Monti Ausoni

Ausoni Mountains
Monti Ausoni
Naming
Etymology	Ancient tribal name
Geography
Country	Italy
Region	Lazio
Province	Latina
Range coordinates
Parent range	Apennine Mountains, Volsci Chain
Geology
Orogeny	Southern Apenninic Orogeny
Age of rock	Messinian of Miocene, Pliocene-Pleistocene
Type of rock	limestone karst

The Monti Ausoni or Ausoni Mountains is a mountain range in southern Lazio, in central Italy. It is part of the Antiappennini, a group running from the Apennines chain to the Tyrrhenian Sea. They are bounded to the north by the Monti Lepini and to the south by the Monti Aurunci. They take the name from the ancient tribe of the Ausoni. The Monti Ausoni consist mainly of friable limestone. Altitudes vary from hills to the 1,152 m of Cima del Nibbio and the 1141 m of Monte Calvo. Near Pastena are the eponymous Grotte (caves).

Part of the Mountains is protected by Wilderness Area, which was established in 1999. It covers 4,230 hectares. Most of the valleys are covered in forests (of oak, cork oak and maple). There are also species of Quercus virginiana, Carpinella, the Aspen and the Laurel. Beneath the trees are numerous rare and endemic flora, such as Crocus imperati subsp imperati, Narcissus Poeticus, Asphodeline lutea (Asfodelina), Daphne oleoides (spatula Daphne) and Iris relicta.