Rare plants of threatened habitats – the Croatian case of Corrigiola litoralis L. (Caryophyllaceae)

Abstract

Corrigiola litoralis is the only member of the genus in the Croatian flora. Most available data are more than 50 years old, and include only four localities in Croatia, exclusively in the islands of the Mediterranean region. During a floristic survey of the island of Molat (Northern Dalmatia) we recorded a small population in Zapuntelsko polje, in a damp, shallow depression, seasonally occurring as a temporary pond. Comparison with the existing literature shows that C. litoralis often occurs in Mediterranean temporary ponds and similar globally important and threatened habitats. We strongly believe that careful studies of populations of C. litoralis and other species with similar ecologies are
necessary in order to preserve these habitats and therefore propose actions to achieve this goal.