Forests of the Iberian Peninsula blackberry bushes, blackthorn, hawthorn and other more or less thorny shrubs; this role can also be filled by smaller thorny plants, "los piornales", and clumps of broom. The major forests in this area are beech, oak, birch, and fir. Beech forests ("Fagus sylvatica") are found in the mountain layer of the Iberian Eurosiberian region from 800 to 1500 metres up. The soil is cool, as often chalky as siliceous (rich in silica), and nearly always acidified by rain. The layer is characterised by the beech tree. The beech tree projects a deep shadow, and so its dense foliage usually excludes
Luzula sylvatica Luzula sylvatica Luzula sylvatica, commonly known as greater wood-rush or great wood-rush, is a perennial flowering plant in the rush family Juncaceae. With regards to the etymology of the binomial, "Luzula" could come from the Italian "lucciola" ("to shine, sparkle") or the Latin "luzulae" or "luxulae", from "lux" ("light"), inspired by the way the plants sparkle when wet with dew; whilst "sylvatica" comes from silva, Latin for forest. "Luzula sylvatica" is the largest woodrush, with stems high. It forms clumps of bright green leaves which are glossy, flat, linear, about in length and wide; its leaves remain green or at