On a new Molinia caerulea grassland association in the central Apennines (Italy)

Giampiero Ciaschetti; Giovanni Sburlino; Roberto Venanzoni

doi:10.3986/hacq-2025-0029

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On a new Molinia caerulea grassland association in the central Apennines (Italy)

Hacquetia

Volume 25 (2026): Issue 1 (June 2026)

By: Giampiero Ciaschetti , Giovanni Sburlino and Roberto Venanzoni

Open Access

|Jun 2026

Figures & Tables

Study area (*) and distribution of the main Molinia caerulea plant communities reported in Italy. DISTRIBUTION OF THE MAIN MOLINIA CAERULEA PLANT COMMUNITIES IN ITALY Plantagini altissimae-Molinietum caeruleae Selino-Molinietum caeruleae Succiso-Molinietum caeruleae Junco-Molinietum caeruleae Juncus acutiflorus and Molinia caerulea community Gentiano asclepiadeae-Molinietum caeruleae Stachyo-Molinietum Trollio europaei-Molinietum caeruleae

Cluster analysis of the relevés carried out on Molinia caerulea plant communities found in the central Apennines (Table 1): main clusters are labelled as I and II, subclusters as Ia, Ib, IIa, and IIb.

NMDS ordination of the relevés carried out on Molinia caerulea plant communities found in the central Apennines (Table 1): main clusters are labelled as I and II, subclusters as Ia, Ib, IIa, and IIb.

Minimum Spanning Tree of the Molinia communities from Italy (1–2, 10 to 19), Alps outside Italy (20 to 24) and western Balkan (3 to 9). Detailed data source in Appendix 1. The blue numbers indicate the distance values among the groups.

Cluster analysis of the Molinia caerulea meadows in centralsouthern Italy and western Balkans: 1-2 = data from Abruzzo; 3 to 6 = Molinio-Lathyretumpannonici from Croatia; 7–8 = Molinio-Lathyretum pannonici from Bosnia; 9 = Lathyro pannonici-Molinietum caeruleae from Serbia; 10 = Junco effusi-Molinietum caeruleae from Calabria (numbers as in Figure 4 and 6). Detailed data source in Appendix 1.

NMDS ordination of the Molinia caerulea meadows in central-southern Italy and western Balkans: 1–2 = data from Abruzzo; 3 to 6 = Molinio-Lathyretumpannonici from Croatia; 7–8 = Molinio-Lathyretum pannonici from Bosnia; 9 = Lathyro pannonici-Molinietum caeruleae from Serbia; 10 = Junco effusi-Molinietum caeruleae from Calabria (numbers as in Figure 4–5). Detailed data source in Appendix 1.

Centaureo jaceae-Molinietum caeruleae Ciaschetti, Sburlìno et Venanzoni ass_ nova_

