In the actual site of the SPA “Pico da Vara / Ribeira do Guilherme”, exist some habitats included in the Habitat Directive, as of communitarian importance. From these three types should be stressed out, for their importance and the menaces they face, representing priority habitats of Nature 2000: such as the “Macaronesian Laurel Forest”, which are the preferential habitat of Priolo ; the “Endemic macaronesian heaths” and the “Endemic forest with Juniperus sp.”
The littoral Laurel forest of the Azores is composed mainly by species like Picconia azorica (Pau-branco) and Myrica faya (Firetree). After the littoral strip we find a termophyle laurel forest which principal components, apart from "Pau-branco" and Firetree, are also Laurus azorica (Azorean Sweet Bay), Erica azorica (Azorean Heather), Viburnum trileasei (Laurustinus) and Frangula azorica (Buckthorn). Finally, we find an altitudinal laurel cloud forest which besides the Azorean Sweet Bay, it is mainly characterised by the presence of Ilex azorica (Azorean Holly), Vaccinium cylindraceum (Azorean Blueberry), Prunus azorica (Azorean Plum) and Juniperus brevifolia (Azorean Cedar). The natural habitat of the Priolo comprises the non coastal Thermophylic Laurel Forest and the altitudinal Laurel Forest.
The principal species of flora with relevance in the problem of conservation of the Priolo and its habitat, and which constitute the target-species of the LIFE Priolo Project, could be classified as following:
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Native feeding species for the priolo
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| Scientific name: Ilex azorica
Common Name (Portuguese): Azevinho
Common name (English): Azorean Holly
Family: Aquifoliaceae
Ecology: Present in Laurel Forest, Juniperus and Pittosporum forest between 250 and 750m.
Status: Azorean endemism (in all islands except Graciosa) |
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| Scientific name: Leontodon rigens
Common name (Portuguese): Patalugo-menor
Common name (English): Hawkbit
Family: Asteraceae
Ecology: Rocky slopes, coastal slopes and peat soils between 20 and 800m.
Status: Azorean endemism (except Santa Maria, Graciosa, S. Jorge and Faial) |
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| Scientific name: Vaccinium cylindraceum
Common name (Portuguese): Uva-da-serra
Common name (English): Azorean Blueberry
Family: Ericaceae
Ecology: Laurel forest over 300 m of altitude. It colonizes recent and non anthropic rocky substrates. Humid and exposed places, forests, landslides and mountain warm cavities.
Status: Azorean endemism (except Graciosa) |
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| Scientific name: Prunus azorica
Common name (Portuguese): Ginja, Ginjeira-do-mato
Common name (English): Azorean Plum
Family: Rosaceae
Ecology: Nearly extinct plant existent in shadowy zones between the 500 and the 600m. It is also an important species for Priolo's habitat, from a structural point of view.
Status: Azorean endemism (except Santa Maria, Graciosa and Corvo) |
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| Scientific name: Luzula azorica
Common name (Portuguese): Sargasso
Common name (English): Azorean Woodrush
Family: Juncaceae
Ecology: Very resistant to drought. It is a pioneer in eroded areas. Can be found from 200 to 1100m in laurel forest.
Status: Azorean endemism (except Santa Maria and Graciosa) |
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| Scientific name: Rubus hochstetterorum
Common name (Portuguese): Silvado-manso
Common name (English): Azorean Blackberry
Family: Rosaceae
Ecology: Slopes, precipices, dense laurel forest, natural hedgerows, road and walkways margins (300-700m).
Status: Azorean endemism (except Graciosa) |
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Exotic species with feeding importance for the Priolo
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| Scientific name: Clethra arborea
Common name (Portuguese): Cletra, Verdenaz
Common name (English): Lilly-of-the-valley Tree / Madeiran Sweetpepperbush
Family: Clethraceae
Ecology: Although being an important feeding resource for the Priolo , it develops an aggressive invasive role on laurel forest (500-800m).
Status: Introduced in S. Miguel / Endemic form Madeira |
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| Scientific name: Leycesteria formosa
Common name (English): Himalyan Honeysuckle
Family: Caprifoliaceae
Ecology: Ornamental plant escaped from gardens. Appearing in road slopes and walkway margins, Pittosporum, Laurus forest margins and Cryptomeria plantations (500-800m).
Status: Introduced in S. Miguel |
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| Scientific name: Prunella vulgaris
Common name (Portuguese): Erva-férrea
Common name (English): Common Selfheal
Family: Lamiaceae
Ecology: Humid places, water lines and margins, fields and quagmires.
Status: Introduced |
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| Scientific name: Polygonum capitatum
Common name (Portuguese): Polígono
Common name (English): Pinkhead Smartweed
Family: Polygonaceae
Ecology: Ornamental plant escaped from gardens. Appears at road margins and slopes (<800m).
