Aristolochia lutea Desf. and Aristolochia elongata (Duchartre) Nardi, new plant species of subalpine Albanian ecosystems Proceedings of International Conference of Ecosystems(ICE), June, 4-6, Tirana, Albania 577 ARISTOLOCHIA LUTEA DESF. AND ARISTOLOCHIA ELONGATA (DUCHARTRE) NARDI, NEW PLANT SPECIES OF SUBALPINE ALBANIAN ECOSYSTEMS Lulëzim SHUKA 1 & Sadik MALO 2 1 Department of Biology, FNS, Tirana University 2 Department of Biology-Chemistry, FNS, Gjirokastra University E-mail: lshuka@yahoo.com ABSTRACT In this paper A. lutea Desf., and Aristolochia elongata (Duchartre) Nardi, as new species from the family Aristolochiaceae is presented. Other aspects related to several subalpine areas of Albania are described, too. Morphological characters of A. lutea were discussion and compared with it’s closely relatives Aristolochia elongata (Duchartre) Nardi reported on several habitats of South Albania. As the other species like Aristolochia merxmuelleri Greuter & Mayer, A. lutea is a member of the Aristolochia pallida aggregate. Ecological data in growing habitat and area of distribution overall the country is given and mapped. Along with A. lutea, in its distribution habitat are recorded several important species for the Albanian flora like: Campanula hawkinsiana Hausskn. et Heldr., Alkanna graeca Boiss. & Spruner, Alkanna scardica Griseb. Viola acrocerauniensis Erben, Viola raunsiensis W.Becker & Košanin, Fritillaria thessala subsp. jonica (Halacsy) Kamari, Fritillaria orentalis Adams, Orchis pauciflora x Orchis quadripunctata etc. Keywords: Aristolochia lutea, A. elongata, new species, subalpine ecosystems, important species INTRODUCTION The genus Aristolochia (Aristolochiaceae) consists of about 500 species, growing mostly in tropical and subtropical areas (Neinhuis et al., 2005). The Mediterranean region, including Turkey, Caucasus and Near East, comprises more than 60 species of Aristolochia, which are monophyletic based on molecular phylogeny (de Groot, et al., 2006; Wanke, 2006). They occur in different type of habitats, particularly in subalpine humid or semidry grasslands. Mediterranean climate as influenced also in differentiation of morphological characters and adaptation of Aristolochia species to substrate, mostly in limestone. Most of species are geophyte, which allow them to pass the dried summer period in dormancy whereas the growth including flowering, in spring time (Wanke, 2006; Costa, 2008). The west Mediterranean Aristolochia species, based on chromosomal numbers, according to Ball (1964) and Mayer & Greuter (1985) are grouped in 4-species complex: A. rotunda, A. sempervirens, A. fontanessii and A. pallida complex. The flora of Albania includes 5- Aristolochia species, from which A. pallida complex is represented with only one species, A. pallida. On the other hand Aristolochia merxmuelleri Greuter et E. Mayer, from this complex, were described recently by Shuka et al., (2011). The rest of species, included in the flora of Albania, according to Paparisto et al., (1988) are: A. clematis, A. longa, A. macedonica and A. rotunda. Here after we are described and two other species, which can be considered as new for the Flora of Albania. MATERIAL AND METHODS During years 2007-2010, the authors of this paper have carried out many field works in South Albania. In the mean time, the first author has undertaken additional field works over all the country, where hundreds specimens are collected and herbarised. Voucher specimens are deposited in national herbarium of Faculty of Natural Sciences, Tirana University and in private herbarium of the first author. Morphological and ecological data in the growing locality are recorded. The coordinates were recorded with the aid of GPS Alan Map 500. The diagnostic features measurements of the morphological characters of the new species were taken from measurements of 15-living plants. Special attention in plant collection and measurements is indicated to the form and size of tuberous rootstock system. The new species were defined based on Flora of Albania (Paparisto et al., 1988), Flora Hellenica (Strid & Kit Tan, 1977) Nardi (1989) and Flora Europaea (Tutin et al., 1964). The data, collected in field are analysed and compared with data’s taken from literature