Volume 102, Issue 3, May 2014, Pages 789-821
a
Vegetation Ecology and Conservation Biology, Department of Ecology, Bremen University, Leobener Strasse, Bremen, 28359, Germany
b Sand Dune and Shingle Network, Department of Geography, Liverpool Hope University, Hope Park, Liverpool, L16 9JD, United Kingdom
b Sand Dune and Shingle Network, Department of Geography, Liverpool Hope University, Hope Park, Liverpool, L16 9JD, United Kingdom
Abstract
This account presents
information on all aspects of the biology of Eryngium maritimum L. (Sea
Holly) that are relevant to understanding its ecological
characteristics and behaviour. The main topics are presented within the
standard framework of the Biological Flora of the British Isles:
distribution, habitat, communities, responses to biotic factors,
responses to environment, structure and physiology, phenology, floral
and seed characters, herbivores and disease, history and conservation.
Eryngium maritimum is a native perennial hemicryptophyte, with a large
taproot, spiny and leathery leaves and a pale bluish inflorescence. It
has a more or less continuous distribution in suitable habitats along
the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland
up to about 55° N, but it is more scattered further north. On the west
coast, it is found south of the Hebrides, and on the east coast, with
some exceptions, south of Yorkshire. In Europe, it has a wide, but
mainly southern temperate, European distribution along the coasts of the
Atlantic Ocean, the Baltic, the Mediterranean, and the Black and Azov
Seas. Its northern distribution limit is at c. 60° N. Eryngium maritimum
grows typically on sand and shingle beaches, foredunes and yellow
dunes, as well as in semi-fixed grey dunes. Its habitats have full
sunlight and are more or less dry. It occurs in many coastal plant
communities from the beach inland, and because of its wide European
distribution, it occurs with members of several different
biogeographical species groups. Protected from grazing by its spininess
and sclerophylly, E. maritimum is nevertheless vulnerable to direct
damage by trampling. It supports few insect herbivores, probably because
of chemical defences. Historically, it has had a great number of medicinal uses. Eryngium maritimum is unable to withstand competition from faster and more densely growing plant
species. In many coastal regions, in both temperate and mediterranean
parts of Europe, it is one of the rarest and most threatened plant species, mainly because of habitat loss and land-use changes. © 2014 British Ecological Society.
Author keywords
Climatic limitation; Communities; Conservation;
Ecophysiology; Geographical and altitudinal distribution; Germination;
Herbivory; Mycorrhiza; Reproductive biology; Soils
Indexed keywords
GEOBASE Subject Index: altitude; biological
characteristics; coastal zone; conservation status; dicotyledon;
ecosystem response; floristics; geographical distribution; germination;
herbivory; medicinal plant; mycorrhiza; perennial plant; range size; reproductive biology; species conservation; trampling; vulnerability
Regional Index: United Kingdom
ISSN: 00220477
CODEN: JECOASource Type: Journal
Original language: English
DOI: 10.1111/1365-2745.12243Document Type: Article
Publisher: Blackwell Publishing Ltd