes also the subspecies, the
counts rise up to 700 for Europe of which 230 for Italy (DEL PRETE, 2009).
Italy, with its position in the center of Mediterranean and its
phytogeographic peculiarities, is one of the most species-rich country of
Europe. The Gargano and the Murgia’s altopiano are areas characterized by
high speciation rates, as evidenced by the high number of species and
hybrids.
Both for the beauty of the flowers that the complexity of its biological
processes, this family has always been the subject of attention by many
scholars who seek to clarify the amazing phenomena that characterize their
lives, first of all the hybridization.

I quaderni di SILVAE.IT – Pagina 6