Phenological patterns in Mediterranean south Iberian serpentine flora

Phenological phases have been studied in Mediterranean serpentine shrubland vegetation in the south of the Iberian Peninsula to obtain a phenological characterization of the serpentine flora and to make a comparison between endemic serpentine and non‐serpentine plants in different years and altitudes. For this purpose, data were taken in the serpentine ecosystem of Sierra Bermeja (Andalusia, Spain) establishing two plots on two altitudinal bioclimatic belts and during two different years. A total of 28 persistent taxa were studied, including both serpentinophytes, their magnesicolous allies and non‐serpentinophytes, to detect possible differences between serpentine and non‐endemic taxa. Phenological calendars and phenological patterns (phenophasic indexes) were obtained. The species showed phenophasic patterns similar to those of other studied Mediterranean flora: a phenological pause coinciding with summer and most species behaving as summer semi‐deciduous with seasonal dimorphism. There were no statistically significant differences in phenology and in phenological indexes due to altitude or serpentine affinity. The best represented active phenophasic period of the species was 9–11 months of activity although showing the summer phenological pause. Species with low index of reproductive/vegetative activity of the species predominated, employing more time/resources for vegetative functions, and with synchronous phenophases, where flowering and growth coincide. The phenophasic period of serpentinophytes and magnesicolous taxa pointed to a certain delay in the period of flowering with respect to the group of non‐serpentinophytes, a result which could have important implications for reproduction.