Czu 581.52(450.211) Vascular Flora of the Special Nature Reserve of Monti Pelati and Torre Cives in the Province of Turin (Italy)
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JOURNAL OF BOTANY VOL. IX, NR. 2 (15), 2017 75 CZU 581.52(450.211) VASCULAR FLORA OF THE SPECIAL NATURE RESERVE OF MONTI PELATI AND TORRE CIVES IN THE PROVINCE OF TURIN (ITALY) Pînzaru Pavel Botanical Garden (Institute) of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, e-mail: [email protected] Abstract: The vascular flora of the Special NatureReserve of Monti Pelati and Torre Cives comprises 316 species of 209 genera, 78 families, among them, there are: 14 Pteridophyta, 9 Pinophyta and 293 Magnoliophyta. There are 6 rare species, for the flora of Piedmont region, namely: Cephalanthera longifolia (L.) Fritsch, C. rubra (L.) Rich., Epipactis atropurpurea (Hoffm.) Besser, Narcissus poeticus L., Platanthera bifolia (L.) Rich., Gentiana pneumonanthe L. (EN category), the last one has been included in the “Red Book of Italy”. Keywords: flora, the Special Nature Reserve of Monti Pelati and Torre Cives, the Province of Turin. INTRODUCTION Special Nature Reserve of Monti Pelati and Torre Cives The Special Nature Reserve of Monti Pelati and Torre Cives is situated in the territory of the comunes Baldissero Canavese, Castellamonte and Vidrasco in the Province of Turin, Piedmont region, Italy. It is protected by the Law no. 29 of 14 June 1993. The area of the reserve is 147 ha; it spreads to the right of the Chiusella Valley. It is oriented SSW-NNE, its length is approximately 3 km and its width – about 0.5 km, the maximum altitude is 581 m. At this altitude, one can find Torre Cives, a tower built in the 12th century. The Nature Reserve of Monti Pelati and Torre Cives has a particular charm and is an unique territory, completely different from the rest of Canavese, the rocky landscape looks somehow otherworldly. Almost half of the territory of the reserve consists of rocky outcrops, predominantly peridotites, green basic rocks, which contain magnesium-rich olivine, pyroxene and hornblende (a mineral in the form of dark green or dark brown crystals, with a glassy shine, 76 JOURNAL OF BOTANY VOL. IX, NR. 2 (15), 2017 consisting of magnesium silicates, rich in iron). At the surface, there are veins of magnesite and magnesium carbonate. Over the Cives height there are visible minerals called serpentine or hydrated peridotite, and at the top – schistose serpentine, a lamellar rock. The reserve is characterized by a xerothermic microclimate, with the average temperature 4-5 degrees higher than in the surrounding areas. Annual average precipitation reaches 1.270 mm. The soils are characterized by excess magnesium, an element that may be toxic to plants, affecting their growth, which is a reason why the vegetation is so sparse [5, 9, 14]. Up to now, the flora of the magnesite quarries, consisting of 80 vascular plant species, has been studied only by R. Caramiello and F. Montacchini (1977). M. Pividori (1991) published several notes on the current and prospective state of forest vegetation, enumerating the species of trees found in the reserve. This paper contains the results of the floristic research pursued on the entire area of the reserve. MATERIALS AND METHODS The materials presented in this paper have been obtained by the author as a result of the floristic research conducted in the field during 2007-2008 and 2011. The plant families and genera are given according to [1, 8], the list of species – according to Conti et al. (2005). Rare plants [4, 6, 7]. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS As a result of the floristic and phytosociological research, we have found that the herbaceous vegetation makes up, in most cases, praticolous, mesophilic phytocoenoses with a small overall coverage 20-40 (60)%, consisting of Schoenus nigricans or Molinia caerulea. On the more arid hills, there are steppe xerophilous phytocenoses of Stipa moraldoi with Carex humilis, of Chrysopogon gryllus and Bromus erectus with Danthonia decumbens. Sporadically, there are isolated shrubs, rarely in small groups: Juniperus communis, Salix eleagnos, Lembotropis nigricans [=Cytisus nigricans], Rosa canina, R. galica, Frangula alnus and some species of trees, which are quite small: Pinus mugo, P. sylvestris, Ailantus altissima, Betula pendula, Quercus pubescens, Larix decidua. The forest area occupies less than 10% of the reserve’s territory and consists of: Pinus nigra, P. strobus, P. sylvestris, Betula pendula and Larix decidua. On the northern slope of the Torre Cives height, a mixed forest sector is developing: Quercus pubescens, Q. petraea, Betula pendula, Acer pseudoplatanus, A. platanoides, Carpinus betulus, Castanea sativa, Celtis australis, Sorbus aria, S. intermedia, with Larix decidua. The layer of shrubs consists of:Frangula alnus, Euonymus europaeus, Juniperus communis, Berberis vulgaris. The herbaceous