The floristic exploration
The naturalistic peculiarities of the Apuan Alps encouraged many scholars, the majority of them botanists, but also zoologists and geologists, to the exploration of these mountains since ancient times. The first botanical references of the Apuan region are found in the publications of ANGUILLARA (1561) and LOBEL and PENA (1570), as well as in several artefacts and in the herbal of ALDROVANDI, where it is told a field trip of 1553 (SOLDANO, 2004).
And then botanical news of the Apuan Alps are discovered by BOCCONE (1697); in the following century, there is a growing interest in the works of VITMAN (1773) and TARGIONI-TOZZETTI (1777).
The floristic knowledge of the Apuane grows considerably in the 19th century, when studies on the Apuan flora are carried out (SAVI, 1804, 1808-1825; BERTOLONI, 1819 1832 and SIMI, 1851) and there is the description of new plant species exclusive of the Apuan territory (VIVIANI, 1804, 1808; SAVI, 1804; BERTOLONI, 1819, 1832; SOMMIER, 1894). In a unique work, followed by two additions, are summarised the complete knowledge of the Tuscan flora (CARUEL, 1860, 1866, 1870). Later, PELLEGRINI (1942) provides very detailed data for the part of the territory of the Massa-Carrara province. In the second half of the XX century, the studies related to the Apuan region multiplied dramatically in various strands: floristic studies, studies on the vegetation, studies on the endangered species, researches on fossil pollens, citotaxonomic and biosystemic studies. From a floristic point of view, the three volumes of the Draft of the Flora of the Apuan Region are surely very important (FERRARINI & MARCHETTI, 1994; FERRARINI et al., 1997; FERRARINI, 2001), the last global work on the Apuan flora.
Emilio Simi (Archivio Orto Botanico di Padova)