Monti Ausoni

Monti Ausoni
Ausoni Mountains
Monti Ausoni
Naming
Etymology	Ausonipeople
Geography
Country	Italy
Region	Lazio
Province	Latina
Range coordinates	41°25′N13°20′E
Parent range	Apennine Mountains,Volsci Chain
Geology
Orogeny	Southern Apenninic Orogeny
Age of rock	MessinianofMiocene,Pliocene-Pleistocene
Type of rock	limestonekarst

TheMonti AusoniorAusoni Mountainsconstitute amountain rangein southernLazio,in central Italy. It is part of theAntiappennini,a group running from theApennineschain to theTyrrhenian Sea.They are bounded to the north by theMonti Lepiniand to the south by theMonti Aurunci.They take the name from the ancient tribe of theAusoni.The Monti Ausoni consist mainly of friablelimestone.Altitudes vary from hills to the 1,152 m ofCima del Nibbioand the 1,141 m ofMonte Calvo.NearPastenaare theGrotte di Pastena(caves).

Part of the mountains is protected by awilderness area,which was established in 1999. It covers 4,230 hectares. Most of the valleys are covered in forests (of oak,cork oakandmaple). There are also species ofQuercus virginiana,carpinella,aspen and laurel. Beneath the trees are numerous rare and endemic flora, such asCrocus imperatisubsp.imperati,Narcissus Poeticus,Asphodeline lutea(asfodelina),Daphne oleoides(spatula daphne) andIris relicta.