The distribution and ecology of Caryopteris incana Maxim. (Verbenaceae) in western Kyushu, Japan

Caryopteris incana Maxim. (Verbenaceae) is a perennial herb of Korean-Manchurianorigin. In the Japanese Archipelago, it is distributed only on main and satellite islands of western Kyushu. The shoots die back in winter to a lignifiedshoot system at plant base, that extends to ca. 10 cm above the ground surface. The life-form is thero-suffrutescent Chamaephyte (t Ch suff). The plant association, syntaxonomically described as Caryopterido incanaeSelaginelletumtamariscinae Nakamura, is characterized by C. incana, Selaginella tamaricina, Kengia hackelii, Chrysanthemum indicum and Heteropappus hispidus var. hispidus. The communities were found on exposed rocks of tuff breccia, volcanic breccia and basalt. C. incana found on andesite and sedimentary rocks like shale and sandstone was not accompanied by the abovementioned characteristic species and the communities were set aside from the association Caryopterido-Selaginelletum