Limonium cossonianum Kuntze is an interesting endemic plant in the southeastern Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands that can be used in wetland restoration and as an ornamental species in saline areas. Experiments were carried out to investigate seed germination responses in L. cossonianum at different levels of salinity (0, 100, 200, and 400 mmol/L NaCl) and under different temperature regimes (20/10, 25/15, 30/20, and 35/25 °C, day/night), both in a 14 h light – 10 h dark photoperiod. Seed germination in L. cossonianum was significantly affected by salinity levels, temperature, and the interaction of both parameters. Maximum germination was recorded in the lowest saline media (100 mmol/L NaCl) and distilled water (0 mmol/L NaCl) at 20/10 °C. No seeds germinated in concentrations above 200 mmol/L NaCl at the higher temperatures. The increase in salinity delayed the beginning and end of germination, reduced final germination percentage, and increased mean time to germination. The rate of germination decreased with an increase in salinity and temperature.

Se señala la presencia en Andalucía de 4.898 taxones de flora (especies, subespecies e híbridos) pertenecientes a 171 familias y 1.172 géneros, de los que 4.253 (86,8%) son autóctonos y 645 (13,2%) son alóctonos. El número total de especies es de 4.324, el de subespecies 328 y 246 son híbridos. En el territorio andaluz se presentan 944 taxones endémicos a nivel de España peninsular e Islas Baleares, de los que 429 son exclusivos de Andalucía; otros 76 presentan el núcleo principal en Andalucía, pero cuentan con alguna población en las provincias limítrofes con el territorio; 14 tienen el núcleo principal en alguna provincia limítrofe, pero cuentan con alguna población en Andalucía, y 425 son endemismos estrictos ibero-baleares con una distribución que sobrepasa ampliamente los límites de Andalucía. La elevada diversidad vegetal andaluza se debe tanto a la gran heterogeneidad ambiental, litológica, edafológica, climática y altitudinal, como a la complicada historia geológica y a su posición entre los continentes europeo y africano. Destacan las provincias de Granada, Jaén, Almería, Málaga y Cádiz, ocupadas en su mayor parte por la cordillera Bética, que superan los 2 400 taxones y las 2.200 especies, presentando la provincia de Granada los valores máximos con 3.209 taxones y 2.912 especies.

Ecuador, located in the Neotropics, has 66 protected natural areas, which represent about 13.77% of its overall territory. The Reserva Ecológica Arenillas reserve (REAr), located in southwestern Ecuador, protects an area of dry forest, coastal thorn forest, and mangroves. This dry forest is part of the Pacific equatorial core and is included the Tumbes–Chocó–Magdalena, one of the 34 biodiversity hot spots of the world. It is an extremely fragile ecosystem and therefore the need for conservation is of the utmost importance. Knowledge of the flora and their ecological characteristics is still limited, which was one of the main objectives of this work. In this study, 118 plots located in different locations of the REAr were selected in order to sample the trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants within them. This information was supplemented with data from the literature and the GBIF; life forms were included according to Raunkiaer’s classification and their growth habits. The flora of the REAr was represented by 381 species, belonging to 77 families. The two most numerous families were the Fabaceae (51 plant species) and Malvaceae (31 species). The dominant life form was the phanerophytes with 200 species (52.5%), followed by therophytes with 104 species (27.3%), and camephytes with 22 species (5.8%). Physiognomy was dominated by the herbaceous growth (44%). The biodiversity indices of two ecosystems were studied (The deciduous forest of the Jama-Zapotillo lowland and the low forest and deciduous shrubland of the Jama-Zapotillo lowland), obtaining higher values for the deciduous forest ecosystem of the Jama-Zapotillo lowland. With these indicators, a classification of each forest type was made by performing a hierarchical cluster analysis. The information provided in this paper is particularly important for focusing conservation efforts and preventing the loss of flora diversity in these forests, which are subject to great anthropogenic pressures.