Accepted name

Koelerio-Corynephoretea canescentis Klika in Klika et Novák 1941

EuroVegChecklist name (Mucina et al. 2016)

Koelerio-Corynephoretea canescentis Klika in Klika et Novák 1941

Remarks

EuroVegChecklist

cor01 | Until about 1992−1993 the syntaxonomy of this class has not experienced any major changes since its first description by Klika (1941). In 1993 Mucina & Kolbek (1993b) united the Koelerio-Corynephoretea and the Sedo-Scleranthetea (Braun-Blanquet 1955). The syntaxonomic issues pertinent to this group of communities were reviewed in Dierschke (1986). Later (Dengler 2003), the concept of the Koelerio-Corynephoretea was further expanded by the addition of the syntaxonomic contents known as the ‘Festucetalia vaginatae’ and the ‘Artemisio-Koelerietalia’ (I prefer the latter to be classified within the Helichryso-Crucianelletea maritimae). Here I wish to revoke the original 1993 decision to lump the Koelerio-Corynephoretea and the Sedo-Scleranthetea and recognise the floristic and ecological differences between the xerophilous (prevalently grass-dominated) vegetation on sandy soils (Koelerio-Corynephoretea) from those on raw, skeletal soils of hard substrates rich in succulent (Sedo-Scleranthetea) at the class level. Unlike in 1993, I also place the Festucetea vaginatae in the Koelerio-Corynephoretea. (L. Mucina) J. Dengler claims that his widely conceived Koelerio-Corynephoretea s.l. (incl. the Sedo-Scleranthetea and Festucetea vaginatae) is supported by an extensive numerical analysis of 267 synoptic tables of the relevant vegetation types throughout Europe (Dengler 2003). This author further admits that there are two floristically and ecologically well-defined groups − a group of orders on deep sands (sometimes treated as the Koelerio-Corynephorenea) and a group of orders on shallow skeletal soils (sometimes treated as the Sedo-Scleranthenea). J. Dengler further suggests that the delimitation of the Koelerio-Corynephoretea towards several Mediterranean classes remains rather unclear and needs a large-scale revision. This particularly concerns the present concepts of the Helianthemetea guttati, the Helichryso-Crucianelletea maritimae and the Festucetea indigestae.

Synonyms

• Brometo-Corynephoretea Segal et Westhoff in Westhoff et al. 1946 (orig.form) (syntax.syn.)
• Caricetea arenariae Doing 1963 (2b)
• Corynephoretea canescentis Br.-Bl. et Tx. ex Tx. et Oberd. 1958 (2b)
• Corynephoretea canescentis Br.-Bl. et Tx. 1943 (2b)
• Corynephoretea canescentis Tx. 1955 (2b)
• Corynephoretea Lebrun et al. 1949 (syntax.syn.)
• Corynephoretea Oberd. 1949 (2b)
• Festucetea ovinae Knapp ex Westhoff et al. 1946 p.p. (2b)
• Festucetea vaginatae Soó ex Vicherek 1972 (syntax.syn.) – cor03 The syntaxonomic content of this unit has been by some authors considered at the level of class (Soó 1968; Vicherek 1972; Chytrý 2007; Jarolímek & Šibík 2008; Sanda et al. 2008; Solomakha 2008) or as an order of the Festuco-Brometea (Mucina 1997; Solomeshch et al. 1997). Important arguments against the former solution were presented by Dengler (2003) and Kuzemko (2009). The latter solution has never been rigorously tested. (L. Mucina).
• Festucetea vaginatae Soó 1968 (2b) – cor02 Although Soó (1968: F7) briefly elucidated why he described a new class, listed the diagnostic species (on page 20) and assigned order (Festucetalia vaginatae, with one alliance − the Festucion vaginatae) into his new class, the description remains invalid because he failed to make unequivocal citation or reference to the validly described association within the Festucion vaginatae, rendering both the Festucion vaginatae and hence the Festucetalia vaginatae invalid. (L. Mucina).
• Koelerio-Corynephoretales Klika in Klika et Novák 1941 (orig.form) (11)
• Tuberario guttatae-Corynephoretea Hohenester 1967 (syntax.syn.)