One new genus Najas (Hydrocharitaceae) and four new vascular plant records for Kosovo: Lycopodium, Najas and two Cyperus species
Targeted field surveys, during the 2025 vegetative period, across a range of natural habitats revealed four vascular plant taxa previously unconfirmed for the flora of Kosovo: Lycopodium annotinum subsp. annotinum, Najas marina, Cyperus fuscus and C. rotundus. Specimens were collected from upper-montane spruce forests, in lake and littoral zones and serpentine foothill streams and were identified using standard regional floras; all vouchers are deposited in the Herbarium of the University of Prishtina (UPH). The discovery of L. annotinum subsp. annotinum adds a new boreal-montane element to the national Lycopodiaceae, while N. marina represents the first documented member of the genus Najas in the country. Likewise, C. fuscus and C. rotundus are the first confirmed representatives of Cyperus, demonstrating that cyperaceous diversity in Kosovo has been significantly underestimated. These findings highlight the ecological and biogeographical complexity of the region, emphasise the importance of wetlands, aquatic systems, upper-montane coniferous forests and serpentine landscapes for harbouring overlooked taxa and underscore the need for continued systematic floristic surveys to refine the national inventory and support future conservation and biodiversity research.Four new species are being reported for the flora of Kosovo: Lycopodium annotinum subsp. annotinum, Najas marina, Cyperus fuscus and C. rotundus.
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