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Abstract The Euganean Hills are a well-known refugee site for thermophilous woody flora in northern Italy. Among the species recorded here, there is Quercus dalechampii. The Euganean Hills are the only northern Italy site where the occurrence of this oak species is considered. The aim of this paper was to verify the presence of Q. dalechampii in the study area and to select possible diagnostic morphological traits that are usable to distinguish it from Q. petraea and Q. pubescens. Forest stands dominated by Q. petraea, Q. pubescens, and the presumed Q. dalechampii were sampled using the phytosociological approach to highlight their ecological features. Leaf and fruit material from 104 oak individuals was analysed from a macro-morphological and micro-morphological point of view. Leaf shape was also analysed using the geometric morphometric approach. All multivariate analysis procedures applied on the matrices of leaf and fruit traits highlighted two main clusters of morphological diversity. One was restricted to Q. pubescens individuals, and the other one was a mix of Q. petraea and presumed Q. dalechampii individuals. According to the twig and leaf trichome traits, all presumed Q. dalechampii individuals were classified as belonging to the Q. petraea collective group. Morphological differences between Q. petraea and presumed Q. dalechampii were considered not significant. In conclusion, the occurrence of a third oak species, in addition to Q. petraea and Q. pubescens, was not confirmed for the study area by the results of this paper. Graphic abstract

The particular habitat of Stipa veneta, a priority species of the European Community Directive 92/43, is here described. The phytosociological analysis led to the description of a new association (Teucrio capitati-Chrysopogonetum grylli), endemic of the N-Adriatic fixed sand dunes. Given the high importance of the species, the conservation of its specific community should be included in a broad protection plan of this unique coastal system in the European context.

Summary The relationship between climate and vegetation was investigated along a Mediterranean-Temperate boundary in central Italy. The study area is a transition zone between the Temperate (Eurosiberian) and Mediterranean regions and has an altitudinal range of almost 1750 m. Ordination and cluster analysis were used. The results did not show any sharp boundary but a climate-vegetation mosaic ranging from upper mountain thermotype and lower hyperhumid ombrotype with Fagus sylvatica L. woodlands at higher altitudes, to meso-Mediterranean thermotype and lower subhumid ombrotype with Mediterranean maquis and Quercus ilex L. woods on the coast. Six phytoclimatic groups are distinguished and described in terms of climatic parameters, vegetation types and morphological and chorological traits. These parameters indicate a change without sharp discontinuities between groups. The Mediterranean to Temperate transition in this Tyrrhenian sector is broad and includes most of the study area.

The role, the syntaxonomy and the syndynamics of Cork-oak woodlands in Latium landscape (Central Italy) are analyzed. Latium cork-oak woodlands are ranked into Quercion ilicis alliance, Asplenio onopteridis-Quercetum ilicis suberetosum subass. nova, and Teucrio siculi-Quercion cerridis alliance, Quercetum frainetto-suberis ass. nova., Viene discusso il ruolo della sughera nel paesaggio tirrenico laziale e la posizione sintassonomica e sindinamica delle sugherete in questo distretto dell’Italia centrale. I boschi con sughera vengono inseriti in parte nell’alleanza Quercion ilicis, nell'associazione Asplenio onopteridis-Quercetum ilicis subassociazione suberetosum subass. nova, e in parte nell’alleanza Teucrio siculi-Quercion cerridis, nel Quercetum frainetto-suberis ass. nova., Le présent travail traite des subéraies dans le paysage tyrrhénien du Latium (Italie centrale), ainsi que de leurs positions syntaxinomique et syndynamique. Les bois de chêne-liège de cette région sont classés dans deux alliances : le Quercion ilicis, dans l’association Asplenio onopteridis-Quercetum ilicis suberetosum subass. nova, ainsi que dans le Teucrio siculi-Quercion cerridis, dans l’association Quercetum frainetto-suberis ass. nova, Blasi Carlo, Filesi Leonardo, Fratini Silvia, Stanisci Angela. Le cenosi con sughera nel paesaggio tirrenico laziale (Italia centrale). In: Ecologia mediterranea, tome 23 n°3-4, 1997. pp. 21-32.