Notas do Herbário da Estação Florestal Nacional Bibliografia AGUIAR, C., 2000. Flora e vegetação da Serra da da Nogueira e do Parque Natural de Montesinho. Tese de Doutoramento. Instituto Superior de Agronomia. Lisboa. COSTA , J.C., A GUIA R, C., CA PELO, J., LOUSÃ , M., NETO, C., 1998. Biogeografia de Portugal continental. Quercetea 0 : 5-56. COSTA , J.C., CA PELO, J., LOUSÃ , M., A GUIA R, C., 1993. Communautés de Juniperus au Portugal. Colloques Phytosociologiques 22 : 499-526. COSTA , J.C., CA PELO, J., LOUSÃ , M., ESPÍRITO SA NTO, M.D., 1998. Sintaxonomia da vege- tação halocasmofítica das falésias marítimas portuguesas (Crithmo-Staticetea Br.-Bl. 1947). Itinera Geobotanica 11 : 227-247. 111 logia. Instituto Superior de Agronomia. jccosta@isa.utl.pt; Jorge Capelo; Depto. de Ecologia, Recursos Naturais e Ambiente. Estação Florestal Nacional. jorge.capelo@efn.com.pt; Anabela A mado; Parque Natural do Douro Internacional, xoa99@yahoo.com; J. Honrado; UGEV-CBIO/ ICETA & Depto. Botânica, Universidade do Porto. jhonrado@fc.up.pt; M . Dalila Espírito Santo; Depto. Protecção de Plantas e Fitoecologia. Instituto Superior de Agronomia.; dalilaesanto@isa.utl.pt & M ário Lousã; Depto. Protecção de Plantas e Fitoecologia. Instituto Superior de Agronomia. mariolousa@isa.utl.pt COSTA , J.C., CA PELO, J., ESPÍRITO SA NTO, M.D., LOUSÃ , M., 1998. Aditamentos à vegetação do Sector Divisório Português. Silva Lusitana 10(1) : 119-128. RIVAS-MARTÍNEZ, S., DÍA Z, T.E., FERNÁNDEZGONZÁLEZ, F., IZCO, J., LOIDI, J., LOUSÃ , M., PENA S, A ., 2002. Vascular Plant Com- munities of Spain and Portugal. Adenda to the syntaxonomical checklist of 2001. Part I. Itinera Geobotanica 15(1) : 5-432. Ao longo do texto e nas tabelas, os nomes das plantas vasculares estão maioritariamente de acordo com a Flora Iberica (CASTROVIEJO et al., 1986-2001) já publicada; AMARAL FRANCO & ROCHA AFONSO (1998) para as gramíneas e Flora Europaea (TUTIN et al., 1968-1980, 1993) para os restantes grupos. A checklist de RIVAS-MARTÍNEZ, DÍAZ, F. DEZGONZÁLEZ, IZCO, LOIDI, LOUSA & PENAS (2002) Itinera Geobotanica 15(2): 697-813 foi também considerada. Por vezes os nomes estão abreviados até ao último epíteto infra-específico. Carlos A guiar; Escola Superior Agrária de Bragança. Inst. Polit. Bragança. cfaguiar@ipb.pt; José Carlos Costa; Depto. Protecção de Plantas e Fitoeco- XXXIV : The vegetation of M adeira: II woody caulirosetted communities of evergreen forest clearings: Euphorbion melliferae all. nova. The endemic caulirosetted microphanerophytes [with a rosette of leaves on top of a long woody few-branched naked stem] – e.g. Euphorbia mellifera, Isoplexis sceptrum, M elanoselinum decipens, Musschia wollastonii and Sonchus fruticosus – are among the most striking plants of Madeira Island. They are often found in the "levadas" artificial system of channels that runs through the Ocotea foetens forest [Clethro arboreae-Ocoteetum foetentis]. These plants organize themselves in a particular phytocoenosis – Isoplexido sceptri-Euphorbietum melliferae ass. nova. – that reflects a worldwide recurrent phenomenon in forest ecosystems: the presence of plants adapted to cuts in the continuous crown layer of dense forest, such as dry ravines, forest clearings produced by tempests, landslides and other natural 112 disturbances. "Levadas" are artificial simulations of these natural habitats. Since irregular streams, with rocky ground, found amidst the PrunoLauretalia forest share some of the above described habitat features, some caulirosetted elements are also found there. Thus, the Isoplexido-Euphorbietum melliferae phytocoenosis is somewhat floristically and physiognomically similar to the Rhamno glandulosiSambucetum lanceolati [riparian higrophyllous leafy shrub community, see note XXXV], but can easily be differentiated from it by the absence of Rhamnus glandulosa and Sambucus lanceolata, the scarcity of esciohygrophilous ferns and the abundance of Trifolio-Geranietea characteristics. The caulirosetted microphanerophytes share a common physiognomy [caulirosetted] and ecology [heliophyllous], belonging to the same functional group [C-strategist in the primary strategies of GRIME, 2001, Plant Strategies, Vegetation Processes and Ecosystem Proprieties] and many of them evolved from herbaceous ancestors (e.g. Sonchus: KIM et al., 1996, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93: 7743-7748) that managed to adapt to an island without indigenous mammal herbivores, once almost totally covered by dense forest vegetation. A coarse comparison can be made with the Trifolio-Geranietea herbaceous vegetation, of which the caulirosulati would be a woody evolutionary equivalent. Phisiognomical, ecological and floristical independence of this vegetation, as a special type among forest groupings [Pruno-Lauretalia] suggests that the rank of alliance should be used: Euphorbion melliferae. The biogeograhical scope of the proposed alliance should include, most probably, the vicariant Euphorbia mellifera dominated communities also found in the Canary Islands [c.f. RIVAS-MARTÍNEZ et al. (1993), Itin. Geobot. 