HEADMISTRESS: VALERIA PAPPALARDO COORDINATOR : LUCIA ANTONINA RIGANO

ERASMUS TEAM : MARIA GRAZIA RICCA – SIMONA MARZIA DE FILIPPO – MARCELLA SCRIMALI –

GIOVANNA DI SALVATORE – ELISA ROSTA – VALENTINA BUETTO

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The plants of the

Mediterranean maquis

Mediterranean plants are mostly shrubs and flowers that grow in warm and dry areas adjacent to the seas. The ecosystem is typical of the Italian peninsula and of all the countries of the Mediterranean basin. The species that make up the maquis are called sclerophils, that is, they have shiny, small size, leathery and persistent leaves throughout the year. In fact, many plants are evergreen given the favorable climate.

SPONTANEOUS HERBACEE

In the following slides we will review some of the most important HERBACEE SPONTANEOUS of the MEDITERRANEAN

or those plants that normally grow in meadows and uncultivated fields because they are typical of a habitat and rooted in the territory. Spontaneous vegetation includes all those forms of plant life that grow even without human help, without needing to be artificially sown , without using chemical fertilizers ... but simply with the action of natural elements such as water, light, wind and the minerals contained in the soil in

which these plants take root and reproduce.

Broom of the charcoal burners Broom of the charcoal burners is a herbaceous shrub characterized by the abundant golden-colored flowering in the summer period. Among the Mediterranean wild plants it is one of the most widespread and without needs in terms of soil and nutrients. It grows on any type of soil and does not fear either drought or lack of nourishment. In the Leopardian poem it is remembered for its ability to grow from the cracks of the solidified lava of Vesuvius, in fact, despite appearances, it is a very resistant flower with extraordinary growth adapting to any situation.

Oleander

Nerium oleander belongs to the Mediterranean plant family and is known for its rich and colorful flowering. In the common language it is called oleander and the varieties that hide behind this name are numerous, differing according to the type of flower, from simple to double, from white to red liver. Despite being an evergreen plant, it tolerates cold temperatures and can be planted even in full ground.

Euphorbia dendroides

• EUFORBIA ARBOREA is a typical essence of the Mediterranean maquis. It thrives in arid and especially calcareous coastal environments, on cliffs and cliffs near the sea, from 0 to 700 m.

It comes in the form of bushes, with stems and branches, The leaves are alternate, spaced and has golden-yellow flowers, gathered in terminal umbels with 5-8 rays, surrounded by numerous bracts. It blooms from April to June.

Opuntia ficus-indica FICO D’INDIA is a succulent plant belonging to the family of cacti and

the genus opuntia, native to Central America but naturalized throughout the Mediterranean basin (especially Calabria, Puglia, Sardinia, Sicily and Malta) and in the temperate zones of America, Africa, Asia and Oceania.

It is of American origin and was introduced to Europe after the discovery of the New Continent. It has a stem formed by cladols capable of photosynthesis, it has numerous very small layers; its flowers are yellow and appear in spring - summer.

Its main production is based on the "BASTARDONI" which requires in October and November a climatic trend that allows the ripening of these fruits

Rosemary Rosemary or Rosmarinus officinalis is one of the most famous Mediterranean wild plants in the world particularly appreciated in the kitchen for the aroma reminiscent of warm maritime environments. It is a very vigorous shrub that is widely used for the creation of evergreen hedges and windbreak barriers, specifically the brackish marine air. It has a copious blooming lilac, blue or pink from the first spring only to late autumn. Rosemary has a high resistance to low temperatures, unlike other Mediterranean plants, and there are several species including one that has a peculiar hanging habit.

Laurel Inevitable in cooking meat or in preserving food, Laurus nobilis, commonly known as Alloro, is a shrub with an unmistakable fragrance. It is left to grow spontaneously, taking on a bushy or bush-like appearance with an intense green foliage with broad and persistent leaves.

It is the plant once used by the Romans to surround the winners and, now, to adorn the heads of the new graduates as a symbol of triumph and knowledge.

AGAVE AMERICANA Belonging to the Agavaceae family, the American agave is a succulent plant, native to Mexico and subsequently spread, over the centuries, in the Mediterranean area and in temperate climate regions.

Develops broad, pointed and arched leaves, which are organized in bluish-green or variegated cream-white rosettes. When they reach 15-20 years of age, they develop a panicle inflorescence, containing yellow, tubular flowers. It is a characteristically monocarpic plant: this means that the agave flowers only once during the span of its life and, after flowering and the consequent maturation of its marvelous flowers, is destined to die; after death, it releases basal shoots from which new plants can originate.

The strawberry tree, whose Latin name is arbutus unedo, is an elegant medium to large shrub, with a rather disordered, evergreen growth; it is very popular in gardens thanks to its bright and persistent foliage and reddish bark. The strawberry tree is a small tree or shrub widespread throughout the Mediterranean area.

Corbezzolo - Arbutus unedo

In the whole Mediterranean area, it is also widespread in nature, especially in the central areas of the peninsula, where it often forms small woods; flowering takes place in winter, and lasts a few weeks: the plant produces small bell-shaped flowers, white, gathered in large clusters. The flowers that ripen in autumn follow the flowers; these are berries similar to large spherical strawberries, with a slightly sweet taste; the strawberry trees can be eaten raw or in jam, but it is important to eat them at the right point of ripeness, too unripe or too ripe can have an unpleasant taste.

Olea europaea

The olive is a very long-lived plant that can easily reach some hundreds of years: this characteristic is mainly due

to the fact that it is able to regenerate itself completely

It is also an evergreen plant, or its vegetative phase is almost continuous throughout the year, with only a slight decrease in the winter period

- The buds are predominantly axillary

- The flowers are hermaphrodite, small, white and without perfume, consisting of a chalice and corolla

- The leaves are green and have stellate hairs

The fruit allows the extraction of the oil

PRUNUS DULCIS The ALMOND was introduced in Sicily by the

Phoenicians, from Greece, so that the Romans called it "Greek walnut".

The branches, greyish or brown, carry wood and flower buds; the

gems can be isolated or in groups of 2-3 and otherwise combined.

The leaves are lanceolate, serrated, narrower and lighter

than those of the peach, bearing glands at the base of the flap and long pedunculate.

The hermaphrodite flowers are white or

slightly pink

Pistacia vera PISTACCHIO is produced in Adrano, Bronte and Biancavilla in Sicily. It has an emerald green color and an intense aroma, these trees do not need fertilizers and are pruned a couple of times a year to remove the dry branches and remove the buds.

Its peculiarity consists in the fact that a year produces and a year rests. the harvest takes place between the end of August and the beginning of September