Endemic phryganas of the Euphorbio-Verbascion

Description (English)

Cushion-forming thermo-Mediterranean sclerophyllous formations, often thorny and summer deciduous. The following subtypes are included:
Pal. 33.4 - Mid-elevation phryganas of Crete: varied formations of supra- and oro- Mediterranean levels of Crete resulting from the broad contact between phryganas and hedgehog-heaths (Pal. 32.7), with Euphorbia acanthothamnos, Verbascum spinosum, Berberis cretica, Phlomis cretica, Satureja biroi, Sideritis syriaca, Hypericum empetrifolium, Origanum microphyllum, Micromeria juliana, Helichrysum italicum ssp. microphyllum, Genista acanthoclada.
Pal. 33.5 - Hypericum phryganas: extremely rare, local colonies of hemispherical shrubs of Hypericum aegyptiacum forming open phryganas on calcareous rocks by the sea in the Ionian islands, western Crete, Sardinia and Lampedusa.
Pal. 33.6 - Italian Sarcopoterium phryganas: very local, impoverished Sarcopoterium spinosum formations of Capo St. Elia (southern Sardinian coast) and of the Gulf of Taranto (Puglia, Calabria).
Pal.33.7 - Sardinian Genista acanthoclada phrygana: very local Genista acanthoclada ssp. sardoa-dominated communities of northwestern Sardinia.
Pal. 33.8 - Balearic clifftop phryganas: formations of the coasts of Mallorca and Minorca dominated by the cushion-forming Balearic endemics Launaea cervicornis, Astragalus balearicus, *Centaurea balearica, Anthyllis fulgurans, Anthyllis hermanniae ssp. hystrix, Teucrium subspinosum.
Pal. 33.9 - Cyrno-Sardian Genista phryganas: thermo-Mediterranean formations of headlands and peninsulas of Corsica and Sardinia dominated by cushion-forming spiny Genista corsica or Genista morisii. These endemic species participate in the constitution of hedgehog-heaths (Pal. 31.75) as well as in that of the coastal formations listed here, which assume an evident phrygana appearance; they may also enter in the composition of mid-elevation formations of less distinctive appearance which can be listed under Pal. 32.482.
Pal. 33.A - Pantelleria phrygana: coastal formation of hemispherical shrubs with the Pantelleria endemics Helichrysum saxatile ssp. errerae and Matthiola pulchella, vicariant of the west Mediterranean, Balearic and Sardinian clifftop phryganas.