Leguminosae taxa of forest communities in NE Greece

This study presents the legume flora of the forest vegetation in northeast Greece. NE Greece is characterized by a high diversity in forest habitats, as in this area both Central-European (Picea abies, Betula pendula, Alnus incana forests) as well as typical Mediterranean vegetation types (maquis, Pinus halepensis ssp. halepensis, Pinus halepensis ssp. brutia forests) occur. The floristic catalogue was based on bibliographic data as well as on collections made during the spring and summer of 2005. The habitat types and the areas in which the taxa were recorded, are given. Most of the legume taxa were recorded in evergreen shrublands, while the smallest number of taxa was found for the coniferous forests of the mountainous and subalpine zone (Picea abies and Pinus sylvestris forests). Chalkidike Peninsula and Mt. Chortiatis were found as the richest areas in legume taxa, but this result is probably affected by the fact that for the latter areas more floristic and phytosociological data exist, in comparison with the other areas of NE Greece.