The orophilous dwarf shrub vegetation of Mt. Troodos (Cyprus).

Abstract

The results of a phytosociological survey on the orophilous vegetation dominated by dwarf, often thorny, scrubs occurring on the top of Mt. Troodos (Cyprus) are presented. The vegetation at issue ranges between 1500 and 1950 m, within the meso- and supramediterranean bioclimatic belts, where it dwells ultramaphic and serpentinitic substrata on windy slopes and summit plateaux. These plant communities face intense summer drought and cold winters, with av. two months of snow cover. The ombrotype of the dwelled sites ranges from subhumid to lower humid, with an av. rainfall about 1000 mm/year. Due to the human activity, secondary habitats became also available, mainly represented by sites with eroded soils, on which the original cover was mainly given by pine and juniper woods. From the floristic viewpoint, within this vegetation almost all the species are represented by Cyprian endemics, taxonomically isolated or related to E-Mediterranean taxa. This is given both by the geological peculiarity of Mt. Troodos and to the old geographic isolation of the island. Still there was a clear lull of literature data about this vegetation, as the only phytosociological contributions about the Cyprian vegetation focus on coastal areas or on woodlands. As the noteworthy floristic autonomy of the orophilous dwarf scrub vegetation at issue does not let to ascribe it to any known syntaxon, the following syntaxonomical scheme is here proposed: DIANTHO-TEUCRIETEA CYPRII cl. nov. CHARACTERISTIC SPECIES: Acinos troodi, Dianthus troodi, Euphorbia rigoi, Pterocephalus multiflorus, Saponaria cypria, Scorzonera troodea, Scutellaria cypria, Teucrium cyprium. DIANTHO TEUCRIETALIA CYPRII ord. nov. CHARACTERISTIC SPECIES: see class HYPERICO-ALYSSION TROODI all. nov. CHARACTERISTIC SPECIES: Aegialophila cretica var. alpina, Alyssum troodi, Anthemis plutonia, Arabis purpurea, Cynoglossum troodi, Hypericum stenobotrys, Scariola tetrantha, Thlaspi cyprium. Nepeto troodi-Hypericetum stenobotryos ass. nov. CHARACTERISTIC SPECIES: Nepeta troodi, Euphorbia veneris Onosmo troodi-Astragaletum chionistrae ass. nov. CHARACTERISTIC SPECIES: Astragalus echinus subsp. chionistrae, Onosma troodi, Sedum microstachyum Salvietum willeanae ass. nov. CHARACTERISTIC SPECIES: Salvia willeana Alysso cyprici-Genistetum crudelis ass. nov. CHARACTERISTIC SPECIES: Allium cyprium, Alyssum cypricum, Genista sphacelata var. crudelis.