Syntaxonomical Remarks on the Garrigues from Apulia (S Italy) and Neighboring Territories

In this study, the garrigues occurring in Apulia and neighboring territories (southern Italy) were surveyed in order to clarify their syntaxonomical arrangement. Many contributions previously focused on this vegetation type, often adopting different and sometimes contrasting treatments from both the nomenclature and syntaxonomical aspects. Our investigations are supported by the multivariate analysis of a dataset containing 292 phytosociological relevés, whose resulting cluster dendrogram highlights the hierarchical relationships between the examined plant communities. Overall, twenty-one associations with several sub-associations were recognized. Some of them are already known in the literature, whereas others are described here for the first time. As concerns the syntaxonomical framework, this vegetation is attributable to the class Cisto cretici-Micromerietea julianae, which in this territory is represented by the order Cisto eriocephali-Ericetalia manipuliflorae and by two alliances: Cisto eriocephali-Ericion multiflorae, grouping the more thermophilous associations usually distributed along coastlines and at low altitudes; and Cytiso spinescentis-Saturejion montanae, including the mesophilic associations occurring in mountain and sub-mountain belts.