Eastern slopes of Bric Geremia (Municipality of Mele, Metropolitan City of Genoa, Liguria, IT). Latitude (WGS84): 44.4774 N. Longitude (WGS84): 8.7127 E. Elevation: 744 m (2440 ft) Date: July 23, 2022. --- TAXONOMICAL INFORMATIONS Familia: Ericaceae Juss. Species: Erica cinerea L. First publication references: Sp. Pl.: 352 (1753). Synonyms: Eremocallis cinerea (L.) Gray; Erica humilis Neck.; Erica mutabilis Salisb.; Erica tenuifolia Bubani; Erica viridipurpurea Gouan; Ericoides cinereum (L.) Kuntze --- MORPHOLOGY AND FENOLOGY Life-form: phanerophyte Description (D.A. Webb & M. Rix, 1980): Dwarf shrub 15-75 cm, of rather lax habit; branches ascending; young twigs pubescent. Leaves 4-5(-7) mm, in whorls of 3, linear, erecto-patent, glabrous; margins strongly revolute, contiguous, completely concealing the lower surface; apparent margin denticulate. Flowers in terminal racemes or umbels; flowering stems with numerous short, leafy lateral shoots below the inflorescence; pedicels pubescent, with 3 small bracteoles appressed to sepals. Sepals 2-3 mm, lanceolate, glabrous, with scarious margin; corolla 4-7 mm, bright reddish-purple, urceolate, with erect to patent lobes; anthers included, with short, broad, dentate basal appendages. Flowering: from June to October. --- ECOLOGY AND CHOROLOGY Habitat: heaths, rocky ground, woods and dry moorland; calcifuge species. Vegetation belts: mesomediterranean, colline, montane. Edaphic preferences: Si; Ser. Chorotype: W-European (Subatlantic). Global distribution (POWO, 2022): native in Belgium, France, Føroyar, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain. Introduced into Madeira, Maine, Massachusetts, New Zealand, Southern Australia. Italian distribution (F. Bartolucci & alii, 2018): native in Piedmont and Liguria. Notes: species with distribution range centered on the European Atlantic coasts. In the Mediterranean basin, its presence is limited to rather restricted areas of the Catalan hinterland, southern France (Cévennes) and north-western Italy (Piedmont and Liguria). In Liguria it is present in the hilly and mountainous areas of central-western sector, roughly between Celle Ligure and Sestri Ponente (on the urban outskirts of Genoa). Erica cinerea L. reaches the Ligurian-Adriatic watershed near Masone (between Monte Giallo and Bric Geremia) but does not move away from it for more than a few hundred metres, while towards the south penetrate in the coastal zone, as can be seen for example near Cogoleto and Arenzano. It is a relatively localized plant but it is abundant in almost all its sites of presence. Regional protection: yes. --- REFERENCES

• D.A. Webb & M. Rix – E. cinerea L. In: T.G. Tutin, N.A.Burges, A.O. Chater, J.R. Edmondson, V.H. Heywood, D.M. Moore, D.H. Valentine, S.M. Walters & D.A. Webb (Eds.) Flora Europaea 2 (ed. 2). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, p. 6.
• POWO (2022) – Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/ Retrieved 18 November 2022.
• F. Bartolucci, L. Peruzzi, G. Galasso, A. Albano, A. Alessandrini, N. M. G. Ardenghi, G. Astuti, G. Bacchetta, S. Ballelli, E. Banfi, G. Barberis, L. Bernardo, D. Bouvet, M. Bovio, L. Cecchi, R. Di Pietro, G. Domina, S. Fascetti, G. Fenu, F. Festi, B. Foggi, L. Gallo, G. Gottschlich, L. Gubellini, D. Iamonico, M. Iberite, P. Jiménez-Mejías, E. Lattanzi, D. Marchetti, E. Martinetto, R. R. Masin, P. Medagli, N. G. Passalacqua, S. Peccenini, R. Pennesi, B. Pierini, L. Poldini, F. Prosser, F. M. Raimondo, F. Roma-Marzio, L. Rosati, A. Santangelo, A. Scoppola, S. Scortegagna, A. Selvaggi, F. Selvi, A. Soldano, A. Stinca, R. P. Wagensommer, T. Wilhalm & F. Conti (2018) – An updated checklist of the vascular flora native to Italy. Plant Biosystems – An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology, 10.1080/11263504.2017.1419996, 152, 2, (179-303), (2018).