[en] ntroduction
Erica arborea L. is a dominant element of the circum-Mediterranean region. Its broad, disjunct distribution, ranging from Macaronesia to eastern Africa, is consistent with the fragmentation of the evergreen tropical forests that dominated Europe and North Africa in the Tertiary. (fig.1)
Aim
Is the current disjunct distribution of E. arborea a relict of a once wider distribution or a recent range expansion in response to the establishment of suitable conditions ?