7: 169-364]. * Euphorbion melliferae Capelo, J.C. Costa, Jardim, Sequeira, Aguiar & Lousã alliancia nova hoc loco [Typus: Isoplexido sceptri-Euphorbion melliferae Capelo, J.C. Costa, Jardim, Sequeira, Aguiar & Lousã ass. nova; characteristic taxa: Euphorbia mellifera, Isoplexis sceptrum*, Melanoselinum decipens*, Musschia wollastonii *, Sonchus fruticosus*; *territorial of Madeiran Province]. Affiliated to the Pruno hixaeLauretalia novocanariensis Oberdorfer ex RivasMartínez et al. 1977 corr. Rivas-Martínez et al. 2002; PRUNO - LAURETEA NOVOCANARIENSIS Oberdorfer 1965 corr. Rivas-Martínez et al. 2002]. 1 - Isoplexido sceptri-Euphorbietum melliferae Capelo, J.C. Costa, Jardim, Sequeira, Aguiar & Lousã associatio nova hoc loco [typus: relevé #2 table 1] [taxonomical nomenclature follows: PRESS & SHORT (1994) Flora of Madeira. BM . London; and also the checklist of taxa of RIVASMARTÍNEZ, DÍA Z, F.DEZ-GONZÁLEZ, IZCO, LOIDI, LOUSA & PENA S (2002) - Itinera Geobotanica 15(2): 697-813. Sometimes names are shortened to the last infra-specific rank]. Aknowledgment: the authors would like to thank the most valuable support of the Direcção Regional de Florestas da Secretaria Regional do Ambiente e Recursos Naturais da Região Autónoma da Madeira. Notas do Herbário da Estação Florestal Nacional Table 1 - Isoplexido sceptri-Euphorbietum melliferae # of relevé m.s.m. (1=10m) Area (m2) Aspect Characteristic combination Euphorbia mellifera Isoplexis sceptrum Sonchus fruticosus Erysimum bicolor M elanoselinum decipiens M usschia wollastonii Characteristic of higher syntaxa Clethra arborea Teline maderensis Erica maderinicola Rubus bollei Rubia agostinhoi Vaccinium padifolium Phyllis nobla Sibthorpia peregrina Rosa mandonii Ocotea foetens - pl. Succisa pratensis Origanum virens Geranium palmatum Pericallis aurita Bystropogon punctatus Dactylorhiza foliosa Ageratina adenophora Rubus bollei Argyranthemum pinnatifidum Erigeron karvinskianus Hypochaeris radicata Festuca donax Pteris incompleta Cirsium latifolium Tolpis macrorhyza Cedronella canariensis Stegnogramma pozoi Arachniodes webbianum Aichryson divaricatum Ranunculus cortusifolius Carex peregrina Blechnum spicant Carex lowei Dryopteris aitoniana Davallia canariensis Brachypodium sylvaticum Doodia caudata 1 102 400 NW 2 102 400 NW 3 . 300 NE 2 1 3 1 2 1 3 2 2 1 1 2 3 1 1 1 . . . + + + + . 1 . . 1 . + . . + 2 . + + . + . 1 + + + 1 . + + . + . . . + . . + . . . . . . . . 1 + 2 . 1 . . + + 1 + 1 + + 1 . + + . + + + + + + 1 + . + 2 1 . 1 . . 1 + + . . + . + . . 1 + . . + . + + . . + . . + . Sites: 1,2 Folhadal; 3: Fajã da Nogueira. Capelo; Depto. de Ecologia, Recursos Naturais e Ambiente. Estação Florestal Nacional, jorge.capelo@efn. com.pt. José C. Costa; Depto. Protecção de Plantas e Fitoecologia, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Lisboa, jccosta@ isa.utl.pt. Roberto Jardim; Jardim Jorge 113 Botânico da Madeira, Funchal, robertojardim.sra@gov-madeira.pt. M iguel Sequeira; Depto. Biologia, Universidade da Madeira, Funchal, sequeira@uma.pt. Carlos Aguiar; Escola Superior Agrária de Bragança, cfaguiar @ipb.pt. M ário Lousã; Depto. Protecção de Plantas e Fitoecologia, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Lisboa, mariolousa@isa. utl.pt. XXXV : The vegetation of M adeira: III Diplazio caudati-Perseetum indici ass. nova and Rhamno glandulosiSambucetum lanceolati ass. nova: two new hygrophillic forest associations from M adeira Island . Descriptions of forest vegetation of Madeira Island included, so far, two types of climatophylous broadleaf forest vegetation – Clethro arboreae-Ocoteetum foetentis and Semele androgynaeApollonietum barbujanae – with an arboreal stratum respectively dominated by tw o Lauraceae trees: Ocotea foetens [til] and Apollonias barbujana [barbusano]. Recently, we discovered that the other Lauraceae Madeira's tree – Persea indica [vinhático] – is the dominant tree in a third type of broadleaf forest - Diplazio caudati-Perseetum indici ass. nova. This is an edaphohigrophylous forest, proper of middle and lower-course permanent streams, over fairly thick colluvial (rarely alluvial) substrata. It ranges from the termomediterranean sub-humid stage to the mesomediterranean humid stage. Its characteristic combination involves: Persea indica, Dryopteris aitoniana, W oodwardia radicans, Diplazium caudatum, Pteris incompleta, etc. Nowadays, the Diplazio-Perseetum indici is a rare phytocoenosis because Persea indica is a source of noble wood and many of its