Contributions to the l''ossil yiiarternary Flora of (lypnis. 201 



Rhamaiis oleoides L. Only a sing-le leaf was found in the youn!>-est part of the profile (niv. c). 

 The state of preservation was, however, so excellent, that I do not believe tiiero is any risk connected 

 witii tiiis (ioteiniinution. 



Ail the species, which I iiave been able to determine in the tufa-beds, appertain to tlie actual 

 flora of the island. The carob-tree, as well as Smila.r n^pcia and IiltamuKs oleo'ules, at the present day 

 grow at Kazan on the vei'y hill-sides about the tufa-brink; the platane is seldom wanting at fountains 

 and rivulets, and both the fig and the laurel are widely distributed in the mountain-valleys of Cyprus. 

 .Tudging- from this fact I do not hesitate to consider the fossil floi'a to be of (^uai'ternai'y origin, and this 

 conclusion is not contradicted by the sti'ucture of the profile. 



On the other hand, the fossil flora cannot be quite young. The tufa, in which the impressions 

 of leaves are preserved, has evidently been deposited under natural conditions very difi'ei-ent tVom those 

 now prevailing on the finding-place. Theie are now no sources on the spot, that might give rise to the 

 formation of tufa. And after the sedimentation was finished, the rivulet has deepened several metres its 

 bed in the rocky masses, and thus laid open the perpendicular tufa-brink. Also the formation of the tufa- 

 bed itself must have lasted long time ; thei'c must be a considerable difl^'erence of the age between the 

 fossils concealed in the bottom-layers and those at the top of the pi-ofile. 



Poor in species as it is, the list of the fossil flora still is of no little interest. It shows, that at 

 an early Quarternary epoch there existed in the mountains in this part of Cyprus forests, in which the 

 laurel-tree seems to have constituted a prominent part. The occurrence of its leaves in the tufa in so 

 great quantities, especially in the oldei- layers of the deposits, can hardly be explained without pi-esuming, 

 that it has been in ancient times a considerably more common tree in Cyprus than now. As ali'eady 

 mentioned, the laurel-ti'ee is at present widely distributed in the island, especially in the mountain- valleys; 

 but it always grows, according to my observations, in scattered specimens only, and nowhere I have seen 

 it in Cyprus as a tree composing or characterizing the forests. Noteworthy is further the occurrence of 

 Ficiis carica in the tufa, which shows, that also this tree belongs to the original spontaneous flora of the 

 island. The innumerable platane-leaves. which were found throughout the tufa, evidently originate from 

 Platan iis-ti-ee>i which have bordered the ancient fountains, through the activity of which the tufa has been 

 deposited. 



Vegetation of Cypv 



