Abstract
This research was designed to compare allergenic flora of various cities of central Italy. Because the data on this problem are rather scant, we wanted to highlight the relationships among the ecological conditions of the urban habitats, and the plants whose pollens cause allergic manifestations in the human population. Our results pointed out that the structural design of the urban land use types play an important role in the distribution of allergophytes. The compact structure of the historic city center does not impede the establishment of allergophytes. Actually, it promotes some species that come from the dry pastures and rocky walls of the surrounding ecosystems. Allergenicity was revealed throughout the urban area, with a prevalence of species with monoporate pollens characteristic of the Poaceae. Highly allergenic plants are present in the central zone (within the city walls) and in some peripheral land use models (urban road verges). The particular abundance of Urticaceae with small triporate pollen grains and of various cultivated species, introduced by man for aesthetic reasons, contributes to the increase of allergophytism. The study points out the role of the interactions between the allergenic flora, human impact through the land use patterns, urban fauna, and the meso- and microclimatic conditions of the cities studied.
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Appendix
Appendix
The most important allergophytes found in the land use patterns of the urban ecosystems of central Italy (species present with less than 10% abundance are not included in the list)
Species | Family | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
Acer campestre L. | Aceraceae | Ac.ca |
Ailanthus altissima (Miller) Swingle | Simaroubaceae | Ai.al |
Amaranthus deflexus L. | Amaranthaceae | Am.de |
Arrhenaterum elatius (L.) Pers. | Poaceae | Ar.el |
Artemisia alba Turra | Asteraceae | Ar.al |
Artemisia vulgaris L. | Asteraceae | Ar.vu |
Avena sativa L. | Poaceae | Av.sa |
Bromus erectus Hudson | Poaceae | Br.er |
Bromus hordeaceus L. | Poaceae | Br.ho |
Bromus madritensis L. | Poaceae | Br.ma |
Cichorium intybus L. | Asteraceae | Ci.in |
Chenopodium album L. | Chenopodiaceae | Ch.al |
Corylus avellana L. | Corylaceae | Co.av |
Cupressus sempervirens L. (cult.) | Cupressaceae | Cu.se |
Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. | Poaceae | Cy.da |
Daucus carota L. | Apiaceae | Da.ca |
Dactylis glomerata L. | Poaceae | Da.gl |
Diplotaxis erucoides (L.) DC. | Brassicaceae | Di.er |
Echinochloa crus-galli L. | Poaceae | Ec.cr |
Elymus repens (L.) Gould. | Poaceae | El.re |
Ficus carica L. | Moraceae | Fi.ca |
Foeniculum vulgare Miller | Apiaceae | Fo.vu |
Fraxinus excelsior L. | Oleaceae | Fr.ex |
Hordeum murinum L. | Poaceae | Ho.mu |
Juglans regia L. (cult.) | Juglandaceae | Ju.re |
Juniperus communis L. | Cupressaceae | Ju.co |
Ligustrum vulgare L. | Oleaceae | Li.vu |
Lolium multiflorum Lam. | Poaceae | Lo.mu |
Lolium perenne L. | Poaceae | Lo.pe |
Matricaria chamomilla L. | Asteraceae | Ma.ch |
Medicago sativa L. | Fabaceae | Me.sa |
Mercurialis annua L. | Euphorbiaceae | Me.an |
Ostrya carpinifolia Scop. | Corylaceae | Os.ca |
Olea europea L. (cult.) | Oleaceae | Ol.eu |
Parietaria diffusa Mert. et Koch | Urticaceae | Pa.di |
Parietaria officinalis L. | Urticaceae | Pa.of |
Papaver rhoeas L. | Papaveraceae | Pa.rh |
Plantago lanceolata L. | Plantaginaceae | Pl.la |
Plantago major L. | Plantaginaceae | Pl.ma |
Platanus orientalis L. (cult.) | Platanaceae | Pl.or |
Picea abies (L.) Kartsen (cult.) | Pinaceae | Pi.ab |
Pinus pinea L. (cult.) | Pinaceae | Pi.pi |
Poa annua L. | Poaceae | Po.an |
Poa nemoralis L. | Poaceae | Po.ne |
Quercus ilex L. (cult.) | Fagaceae | Qu.il |
Robinia pseudoacacia L. | Fabaceae | Ro.ps |
Rosa canina L. | Rosaceae | Ro.ca |
Rubus idaeus L. | Rosaceae | Ru.id |
Sambucus nigra L. | Caprifoliaceae | Sa.ni |
Saponaria officinalis L. | Caryophyllaceae | Sa.of |
Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. | Poaceae | So.ha |
Taraxacum officinale Weber | Asteraceae | Ta.of |
Trifolium pratense L. | Fabaceae | Tr.pr |
Triticum aestivum L. | Poaceae | Tr.ae |
Urtica dioica L. | Urticaceae | Ur.di |
Vicia sativa L. | Fabaceae | Vi.sa |
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Staffolani, L., Hruska, K. Urban allergophytes of central Italy. Aerobiologia 24, 77–87 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-008-9084-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-008-9084-4