Tommasini’s sandwort (Moehringia tommasinii Marches.)

Tommasini’s sandwort is a strictly protected plant species from the carnation family (Caryophyllaceae). The stenoendemic sandwort named in honour of Muzio Tommasini (1794-1879), botanist and Mayor of Trieste, as well as its close relative, the more widespread mossy sandwort (Moehringia muscosa), resemble a moss at the first glance. This frail, turfy perennial plant usually grows no higher than 10 cm. It is in bloom in April and May, when it produces small flowers with four white petals each. It resides in the cracks and on the shelves of wet and shady limestone outcrops in Kvarner and Liburnija as a part of equally endemic plant communities of the so-called karst edge at the north of the Istrian Peninsula.

Generally, the range of Tommasini’s sandwort is very small: except for Croatia, it is only found in narrow neighbouring strips of land in Slovenia and Italy, causing it to be listed in the IUCN Red Lists as an endangered species (EN). Even though its range spans three countries, this sandwort has been confirmed with certainty in barely five localities within its range! The EU has therefore recognised Tommasini’s sandwort as a very valuable taxon and included it in all the most important plant species and habitat protection regulations (Bern Convention, Habitats Directive, Natura 2000, Croatian List of Wild Species (Excluding Birds) of Interest to the EU).

The inaccessibility of Tommasini’s sandwort’s habitats is the best protection. However, increasingly popular rock-climbing has endangered it even there. In addition to their physical presence and destruction of plants, unintentional or otherwise, the climbers also carry the seeds of foreign species on their footwear. The presence of invasive plants has already been detected in these unique communities. To prevent destruction of the species, rock-climbing is prohibited in Croatian localities inhabited by Tommasini’s sandwort.

Sanja Kovačić, PhD, specialist advisor

Botany Garden, Department of Biology,

Faculty of Science,

University of Zagreb