Taxonomical features of Sesleria calabrica (Poaceae), a neglected species from southern Italy.

A taxonomic study of the Sesleria juncifolia complex in the Italian Peninsula is presented, with a focus on southern Italian populations here named as Sesleria calabrica (DEYL) DI PIETRO comb. nov. et stat. nov. Karyological, morphological and anatomical characters were used for comparative analyses with populations of closely related species, such as S. juncifolia SUFFREN and Sesleria apennina UJHELYI occurring in the Italian Peninsula. Multivariate and univariate morphometric analyses, and qualitative morphological characters showed a distinct position of S. calabrica. Populations of S. calabrica differ in respect to various morphological characters of leaf and spikelet, such as the glume, lemma and palea length, stem length, the leaf sheath, leaf width, leaf thickness, and the total number of vascular bundles. Furthermore, previous karyological studies demonstrated that all the populations of both S. juncifolia and S. apennina examined are octoploid (2n=8x=56), whereas S. calabrica was found to be dodecaploid (2n=12x=84). S. calabrica is strictly confined to the Pollino massif and the Orsomarso mountains in southern Italy, which represent the southernmost limit of the Sesleria juncifolia complex distribution area both in Italy and in Europe. In addition to S. juncifolia and S. calabrica, the recognition of S. apennina as a taxon distinct from S. juncifolia is supported, at least for the area of the Apuan Alps

Phytosociological features of Sesleria calabrica (Poaceae), an endemic species to Pollino-Orsomarso mountains (southern Italy)

Sesleria calabrica (Deyl) Di Pietro is a species belonging to the collective group of S. juncifolia s.l. which has been described recently for southern Italy where it is restricted to the Pollino-Orsomarso massifs. In this area S. calabrica is widespread between 1200 and 2280 m a.s.l where it is the dominant species in two grassland types, Jurineo mollis-Seslerietum calabricae ass. nov. (lower montane belt) and Anthyllido atropurpureae-Seslerietum calabricae ass. nov. (subalpine belt) which belong respectively to Festuco-Brometea and Elyno-Seslerietea classes. The presence of a southern Italy endemic sub-alliance of Seslerion apenninae is hypothesised

Observations on the beech woodlands of the Apennines (peninsular Italy): An intricate biogeographical and syntaxonomical issue

The Apennines area is very interesting froma a biogeographical point of view, since it behaves as a natural point of contact between floristic units of different origin and provenance. Its transitional geographical position, associated to very particular bioclimatic and lithomorphological features, means it is characterised by a very complex vegetational partern to which it is not often easy to provide an adequate syntaxonomical scheme. The Apennines beech woodlands therefore pose a syntaxonomical difficult issue. Moving southwards, the huge latitudinal extent of the Apennines range, which connects the south-western Alps and Sicily, undergoes a progressive impoverishment of the central-European floristic component of Fagion sylvaticae (still abundant in the northern Apennines) and in an increase in the endemic and Apennine-Balkan components of Geranio versicoloris-Fagion (southern Apennines)as it traverses the Aremonio-Fagion Apennine-Dinaric window (central Apennines). This general scheme, which is especially valid for basic substrates, partially excludes the acidophitic beech woodlands which have tradionally been included in other kinds of syntaxa. However the classic ecological classification of European beech woodlands, based on soil pH, which serves to separate basiphilous beech woodlands (Fagion, Fagetalia) and acidophilus beech woodlands (Luzulo-Fagion, Quercetalia robori-petraeae) at the rank of alliance and order, would appear not to be applicable to the Apennines. In this case, moving from the northern Apennines to the southern Apennines, the ecological criterion loses progressively and is replaced by others suchas the biogeographical or the altitudinal ones

A phytosociological investigation on the mixed hemycryptophitic and therophitic grasslands of the Cornicolani mountains (Lazio Region – central Italy)

