Phytosociological nomenclature of the class names Helianthemetea guttati, Poetea bulbosae and Stipo giganteae-Agrostietea castellanae

Abstract

The EuroVegChecklist (EVC) is currently considered to be the basis for the phytosociological classification of the European vegetation, and it is therefore important that it is continually updated, improved and refined. This article revises the nomenclature of three Mediterranean grassland-related classes and some of their contents down to the rank of association, namely Helianthemetea guttati, Poetea bulbosae and Stipo giganteae-Agrostietea castellanae, on the basis of the fourth edition of the International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature (ICPN). The results show that the correct author citations for the first two classes are as follows: Tuberarietea guttatae Braun-Blanquet 1973, and Poetea bulbosae Rivas Goday et Rivas-Martínez ex Navarro Andrés et Valle Gutiérrez 1984. Instead, the name Stipo giganteae-Agrostietea castellanae is invalid and it is replaced by the new class name Agrostietea castellanae. In addition, we designate the neotype of the association Corynephoro articulati-Helianthemetum guttati (Corynephoro divaricati-Tuberarietum guttatae nom. corr. nov. et mut. nov.), the lectotype of the Poo bulbosae-Trifolietum subterranei, and mutate the names Helianthemetalia guttati and Helianthemion guttati to Tuberarietalia guttatae and Tuberarion guttatae, respectively, as well as two names of associations with a name-giving taxon belonging to the genus Tuberaria.