Linaria alfercensis

Linaria alfercensis, a newly described flowering plant species endemic to the Algarve, Portugal.

Quick Facts

Scientific name	Linaria alfercensis
Type	Flowering plant / Annual herb
Genus	Linaria
Family	Plantaginaceae
Origin	Algarve, Portugal
Status	Preliminarily assessed as Endangered

Timeline & Milestones

2024
Initial identification
Linaria alfercensis was recognized as an unusual plant during field investigations in the Alferce area of Monchique, Algarve. A citizen-science photograph helped draw attention to the plant.
2024–2026
Taxonomic and genomic study

Morphological research, herbarium material, distribution data and phylogenomic analyses supported its recognition as a distinct species within Linaria subsection Versicolores.
25 August 2026
Formal scientific description

Linaria alfercensis was formally described by Farminhão, Carapeto, A. Alonso, Mazuecos & L. Sáez in Plant Ecology and Evolution.
Current
Restricted endemic species

The species is known mainly from the Monchique area of the Algarve, particularly the southern slopes of Serra da Picota, where it grows in annual meadows, clearings and scrub margins on soils associated with nepheline syenites.

Linaria alfercensis is a species of flowering plant it belongs to genus Linaria, family Plantaginaceae. It was formally described as a new species in 2026 by João Farminhão, André Carapeto, Alejandro Alonso, Mario Fernández-Mazuecos and Llorenç Sáez. The species is endemic to the Algarve region of southern Portugal, where it is mainly found around the municipality of Monchique.

Linaria alfercensis

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