Abstract In this paper a phytosociological study on the dry grasslands of the Cornicolani mountains is presented. The Cornicolani are a group of isolated limestone hills which emerge from the slightly ondulating grounds of the Rome countryside in the Tyrrhenian side of the central Italy. Eighty-nine relevés were performed using the Braun-Blanquet phytosociological approach. These were further subjected to hierarchical classification and to NMDS ordination. Five major types of grasslands were distinguished: short therophytic grasslands developed on shallow soils dominated, in turns, by Hypochaeris achyrophorus, Plantago lagopus and Plantago bellardii; sub-nitrophilous detriticolous perennial grasslands dominated by Dittrichia viscosa and Helichrysum italicum; Dasypyrum villosum and Vulpia ligustica lawn and fallow annual tall-grasslands; Ampelodesmos mauritanicus grasslands of the rocky S-facing slopes and sub-mesophilous Lolium perenne and Cynodon dactylon grasslands of the flat and pastured areas. From a syntaxonomical standpoint a new associations named Plantaginetum afrae-bellardii was proposed and included in the class Stipo-Trachynetea. In addition the association Helichryso italici-Inuletum viscosae Trinajstić 1965 (nom. inval.) was here validated

A phytosociological analysis of abandoned olive-grove grasslands of Ausoni mountains (Tyrrhenian district of Central Italy)

Over the last fifty years, about 80% of Olea europea L. cultivations in the submediterranean belt of Central Italy have been abandoned and they are now subjected to new colonizations from surrounding wild vegetation. A phytosociological study of the main types of grassland communities occurring in this «vanishing» typically mediterranean landscape is presented here. The Ausoni Mountains, a Tyrrhenian coastal chain of central Italy were selected as a study area. Distribution of secondary grassland communities is influenced by the combined action of many factors, such as bioclimatic parameters, soil characteristics, time since abandonment, land use pattern. In the warmest sites, the early successional stages are characterized by Hyparrhenia hirta open dry grasslands. This community is gradually replaced by dense steppe-like grasslands very poor in species, dominated by Ampelodesmos mauritanicus (Psoraleo-Ampelodesmetum or less frequently by Hyparrhenia hirta again. Both the inland areas and the north facing slopes are characterized by Festuco-Brometea communities. Perennial grasses, in particular Brachypodium rupestre (Galio-Brachypodietum) dominate these environments, and annual species are confined to restricted areas, such as trampled sites or terrace boundaries (Crucianello-Hypochoeridetum). Two new associations (Galio lucidi-Brachypodietum rupestris and Thymo vulgaris-Hyparrhenietum hirtae ) are presented in this paper

A new mesophilous turkey oak woodland association from Laga Mts. (Central Italy).

The present paper aims at describing the Quercus cerris-dominated woodlands of the Laga mountains (central Apennines) in both the synecological and syntaxonomical way. Species composition and abundance, together with structural and abiotic parameters were recorded in 33 relevés distributed throughout the Laga massif. A new association of Quercus cerris woodlands, named Listero ovatae-Quercetum cerridis, is here proposed. The ecology and syn-chorology of this association are outlined. In syntaxonomical terms Listero-Quercetum cerridis behaves as an intermediate between Fagetalia sylvaticae and Quercetalia pubescenti-petraeae, being the dominant layer closer to Quercetalia communities and the herb layer to Fagetalia. For comparison a survey is provided of the most important Quercus cerris community types described throughout the whole Apennine chain using all published relevés (synoptic table)

The vegetation of alpine belt karst-tectonic basins in the central Apennines (Italy)

