habitat rupestre.pdf - Società Friulana di Archeologia

M. Masiare substituted by low microphyll bushes, with hard and narrowleaves, by winter yearly species, and by bulbs or tuberoses.These expedients allow the resistance to summer heatand droughts. Though it may look poor and degraded, thisenvironment hides a heterogeneous and particularly valuablefloristic heritage, because of the variety of species (many ofthem endemic species) typical in extreme conditions.The term garrigue derives from the Provençal word “garric”,which indicates the Palestine Oak (Quercus calliprinos);this is a predominant vegetation of this region. Thisspecies has small spiny leaves and reduced size: though it ispresent in our land, it is rare and localized; it is diffused inthe Oriental side of the Mediterranean area (where from itscommon name).The garrigue can be really different depending on its location.One of the most frequent aspects of the garrigue in the ravineenvironment is the low shrub with Rockroses (Cistus monspeliensis,Cistus incanus, Cistus salvifolius) and ThornyBroom (Calicotome spinosa e Calicotome villosa), whichare characteristically developed on burned soils. Aromaticplants like Rosemary (Rosmarinus offi cinalis), Thyme (Thymuscapitatus), Breckland Thyme (Thymus serpillus) andthe endemic Spiny Thyme (Thymus spinulosus) are verycommon in this biocenosis. There are also many speciesof Satureja, some of which are endemic in Southern Italy(Satureja montana, Satureja cuneifolia, Micromeria graeca,Micromeria microphilla), the endemic Ionian Rockrose (Helianthemumjonium), a very rare flax (Linum tommasinii), anIllyrian species known only in the Triestine Kras, in the Gargano,the Murgia and the Salento. Two interesting speciesare found in this cenosis: the Greek Sage (Salvia triloba) andthe Jerusalem Sage (Phlomis fruticosa); as the MacedonianOak, they are original from the Balkans. The highly pasturingenvironments host the Mediterranean Asphodel (Asphodelusmicrocarpus), the Yellow Asphodel (Asphodeline lutea),the Giant Fennel (Ferula communis) and the Sea Squill(Drimia maritima), which the livestock do not eat.When vegetation is drastically disturbed, the garriguelooks almost like a steppe, with winter and spring graminaceousspecies, such as Goatgrass (Aegilops geniculatae A. triuncialis), the Fairy Flax; the last includes differentStipa genres, such as the Stipa capensis, the rare Stipafontanesii and Stipa austroitalica, and endemic species ofSouthern Italy that has been included in the EEC list ofpreserved species.A peculiarity is common to all the types of garrigue andshrubland: the presence of dozens species of orchids. Theserare plants (some of which are dying species) are rapidlyevolving, with an incredible regional variety leading to differentendemism, as the Ophrys (Ophrys apulica, Ophrystarentina, Ophrys parvimaculata, Ophrys oxyrrhynchossubsp. ingrassiae). The Ophrys genre is typically Mediterranean;its reproduction is almost exclusively based onhighly specialized entomophily, through the attraction ofa specific insect by means of olfactory, visible and tactilestimulations.This fascinating ecologic characteristic and the particularbeauty of these modest plants are outstanding; the great varietycaused by their fast evolution allows the presence of unknownspecies, some of which are new specific entities. ThisFig. 6 Ophrys apulica.Fig. 7 Asyneuma limonifolium.Fig. 8 Adiantum capillus-veneris.185volumeRicerca_OK_2012-11-15.indd 185 16/11/2012 15:03:13