Relevé No.	1*	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14*	15	16	17
Coverage (%)	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100
Area (s. m.)	16	16	16	16	16	20	30	30	16	25	20	16	16	25	20	20	25
*Centaureo jaceae~Molinietum caeruleae ass. nova*
Molinia caerulea (L.) Moench	4.4	4.4	4.4	4.4	4.4	4.4	2.2	3.4	4.4	5.5	5.5	5.5	4.4	4.4	4.4	4.4	4.4
Centaurea jacea L. subsp. jacea	1.1	1.1	1.1	2.2	1.1	+	2.2	2.3	2.2	1.1	2.2	+	2.2	2.2	2.2	1.1	2.2
Rhinanthus minor L.	1.1	+		1.1	1.1	1.1	2.2	1.1	1.1	1.1	2.2	1.1	1.1	+	2.2	1.1	1.1
Sesleria uliginosa Opìz	3.3	3.3	2.2	2.2	1.1		4.4	4.4	3.3				2.2	2.2	1.1	1.1
Ranunculus polyanthemoides Boreau	+	+	1.1	+	1.1	1.1			+					2.2
*typicum*
Genista tinctoria L.	1.2	1.1	1.1	1.1	1.1	1.1	+	2.2	1.2								+
Filipendula vulgaris Moench	+	+	+	1.1	+	+	3.3	2.2	2.2
Trifolium montanum L. subsp. rupestre (Ten.) Nyman	1.1	1.1	2.2	2.2	+	+			1.1								+
Lathyruspannonicus (Jacq.) Garcke subsp. asphodeloides (Gouan) Bassler	1.1	+		+				1.1	1.1	1.1
Plantago media L. subsp. media	+					+	2.2	1.1	1.1
Roa sylvicola Guss.	1.1			+	+			1.1
Klasea lycopifolia variant
Klasea lycopifolia (Vìll.) A. Love & D.Löve							1.2	3.4	1.2
Thesium humifusum DC.						1.1	2.2	1.2	1.2
Bromopsis erecta (Huds.) Fourr.							1.2	1.2	+
Knautia arvensis (L.) Coult.							1.1	+	+
Brachypodiumgenuense (DC.) Roem. & Schult.								2.2	2.2
Euphorbia gasparrinii Boîss. subsp. samnitica (Fiori) Pìgnattì							1.2	+
Trifolium ochroleucon Huds.							1.1	1.2
Avenulapubescens (Huds.) Dumort.							+ .2
caricetosum bostianae subass. nova
Carex hostiana DC.						+ .2					1.2	+		1.2	1.2	+	1.1
Juncus inflexus L. subsp. inflexus										+		+		+	+ .2	+
Dactylorhiza incarnata (L.) Soo subsp. incarnata													+	1.1	+	+	+
Juncus articulatus L. subsp. articulatus					1.2					+				+ .2	+	+
Carex davalliana Sm.														2.2		1.2
Carex nigra (L.) Reichard subsp. nigra												1.2
*Molinion/Molinietalia*
Succis a pratensis Moench	2.2	2.2	1.2	+	2.2	2.2	3.3	2.2	1.1	2.2	3.3	2.2	3.3	3.3	2.2	2.2	2.2
Sanguisorba officinalis L.	+		2.2	+	1.1	+ .2	1.1		1.1	2.2	+	+		1.1	1.1	1.1	1.1
Serratula tinctoria L. subsp. tinctoria	1.1	2.2	3.3	3.3	3.3	2.2	+	2.2	2.2	1.1					1.2		2.2
Gentiana pneumonanthe L. subsp. pneumonanthe					1.1	+	+ .2	+		1.1	2.2	1.1	1.1	2.2		+	2.2
Linum catharticum L. s.l.	1.1		+	1.1	+	1.1	1.1	1.1	+		1.1	1.1
Deschampsia cespitosa (L.) P. Beauv. subsp. cespitosa	+ .2	+ .2			1.2						+	+	1.1	1.1	+
Carex panicea L.			+								1.1	1.1		+			+
Bistorta officinalis Delarbre								1.2	+							+
Carex tomentosa L.			+
Equisetum palustre L.						+ .2
Gymnadenia conopsea (L.) R. Br.							+
Valeriana officinalis L. subsp. officinalis								+
*Molinio-Arrhenatheretea*
Vicia cracca L.	2.2	+	1.1	+	+	1.1	1.1	1.1	2.2		2.2	+	1.1	1.1	1.1	+	+
Festuca rubra L. subsp. commutata (Gaudin) Markgr.-Dann.	2.2	2.2	2.2	2.2	2.2		1.2	1.2	1.1	1.1		1.1	2.2	1.2	2.2	2.2	1.1
Carex flacca Schreb. subsp. flacca	1.1		2.2	2.2	2.2	1.1	1.1	1.1	2.2	+ .2	1.1		+	2.2	3.3	+	1.1
Potentilla erecta (L.) Raeusch.	3.3	3.3	2.2	2.2	1.1	2.2	+	2.2	2.2			1.1		1.1	2.3	2.2	2.2
Trifolium pratense L. subsp. pratense	+	1.1	1.1		1.1	+	2.2	1.2	+			1.1	+	2.3	2.2	1.1	2.2