The vegetation communities of the karst-tectonic basins of the Majella massif alpine belt were studied using the phyto sociological methods, and analysed from coenological, synchorological and syntaxonomical viewpoints. During the field-work, 115 releves were performed using the phytosociological approach of Braun-Blanquet, and these releves were further subjected to multivariate analyses. Eight clusters of releves resulted from the numerical classification. The plant communities identified in the study area were ascribed to the following five associations, two sub-associations and one community type: Leontopodio - Seslerietum juncifoliae (ass. nova); Helianthemo - Festucetum italicae (ass. nova); Gnaphalio - Plantaginetum atratae; Taraxaco-Trifolietum thalii gnaphalietosum magellensis (subass. nova),- Luzulo italicae-Nardetum, Carici - Salicetum retusae; Saxifrago - Papaveretum julici, Saxifrago - Papaveretum androsacetosum (subass. nova), Plantago atrata and Leontodon montanus community. The distribution of these communities within the karst basins was found to be related to variations in topographic and geomorphological parameters, such as altitude, slope, soil availability and stoniness. All the new associations proposed in this paper belong to the suballiance Leontopodio-Elynenion and to the alliance Seslerion apenninae, both of which are endemic to the central Apennines. In order to compare the plant community types identified within the Majella massif to similar associations found in the rest of the Apennine chain, synoptic tables were constructed. Finally, a comparative phytogeographical analysis of the alpine belt vegetation of the Apennines, Dinarides, southern Balkans and eastern Alps is presented

Nomenclature adjustments to neglected syntaxa of the tall-herb hygrophilous communities of the SE-Europe

Background and Purpose: During the preparation of a coenological paper concerning the tall-herb vegetation of the Balkans, it emerged that some syntaxa were invalidly described in their original papers, while some other synataxa had been forgotten or considered invalid according to the current phytosociological literature even if they had been validly published in their original papers. The present study deals with the nomenclatural problems of the Rumicetalia balcanici Lakušić 1973, a neglected order of the montane tall-herb vegetation, and those of all its related lower-rank syntaxa. Materials and Methods: All published papers that treated the nomenclatural issues regarding the tall-herb vegetation in the Balkans were analysed. The nomenclature adjustments were made in accordance with the rules of the Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature (ICPN). The original relevés presented in this paper were carried out using the Braun-Blanquet phytosociological approach. Results and Conclusions: The nomenclature adjustments made in the paper result in the validation of the order Rumicetalia balcanicae and of four alliances: Rumicion balcanici, Ranunculion serbici, Cicerbition pancici and Petasition doerfleri. The validity of the alliance Cirsion appendiculati Horvat, Pawlowski et Walas 1937 was here confirmed while the name citation Geion coccinei Horvat in Quezel 1969 was here given for the first time. Finally several tall-herbs association were here validated and some others were proposed as new

Erratum: Di Pietro, R., Kuzmanović, N., Lakušić, D., Viciani, D., Fortini, P. & Iamonico, D. (2021) Nomenclatural and taxonomic notes on some names of Sesleria sect. Argenteae (Poaceae) from Italy and the Balkans. Phytotaxa 494 (1): 89–102.

In our recent paper, we noticed a mistake concerning figure 2 (Di Pietro et al. 2021: 93). According to the caption, figure 2 should represent the sheet FI051890 (a lectotype of Sesleria nitida var. tenoreana f. visianii). In fact, in the place of the sheet FI051890, a figure containing two herbarium specimens deposited in PAD (PAD-HD00955 and PAD-HD00956) was erroneously published. These two PAD specimens were discussed in the paper (Di Pietro et al. 2021: 94) where it was highlighted that these could not be considered with certainty as original material for Sesleria nitida var. tenoreana f. visianii Pampanini (1917: 4). We here, correct the mistake and publish the image of lectotype of Sesleria nitida var. tenoreana f. visianii (FI051890, Fig. 1). Copyright © 2021 Magnolia Pres

Phytogeographical evidence for post-glacial dispersal limitation of European beech forest species

The frequency of range sizes shows a U-shaped distribution, with 42 species occurring in < 10 regions. The highest number of beech forest species is found in the southern Alps and adjacent regions, and species numbers decrease with increasing distance from these regions. With only narrow-range species taken into consideration, secondary maxima are found in Spain, the southern Apennines, the Carpathians, and Greece. Distance to the nearest potential refuge area is the strongest predictor of beech forest species richness, while altitudinal range and soil type diversity had little or no predictive value. The clusters of narrow-range species are in good concordance with the glacial refuge areas of beech and other temperate tree species as estimated in recent studies. These findings support the hypothesis that the distribution of many beech forest species is limited by post-glacial dispersal rather than by their environmental requirements