Willow woodlands on silt-rich alluvia, recent landslides and in beds of irregular streams of Madeira and the Canary Islands
Rubo bollei-Salicetalia canariensis Rivas-Mart. in Capelo et al. 2000
Rubo bollei-Salicetalia canariensis Rivas-Mart. in Capelo et al. 2000
pur07 | Iberian (both Spanish and Portuguese) as well as Canarian vegetation scientists traditionally classify the vegetation of this order within the Pruno-Lauretea azoricae. This approach, however, does not follow several principles adopted by this vegetation system, the principle of zonality (the Rubo-Salicetalia canariensis are obviously azonal), the ecological differences (Rubo-Salicetalia are riparian − under periodic although not necessarily regular influence of flood disturbance) and floristic criteria. Species composition of the Rubo-Salicetalia communities is very different from those of the other two orders within the Pruno-Lauretea azoricae and definitely poorer in endemics than the Andryalo-Ericetalia and/or Pruno-Lauretalia azoricae. (L. Mucina) This argument is challenged by JC and ASG who prefer the traditional classification option and classify the Rubo bollei-Salicetalia canariensis in the Pruno lusitanicae-Lauretea azoricae.