Rocky coasts
Typical of the rocky shores are numerous species of the genus Limonium, with its primary differentiation center in the Mediterranean, where seems to have migrated from the west (more or less salty desert areas of Asia) during the Messinian, as a result of the drying up of the Basin Mediterranean.
Thanks to poliplodia phenomena, hybridization and breeding for apomixis, this genus embodies many of the typical mechanisms of speciation in plants, which explains the large number of species (about 400 worldwide) that includes also many of the endemic highly restricted areas. In Italy there are just over 20 species of Limonium, about 80% of which are endemic. As you may remember the Apulian Statice salentino (Limonium japygicum), endemic of the Ionian coast between Torre Colimena and Otranto, and Statice delle Tremiti (Limonium diomedeum), endemic to very limited sections of the Gargano and the Tremiti Islands.
To the left: Tremiti’s Statice (Limonium diomedeum Brullo), in its natural environment and a scanned exsiccatum kept at the Herbarium Horti Botanical Barensis
The cliffs overlooking the sea at the Cape of Santa Maria di Leuca, in Salento, houses the Apulian bellflower (Campanula versicolor Andrews), especially in the closely Balkan areal, while on the rocky shores of some sections of the Gargano coast you can meet the Campanula garganica (Campanula garganica Ten. subsp. Garganica), peculiar endemic spread from the inland coast
| Campanula pugliese (Campanula versicolor Andrews) | Campanula garganica (Campanula garganica Ten. subsp. garganica) |
Another genre that includes numerous endemic species confined to short sections of coastline is the sort Centaurea. In Puglia, for example, there are the cornflower of Leuca (Centaurea leucadea Lacaita) and Tremiti (Centaurea diomedea Gasp.), portrayed here below in its natural environment and in a scan of a exsiccatum kept at the Herbarium Horti Botanical Barensis.
Sandy coasts
Maritime searocket (Cakile maritima Scop. Subsp. Maritima) is one of therophytes that characterizes the first pioneer community that settles on the sands a short distance from the sea.
The beaches of Bermuda grass (Agropyron junceum (L.) Beauv. = Elymus farctus (Viv.) Runemark former Melderis subsp. Farctus) and Bunting beaches (Cyperus capitatus Vand. = Cyperus kalli (Forssk.) Murb.)) are among species responsible for the fixation of sand at the earliest accumulations (embryonic dunes), through underground stems (rhizomes) and extensive and thin root systems.
| Bermuda beaches grass (Agropyron junceum (L.) Beauv. = Elymus farctus (Viv.) Runemark former Melderis subsp. Farctus) | Bunting beaches grass (Cyperus capitatus Vand.= Cyperus kalli (Forssk.) Murb.) |
| The Marram Grass (Ammophila arenaria (L.) Link subsp. Australis (Mabille) Lainz) - below - was installed on more stabilized dune ridges (white dunes). | The sea lily (Pancratium maritimum L.) - under - protects its bulbs at great depths in the sand and opens its flowers in midsummer. |