layer is uneven, consisting of: Dryopteris filix-mas, D. affinis, D. carthusiana, Anemonoides nemorosa, Melica uniflora, Serratula tinctoria, Prenanthes purpurea, Polygonatum multiflorum, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Arabis turrita, Viola reichenbachiana, Hypericum montanum, Solidago virgaurea, Narcissus poeticus, Carex montana. In the lower part of the hills, exposed to the South, South-East, there is a forest strip, about 30-50 m wide, consisting of Quercus pubescens, Tilia cordata, Castanea sativa, Acer campestre. Here also grow such shrubs as: Ruscus aculeatus, Buxus sempervivum, Lonicera nigra, Ligustrum vulgare, Cornus sanguinea, rarely, one can see Chamaecytisus supinus and Spirea japonica. The herbaceous layer is uneven and consists of:Carex montana, C. flacca, Sedum maximum, Stachys officinalis, Melampyrum pratense, Peucedanum oreoselinum, P. cervaria, Polygonatum odoratum, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Tamus communis; very rarely: Cephalanthera longifolia, C. rubra, Clematis recta. According to the floristic research carried out, the vascular flora of the reserve comprises 316 species, 211 genera and 78 families, among them – 14 Pteridophyta, 9 Pinophyta and 293 Magnoliophyta. In this area, there are 6 species of rare plants for the Piedmont region: Cephalanthera longifolia (L.) Fritsch, C. rubra (L.) Rich., Epipactis atropurpurea (Hoffm.) Besser,Narcissus poeticus L., Platanthera bifolia (L.) Rich., Gentiana pneumonanthe L., the last one has been included in the Red Book of Italy [4, 6, 7]. The following species are JOURNAL OF BOTANY VOL. IX, NR. 2 (15), 2017 77 also rare: Gladiolus italicus Mill., Asplenium cuneifolium Viv., Paraceterach marantae (L.) R. M. Tryon [= Notholaena macrantae (L.) Desv.], Campanula bertolae Colla f. rosinae Pînzaru, Campanula glomerata L. var. selvaggii Pînzaru, Stipa moraldoi Pînzaru, Linum suffruticosumsubsp. appressum (Coball.) Rivas Mart., Fumana procumbens (Dunal) Gren. & Godr. Biomorphological spectrum: hemicryptophytes = 164 species, phanerophytes = 35, geophytes = 32, therophytes = 26, nanophanerophytes = 26, camephytes = 23, therophyto- hemicryptophytes = 9, epiphytes = 2. Phytogeographical spectrum: Eurasian species are the most numerous = 56 species, followed by European species = 53, Mediterranean = 30, West-European/Asian = 25, cosmopolitan or sub-cosmopolitan = 25, South- European = 23, Euro-Siberian = 20. The species Campanula bertolae Colla is endemic to Western Alps. The list of species registered by the author and by other Italian botanists who have studied this reserve is given below. The cultivated species are marked with *. PTERIDOPHYTA: Cl. LYCOPODIOPSIDA, 1. SELAGINELLACEAE: Selaginella selaginoides (L.) Schrank & Mart., Cl. POLYPODIOSIDA, 2. EQUISETACAE: Equisetum arvense L., 3. ASPLENIACEAE: Asplenium adianthum-nigrum L., A. cuneifolium Viv. – Soldano, Martinetto et Minuzzo (2011), A. onopteris L., A. ruta-muraria L., A. septentrionale (L.) Hoffm., A. trichomanes L., 4. ATHYRIACEAE, Athyrium filix-femina (L.) Roth, 5. DENNSTAEDTIACEAE: Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn, 6. DRYOPTERIDACEAE: Dryopteris affinis (Lowe) Fraser-Jenk., D. carthusiana (Vill.) N.P.Fuchs., D. filix-mas (L.) Schott, 7. POLYPODIACEAE: Polypodium vulgare L., 8. PTERIDACEAE: Notholaena marantae (L.) Desv., PINOPHYTA, Cl. PINOPSIDA, 9. PINACEAE:*Picea abies (L.) H.Karst. – Pividori (1991), Pinus mugo Turra [=P. montana auct. non Mill.] – Pividori (1991),*P. nigra J.F.Arnold – Pividori (1991), *P. strobus L. – Pividori (1991),*P. sylvestris L. – Caramiello et Montacchini (1977); Pividori (1991), *Larix decidua Mill. – Pividori (1991),10. CUPRESSACEAE: Juniperus communis L. – Caramiello et Montacchini (1977); Pividori (1991),*Thuja orientalis L., 11 TAXACEAE:*Taxus baccata L., 12. MAGNOLIOPHYTA, Cl. MAGNOLIOPSIDA, ADOXACEAE; Sambucus nigra L. – N; Eur., Viburnum lantana L., V. opulus L., 13. AMARANTHACEAE: Chenopodium album L., 14. APIACEAE: Peucedanum cervaria (L.) Lapeyr., P. oroselinum (L.) Moench. – Caramiello et Montacchini (1977), P. venetum (Spreng.) W.D.J.Koch, Pimpinella major (L.) Huds., P. saxifraga L. – Caramiello et Montacchini (1977), Trinia glauca (L.) Dumort. – Caramiello et Montacchini (1977), 15. APOCYNACEAE: Vinca minor L., Vincethoxicum hirundinaria Medik., 16. ARALIACEAE: Hedera helix L., 17. ASTERACEAE: Achillea millefolium L. – Caramiello et Montacchini (1977), Artemisia vulgaris L., Aster amellus L. – Caramiello et Montacchini (1977), Bellis perennis L., Carlina vulgaris L. – Caramiello et Montacchini (1977), Centaurea jacea subsp. gaudinii (Bois. & Reut.) Gremli, C. jacea L. subsp. jacea – Caramiello et Montacchini (1977), C. scabiosa L. subsp. grinensis (Reut.) Nyman [= C. scabiosa L. var. tenuifolia Schleich.] – Caramiello et Montacchini (1977), Cichorium intybus L., Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. – Caramiello et Montacchini (1977), C.