16 



Historical Development of onr Knowledge on the Cyprian Flora. 



that he lias not seen any pears in the island, lint that they 

 arc said to occnr in the monntains. ((I. :i(i and ■in.")). 



Pistacia Lentisetts li. 



(See C. I, 290). 



Mcntionecl liv Sestini in 1787 



P. Terebinthus L. is already mentioned as y-rowing; on 

 Cyprus hy Dioscorides and in nieiLiai-val ai;'e by Stephanos 

 BvzANTios. (M. 97: 0. •2lo'>). 



Platauiis orientalis L. Already mentioned liy The- 

 OPHRAST and other ancient scriheiits. (M. 97: O. 261: E. 6.'!), 



*Prunus armeniaca 1.. The ( 'yprian ajnicotes were 

 already praised hy the Enssian jiilariiu Zosimos in 1421 Hi. 7il 

 and 296). 



"Pttnica Granaiuiu L. Accordini;- to the poet Eriphos 

 Aphrodite herself jdanted the y-ranat-ajiplc on Cyprus fir.st of 

 all trees. (E. 62; (). HOI). 



Puioria calabrica (L.) E'ers. In 1768 Reinhard .speaks 

 of a dyeing-root, called by Cypriots "lizare", wliich was col- 

 lected and even exported from the island, ((reschichte Konig- 

 reich Cypern, II, 110). He identifies this plant with the madder 

 (Ruhia iinctorum L.), wliich is, however, in the Cyprian dialect 

 called "(jt^oYid'"); it seems to me more probable, that the plant 

 in question has been Putoria calahrica, which in great parts 

 of the island is utilized by the villagers for dyein;; imrposcs. 

 and whose native name is Xu^apr,. 



Qitercus alnifolia Poecli. In his work from 1754 

 A. Drummond speaks of a tree, which lie saw in the forests 

 near Kambos and calls "ize-pnnoL, a kind of alder, the leaves 

 of wliich shine like a green orange, the backs of them, when 

 young-, are yellow; but as they grow old. they turn brown". 

 (Travels thrmigh different cities of (iermauy, Italy, (rreece and 

 several parts of Asia. — Quoted fi-om C. I, 21.5). The native 

 name mentioned by Drummond I do not know — it reminds of 

 TCspvia, the name of Q. coccifera — , but the description is very 

 distinct, and only allows Q. alnifofm to be understood. 



Ranunculus asiaticus 



1769. ((). 29.5). 



is iiii'iitioiii'd hv JIariti 



'Ricinus communis L. ^lentioned by Sestini in 1787. 

 (See C. I. 290). 



"Ruhia tinctorum L. The cultivation of madder in 

 Cyprus is, as far as we kno«-. first recorded by Mariti in 

 1769. (0. 291). 



*Ruta graveolens L. is mentioned by Elias fi-om Pesaro 

 in his letter from Famagnsta in 1563. (0. 30 and 292). 



"Saccharutn ofScinarum !>. is nientioned as cultivated 

 in the island already in 1301. according to Mas Latrie (see 

 (). 283). 



Salsola Kali 1,. was (djscrvcd liy L. Ral-woi.e and 

 mentioned in 1583 in his itinerary. (Kaisz in die Jlorgen- 

 liinder. ii. 20). 



Sanguisorl>a sjtinosa (L.) I'.i-rtol. Mi'iitioned l)y Se- 

 stini in 1787. (See C. I. 2901. 



Sesamum intlicum L. is mentioned as {oinmun by 

 Elias from Pesaro in 1563. ((). 29 and 2901. 



"Sinapis alba L. The Cyprian mustard was already well 

 known by ancient scribents. id. 293 1. 



'Spinacia oleracea L. .Mentioned in I5(i3 by Ei.ias 

 from Pesaro. ((). 30 and 292). 



Styrax ofScinalis L. is already recorded as a ( 'yprian 

 tree by Plinius. (O. 262). 



Tamarix sp. .\lready nieiitioiied by Hesvchios. ((). 265). 



'Triticum sativum Lam. The wheat from Amathns 

 is already nientioned by Hipponax from Ephesos. ea. 540 B. C. 



(0. 274). 



I'rginca tuaritima (L.) Baker is meiitioneil liy Sestini 

 in 1787. (See C. I. 289). 



*Vicia Lens (L.) Coss. et (lenii. .Mentioned by Elias 

 from Pesaro in 1563. ((). 30 and 292). 



'Vitis vinifera L. The Cyprian wine is mentioned and 

 praised by several ancient scribents. (See (). .31(1). 



At the first glance the list above will perhaps give the impression, that rather many species have 

 already been recorded from the island at early periods. But a more exact perusal will very soon show, 

 that the knowledge of the Cyprian vegetation was in fact, even as late as a little more than a century ago, 

 extremely poor. The list chiefly contains cultivated plants, important to the agricultural and economical history 

 of the island, but (juite unlit to give any idea of the nature of its interesting spontaneous vegetation. If we 

 compare our island with Crete, the difference is striking. Owing to the travels of the great Touenefoet, 

 the flora of the latter island was better known than that of any other country of the Levant as early 

 as in the beginning of the 18th century, while the knowledge of the Cyprian flora was at that time much 

 more limited and chiefly based on the statements of Theopheast, Pi.inius and other ancient authors. Among 



') According to Gennadus, Agriculture of Cyprus. II. p. 18: Hints, p. 38. 



