abstract

The aim of this study is a critical analysis of the syntaxonomic classification of the primary grasslands of the central-southern Apennines with a dominance of Sesleria juncifolia ssp. juncifolia and of those with a predominance of Kobresia myosuroides. The hypothesis considered is the coexistence in the Apennines of the classes Kobresio myosuroidis-Seslerietea caeruleae (=Elyno myosuroidis-Seslerietea caeruleae) and Carici rupestris-Kobresietea bellardii.
277 phytosociological relevés were analysed, which relate to seven different plant associations of the central-southern Appenines; 80 of these relevés were unpublished. A syntaxonomic revision is proposed, according to which the coenoses with a dominance of Sesleria juncifolia ssp. juncifolia, attributed to the class Kobresio-Seslerietea, to the order Seslerietalia tenuifoliae, to the suborder Seslerienalia apenninae and to the alliance Seslerion apenninae, are distinct from those with a prevalence of Kobresia myosuroides, ascribed to the class Carici-Kobresietea, to the order Oxytropido-Kobresietalia, to the alliance Oxytropido-Elynion and to the suballiance Leontopodio-Elynenion.
The proposal of Bruno & Furnari (1966) is reconsidered, with regard to the Apennine order Seslerietalia apenninae, which is included as a suborder (Seslerienalia apenninae) in the Balcan-Apennine order Seslerietalia tenuifoliae. The syntaxonomic collocation of the alliance Leontopodio-Elynenion is re-examined, which is assigned to the class Carici-Kobresietea, as a modification of the previous interpretation that assigned it to the class Kobresio-Seslerietea (Blasi et al., 2003). Seven new subassociations are proposed: hieracietosum cymosi and anthylletosum pulchellae, referred to the association Carici humilis-Seslerietum apenninae; festucetosum alfredianae, referred to the association Seslerietum apenninae; polygaletosum alpestris, referred to the association Seslerio apenninae-Dryadetum octopetalae; anthylletosum weldenianae and helianthemetosum grandiflorii, referred to the association Helianthemo alpestris-Festucetum italicae; and saxifragetosum speciosae, referred to the association Galio magellensis-Silenetum acaulis.

keywords

central-southern Apennines, Carici-Kobresietea, Kobresio-Seslerietea, primary grasslands, syntaxonomy