On syntaxonomy of high-mountain meadow steppes in the Central Caucasus, Russia

A new association Artemisio chamaemelifoliae—Plantaginetum atratae is described from the subalpine belt of the Central Caucasus. Its diagnostic species are Artemisia chamaemelifolia, Plantago atrata, Salvia verticillata, Potentilla pimpinelloides. The association is probably affiliated with the class Festuco-Brometea Br.-Bl. et Tx. 1943and the order Festucetalia valesiacae Br.-Bl. et Tx. 1943, as is testified by a high proportion of species diagnostic of these syntaxa in the composition of the studied communities. If compared to syntaxa of the true subalpine meadows of the study area, reported earlier (Цепкова, 1987), the association is distinguished by the absence or single occurrence of Festuca varia in the composition of its stands as well as by the absence of Calamagrostis arundinacea, Betonica macrantha, Centaurea cheirathifolia, and Silene ruprechtii in the diagnostic species set. The differentiation from the post-forest meadows is provided by the presence of the xero-mesophyte Phleum phleoides and the xerophytes Artemisia chamaemelifolia, Astragalus oreades, A. captiosus and Teucrium orientale.