Our
phytosociological study in Montenegro (Ćemovsko polje) deals with the
syntaxonomy of arid grasslands in the Adriatic region and, in particular,
different interpretations of plant communities dominated by Asphodelus ramosus. The main aims of
this study were to contribute to knowledge of the
composition of dry grasslands dominated by Asphodelus
ramosus in Montenegro and to compare instances of Asphodelus ramosus dominated vegetation along the Adriatic. Our
vegetation dataset included 82 phytosociological relevés: 17 from our recent
field work and 72 relevés of South European Asphodelus
ramosus communities. Ordination analysis (NMDS) was used for comparison of Asphodelus ramosus dominated communities
in the Adriatic region. The Asphodelus
ramosus community from Montenegro was classified into Bromo erecti-Chrysopogonetum grylli . The analysis revealed two distinct vegetation groups: grassland
communities of the vegetation class Festuco-Brometea
from Montenegro, Croatia and Albania, and edge vegetation of the new class Charybdido pancratii-Asphodeletea ramosi
from Italy. Comparison with similar vegetation types shows high similarity with
associations on the eastern Adriatic coast, where they are treated as grassland
communities belonging to the alliance Chrysopogono
grylli-Koelerion splendentis , order Scorzoneretalia villosae,
class Festuco-Brometea .
