Updated and new insights on the coastal halophilous vegetation of southeastern Sicily (Italy)

An overview of the salt marsh vegetation of southeastern Sicily is here presented. On the basis of a total of 241 relevés, 8 classes and 32 plant communities have been identified, following the Braun-Blanquet phytosociological method. The salt marsh vegetation of southeastern Sicily is represented by aquatic communities of Ruppietea and Potamogetonetea, by helophytic communities of Phragmito-Magnocaricetea, by hygrophylous communities of Juncetea maritimi, by halophylous communities of Salicornietea fruticosae, by annual halo-nitrophylous communities of Saginetea maritimae, and finally by halophylous annual communities of Thero-Suaedetea splendentis. The plant communities belonging to Salicornietea fruticosae and Juncetea maritimi classes, were analysed through a numerical analysis (hierarchical clustering). The study also describes two new associations belonging to the Tamaricion africanae (Limbardo crithmoidis-Tamaricetum africanae) and Frankenion pulverulentae (Brizo minoris-Isolepidetum cernui) alliances.