Some Vicariating Plant Communities in Brazil, Malaysia and Singapore

Dune communities with dominant Ipomoea pes-caprae (coastal strand vegetation) and communities with dominant Gleicheiniaceae (fern communities of forest borderlines) were distinguished and comparatively studied in Brazil, Malaysia and Singapore, and compared with similar stands around the world. A total of 71 vegetation relevés was collected. In coastal dune vegetation, the new associations Ipomoeo pediscaprae-Sporoboletum virginicae was distinguished for Brazil, and the vicariant Wedelio biflorae-Ipomoeetum pedis-caprae is described from Malaysia and Singapore. The vegetation of forest borderlines is characterized in Brazil by the new association Lycopodio cernuui-Gleicheinietum bifidae, which was subdivided in two subassociations (droseretosum capillaris and typicum). A physiognomically similar community was detected and described in Malaysia and Singapore as the new association Lycopodio cernuui-Dicranopteridetum curranii with two subassociations (typicum and dicranopteridetosum linearis).