Roman Coastal State Nature Reserve - The flora of Castel Fusano Park

Roman Coastal Reserve

Zones

Castel Fusano

The vegetation

The arboreal vegetation is certainly dominated by the domestic pines and theholm oaks and along with the distinctive maritime pines (Pinus pinaster) that perfume the air with resin especially in the sultry summer days. In the damp areas we can find big bay oaks, some of them centuries-old, white poplars (Populus alba) black poplars (Populus nigra), aspens (Populus tremula) together with the fraxinus ornus tree (Fraxinus ornus). The elm tree is also very widespread, even if it rarely grows tall, as a matter of fact it does not often grow beyond the shrub stage.

white poplar

sage-leaved cistus

Myrtle

A large part of the Park is covered by the tall Mediterranean bush (maquis) where the phillyrea (Phillyrea angustifolia) and the lentisk (Pistacia lentiscus) make up the majority along with great numbers of myrtles (Mirtus communis), buckthorns (Rhamnus alaternus), sage-leaved cistus (Cistus salvifolius) and red cistus, many brooms, privets, strawberry trees (Arbutus unedo) and a lot of heather (Erica arborea). You can also find rare clumps of junipers , the phoenician juniper (Juniperus phoenicea) and some French tamarisks (Tamarix gallica) concentrated near the sea.

The undergrowth of the holm oaks is characterized by the abundant presence of Butcher's broom(Ruscus aculeatus) and by the pink coloured flowers of the cyclamens, that often make up a dense carpet on the dry leaves, the laurel, the colourful "coronilla", ivy and the ever present phillyrea and buckthorn, the latter more common here than in the maquis.

phoenician juniper

honeysuckle

In the bush the summer flowering of the honeysuckle (Lanicera implexa), the cistus and brooms are marvellous: looking like a competition of colours standing out on a dark green background. In some areas, in particular where there have been a few remote fires, the bush is thinner with a profusion of Asphodelus microcarpus and small flowers.

We can also find the Mediterranean mezereon (Daphne gnidium) and the spindle tree (Euonymus europaeus), as well as some sloe plants (Prunus spinosa), the hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) and wild apple trees, that in spring refine the woodland borders with their white flowers.

hawthorn

This Web Site has been realized and updated by the Lega Italiana Protezione Uccelli
(Italian Society for the Protection of Birds) - Roman Coastal Branch. For any information contact us:

Lipu Ostia

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We thank Beverley Anne Carroll for language collaboration