La comunidad vegetal del carballo enano, Quercus lusitanica Lam. (Fagaceae, Magnoliopsida), en Monte Pindo (A Coruña, Noroeste ibérico).

Abstract

A phytosociological study is carried out on an exceptional population of Quercus lusitanica located at the northern end of its distribution and isolated about 300 km from the nearest nucleus. Details are given on the floristic composition of the community, which includes the presence of two hybrids of which this dwarf oak is a parental; one of them, Quercus×gallaecicus has in this enclave its exclusive area of world presence. We discuss its most suitable syntaxonomic position, the class Calluno vulgaris-Ulicetea  minoris; its inclusion is proposed as a subassociation within the most common association in its biogeographic unit: Ulici izcoi-Ericetum cinereae subas. quercetosum lusitanicae subass. nova. The main threats to this species included in the Galician Catalog of Threatened Species are also considered.