Status: Introduced |
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| Scientific name: Scrophularia auriculata
Common name (English): Shoreline Figwort
Family: Scrophulariaceae
Ecology: water lines and margins, fields, roads (200-600m).
Status: Introduced |
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Structural native species of the Priolo's habitat
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| Scientific name: Myrsine retusa
Common name (Portuguese): Tamujo
Common name (English): Cape Myrtle
Family: Myrsinaceae
Ecology: Very tolerant to drought. Appears in laurel forest in low exposed places, either humid or dry (300-900m).
Status: Native |
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| Scientific name: Laurus azorica
Common name (Portuguese): Louro-da-terra, Loureiro
Common name (English): Laurel / Azorean Sweet Bay
Family: Lauraceae
Ecology: Original laurel forest. Appearing in humid and warm places, reforestation in low and medium altitudes (<900m).
Status: Native from Macaronesia |
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| Scientific name: Viburnum trileasei
Common name (Portuguese): Folhado
Common name (English): Laurustinus
Family: Caprifoliaceae
Ecology: Dense Laurus, Juniperus forest and vegetation with Myrica and Pittosporum (400-800m).
Status: Azorean endemism (except Graciosa) |
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| Scientific name: Erica azorica
Common name (Portuguese): Urze
Common name (English): Azorean Heather
Family: Ericaceae
Ecology: Resistant to exposure and drought. Laurel and cedar forests and coastal slopes (<1500m).
Status: Azorean endemism |
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| Scientific name: Juniperus brevifolia
Common name (Portuguese): Cedro-do-mato
Common name (English): Azorean Cedar
Family: Cupressaceae
Ecology: Dominant tree in ancient azorean forest. Nowadays it just survives in relatively intact areas between 600 and 900m.
Status: Azorean endemism (except Graciosa) |
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| Scientific name: Culcita macrocarpa
Common name (Portuguese): Feto-do-cabelinho
Common name (English): Tree Fern
Family: Dicksoniaceae
Ecology: Humid and shadowy bushes over 300m.
Status: Native from Macaronesia, with some locations on Iberian Peninsula. |
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| Scientific name: Frangula azorica
Common name (Portuguese): Sanguinho
Common name (English): Buckthorn
Family: Rhamnaceae
Ecology: Laurel forest, Myrica faya forest, clearings, rocky places close to water lines and hedgerows (500-700m).
Status: Azorean endemism (except Santa Maria, Graciosa and Corvo) |
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| Scientific name: Picconia azorica
Common name (Portuguese): Pau-branco
Family: Oleaceae
Ecology: Myrica and Pittosporum forests up to 750m and in coastal slopes.
Status: Azorean endemism (except Graciosa) |
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| Scientific name: Woodwardia radicans
Common name (Portuguese): Feto-do-botão
Common name (English): Rooting Chainfern
Family: Blechnaceae
Ecology: Protected bushes and forest, little river margins and fresh slopes from 400 to 1800m.
Status: Native from Macaronesia
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Exotic plant species that threaten the conservation of the Priolo an its habitat
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| Scientific name: Clethra arborea
Common name (Portuguese): Cletra, Verdenaz
Common name (English): Lilly-of-the-valley Tree / Madeiran Sweetpepperbush
Family: Clethraceae
Ecology: Although being an important feeding resource for the Priolo it develops an aggressive invasive role on laurel forest (500-800m).
Status: Introduced in S. Miguel / Madeiran endemism |
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| Scientific name: Hedychium gardneranum
Common name (Portuguese): Conteira, Roca-da-velha
Common name (English): Yellow Ginger-lilly
Family: Zingiberaceae
Ecology: Ornamental plant escaped form gardens. High invasive potential representing a great threat to azorean laurel forest. Present in sub layer of all kinds of forest, natural and anthropic slopes cultivated lands, and forest margins (<950m).
Status: Introduced |
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| Scientific name: Pittosporum undulatum
Common name (Portuguese): Incenso
Common name (English): Australian cheesewood / Victorian box
Family: Pittosporaceae
Ecology: Invasive plant, introduced as protection for orange plantations. Existent as protection, bushes and hedgerows, it supposes one of the most problematic hazards for the low and medium altitude forests of Erica sp. and Myrica faya (50-650m).
Status: Introduced
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| Scientific name: Gunnera tinctoria
Common name (Portuguese): Gigante
Common name (English): Chilean Gunnera
Family: Gunneraceae
Ecology: Ornamental plant escaped form gardens. Highly invasive in wet fields, ravines and slopes (500-700m).
Status: Introduced in S. Miguel |
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Scientific name: Acacia melanoxylon
Common name (Portuguese): Acácia
Common name (English): Australian Blackwood
Family: Fabaceae
Ecology: Cultivated for wood. Naturalized, it expands in ravines and forests below (<700m).
Status: Introduced
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