Aspects of vineyard vegetation in Northeastern Italy and eastern neighbouring territories: Cerastio tenoreani-Geranietum dissecti and Mercurialetum annuae as archaic, disappearing coenosis

Abstract

Abstract Recent original data concerning vineyard spring vegetation from Veneto hilly belt (North-eastern Italy) highlighted once again the phytogeographic originality of south-eastern territories with respect to Central European ones, also in anthropogenic coenosis. New relevés suggested to restate the association Cerastio tenoreani-Geranietum dissecti as vicarious vegetation of Geranio rotundifolii-Allietum vinealis occurring on the north side of the Alps. The comparison of autumn material from terracing vineyards of the sandy-marly Eocene flysch around Trieste coast with similar European relevés enabled to reject the not validly described Anagallido-Mercurialetum and to replace it with Mercurialetum annuae. In modern winegrowing Cerastio-Geranietum and Mercurialetum annuae are vanishing due to changing of agronomic schemes, as some relevés reported in the text document.