Relationships between syntaxonomy ofThero-Salicornietea and taxonomy of the generaSalicornia andSuaeda in the Iberian Peninsula

Abstract

This paper deals with the syntaxonomy of the classThero-Salicornietea in the Iberian Peninsula, falling particularly upon the significance that taxonomy of the generaSalicornia andSuaeda has on it. Three alliances were differentiated, two Atlantic and one Mediterranean. The Atlantic ones wereSalicornion dolichostachyo-fragilis, with four associations grouping slikke communities with tetraploid glasswort (Salicornia) species, andSalicornion europaeo-ramosissimae, with three associations of schorre with generally diploid glasswort species. The Mediterranean allianceSalicornion patulae had six associations distributed both in coastal (southern and eastern coasts) and inland salt marshes. A complete syntaxonomy of the class, maps of the distribution of its associations and tables summarizing their floristic composition are also provided.