Hedgehog upholstered heather

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Hedgehog cushion heather or thorn cushion formations refers to plant communities in the semi-arid mountains of the warm subtropics . In the subalpine vegetation level they form their own altitude level, which is called the tragacanth level after the thorn tragacanth ( Astragalus tragacantha ). In and of itself, these are plant communities of the Phrygana or Garigue . The difference to these plant communities is that hedgehog cushion heaths are mostly found at altitudes between 1400 and 2000 m above sea level. However, the term is often not used precisely and then describes Phrygana, which is characterized by particularly prickly plants.

distribution

Hedgehog cushion heaths can be found in the Atlas , the Sierra Nevada , Sicily , Crete - especially in the Lefka Ori and the Nida plateau but also in lower elevations on the east coast of Crete -, in Anatolia as well as in Lebanon and the Iranian Elburs Mountains .

Plant species

The plant community is characterized by the fact that various plant organs are transformed into thorns and the shoots develop at constant distances from the center, so that hemispherical bushes arise. Characteristic types are besides the already mentioned:

  • Cocksfoot ( Dactylis glomerata subsp. Rigida (Boiss. & Heldr.) Hayek )

Specially adapted insects such as the butterfly Colias sagartia live in community with these plants .

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Urania plant kingdom, vegetation. P. 207