Considerazioni tassonomiche sulle querce caducifoglie della Sicilia

On the basis of literature, herbarium and field investigations, a survey on the species of deciduous oaks occurring in Sicily is presented. A morphological description fitted with photos and drawings and completed by some chorological and ecological observations is reported for each species. Finally it is emphasized that the phenotypical variability observed in Sicily among the Q. pubescens group, even if let to consider the S.Thyrrhenian area as a probable speciation center of the group, on the other hand should also be related to the deforestation, which favoured the genetic mixing among populations.