The influence of ultramafic soils on plants in Cuba

The rich ultramafic flora of Cuba shows the effects of serpentine soils at three levels. Individuals display particular morphological adaptations, such as reduced growth forms, microphylly, stenophylly, sclerophylly, spiny leaves and thorny stems. Physiologically, the low metabolic rate, low biomass productivity and extended longevity seem to be a K-selection strategy type. Populations are characterized by high numbers of endemic and obligate ultramafic species, which have the ability to hyperaccumulate Ni in foliar tissues. Plant communities form drier, open variant, with missing layers in the vegetation structure, in which microphyllous and thorny elements predominate.