Lotus corniculatus L. subsp. corniculatus	1.1	1.1	1.1				2.2	2.2	2.2	+	1.1	+		2.2	1.1	1.1	1.1
Ranunculus acris L. s.l.					+ .2		1.1			1.1	1.1	+	+	1.1	1.1	+	1.1
Trifolium repens L.	+		+		+		2.2	2.2						+ .2	1.2	1.1	+
Cerastium holosteoides Fr.				+	+		1.1	1.1		1.2	+	+	+				1.1
Holcus lanatus L. subsp. lanatus					+ .2		1.2			2.2	1.1	1.1	1.1		1.2
Lolium interruptum (Desf.) Banri, Galasso, Foggî, Kopecký & Ardenghî		+		+ .2			+			+	+						1.1
Cynosurus cristatus L.					2.2		1.1	1.1					1.1		1.1	+
Anthoxanthum odoratum L.					2.2		2.2			1.1	+		+			1.1
Lathyrus pratensis L. subsp. pratensis								+		1.1	1.1	+		+			+
Carex hirta L.								1.1		+		+		+	1.1		1.1
Poa trivialis L.	+			1.2				2.3						1.1	+
Leontodon hispidus L. subsp. hispidus			1.1				1.1	1.1	1.1				1.1
Colchicum lusitanum Brot.		+	+	+		+
Phleum nodosum L.					1.1									+	+	1.1
Dactylis giomerata L. subsp. glomerata							+			+		2.2	+
Rumex acetosa L. subsp. acetosa							+			1.1		+
Potentilla reptans L.										+		+	+
Scorzoneroides autumnalis (L.) Moench				+									1.1
Hypericum tetrapterum Fr.							+
Other species
Briza media L.	1.1	1.1	+ .2	1.1	1.1	1.1	2.3	2.2	1.1	2.2	1.1	2.2	1.1	1.1	2.2	1.1	1.1
Galium verum L. subsp. verum		+	2.2	1.1	+		1.2	2.2	1.1	1.1	1.1	+	2.2			+
Dactylorhiza maculata (L.) Soo subsp. saccifera (Brongn.) Dìklìć						+	1.1				1.1		1.1	+	1.1	+	+
Euphrasia stricta D. Wo Iff ex J. F. Lehm.				+	1.1	+				+	1.1	1.1
Cirsium acaulon (L.) Scop, subsp. acaulon				+ .2		+	2.2	+	1.1
Cerastium hrachypetalum Desp. ex Pers, subsp. brachypetalum	+	+				+	1.1
Plantago maritima L. subsp. serpentina (All.) Arcang.		+	2.2													+	+
Luzula multiflora (Ehrh.) Lej. subsp. multiflora					+					+		+	1.1
Anacamptis morio (L.) R. M. Bateman, Prîdgeon & M. W. Chase				+				+									+
Trifolium pratense L. subsp. semipurpureum (Strobl) Pìgnattì										1.1	1.1		+
Carex caryophyllea Latourr.			+	+
Bromus commutatus Schrad. s.l.							+	+.2
Daucus carota L. subsp. carota							+			+
?halictrum simplex L. subsp. simplex							1.2								1.1
Narcissus poёticus L.								+	+
Sporadic species	1	0	0	0	1	2	2	7	1	2	0	1	2	0	0	1	0

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3986/hacq-2025-0029 | Journal eISSN: 1854-9829 | Journal ISSN: 1581-4661

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Language: English

Page range: 171 - 187

Submitted on: Mar 15, 2025

Accepted on: Dec 9, 2025

Published on: Jun 3, 2026

Published by: Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

Publication frequency: 2 issues per year

Keywords:

meadows,

Abruzzo,

Related subjects:

Ecology,

© 2026 Giampiero Ciaschetti, Giovanni Sburlino, Roberto Venanzoni, published by Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Volume 25 (2026): Issue 1 (June 2026)

On a new Molinia caerulea grassland association in the central Apennines (Italy)

Figures & Tables

Figure 1:

Figure 2:

Figure 3:

Figure 4:

Figure 5:

Figure 6:

Centaureo jaceae-Molinietum caeruleae Ciaschetti, Sburlìno et Venanzoni ass_ nova_

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