230 Remarks on the most Importaut Plant-Societies of the Islaml 



yard, during Ijent. Among the ruderate plants near the convent of Kykko in 1905 EcbaUmm claterium 

 and Co7iium maculatiim were most conspicuous; in Unger's days the latter of the two even formed „einen 

 niehr als mannhohen Wald" near the monastery of Chrysorogiatissa round the buildings'); hero it still 

 grows very abundantly. On the whole it is widely distributed near convents and villages, most perhaps 

 in the district of Paphos. 



Along the numerous new roads which after the English occupation have been built through the 

 foi'csts and mountains of Cypi'us, I'uderate plants are in our days widely spread. Species as f. inst. 

 Chenopodhnii foUosum. Stellaria media, Saponuria Vaccaria and Pulygonum aviculare occur at the side of 

 the road, singly or in growths by gi-oups. Along the roadside in Troodos, near the offices of the Government 

 and further on to the Khan and the camp of the soldiers (1600 — 1700 m. above the sea) I observed a 

 good deal of ruderate plants, yome of these seemed to have taken their ground there, having spread 

 widely from (he roadside over the forest-ground, where they seem to get on very well. This is the case 

 especially with the big and beautiful Epilohium ang ustl folium which was very numerous in the slopes 

 below the Govei'nment Cottage. During my first visit in Troodos, on the 17th of June it had recently 

 opened its first tiowers; when I returned after the liipse of about one month, it was in full bloom. 

 Originally this plant does not belong to Cyprus although it has been found in Lebanon as well as in the 

 Cilician Taurus; it cannot be doubted that its occuiring in Troodos is quite recent and is to be ascribed to 

 the traffic caused by the new road. It is mentioned from Cyprus for the first time by E. Hartmann in 1905.=) 

 A proof of its spreading more and more widely is the fact that I found on the Sth of August a single, 

 flourishing copy of this plant along the path near a fountain Vrysis tis Paputsas, high up in the Northern 

 slope of Paputsa, at least 17.5 km. from its habitat in Troodos; although we searched for more, we did 

 not succeed in finding more than this single copy. — Of other ruderate plants especially Rumex Patientia 

 subsp. graccus was conspicuous along the road and round the camp in Troodos; it also gives the impression 

 of spreading quickly into the pine foi'est. Then there is: Conium maculatum (big and luxuriant, round 

 an out-house near the Government Office), Silene venom (growing abundantly along the sloping sides of 

 the road, having both red and white flowers), iS. lo)igiiJetala (in several places near the roadside, richly 

 Howering), Clirnopodium foUosum (several places), SteUuj-ia media (sparingly), Sapoiiaria vaccaria (several 

 places), Muscari comosiim (sparingly), CVrywr//» Bursa pastoris, Sinapia arvcnsis, Eannncidufi arrensis, etc. 



As high up in the mountains as people come, even to the highest part of Chionistra, ca. 1930 — 

 1940 m. above the sea, ruderate plants ai-e to be found. Round the cottage of the man in charge of the 

 snow and along the path in its immediate neighbourhood 1 observed on the 24th of June 1905 the following 

 species, the occurrence of which in his height above the sea must be ascribed to the intercourse of human 

 beings. Polygonum aviculare (flowering-, rather abundant), P. convolvulus (sterile, several copies), Cheno- 

 podium foUosum (in blossom, numerous), Ch. vulvaria (in blossom, numerous), Ranunculus arvensis (with 

 fruits, numerous), Sinapis arvensis (in flower, several copies), N'eslia paniculata (with fruits, scarce), 

 Lathyrus Aphaca (in flowei', 1 copy), Lithospermum incrassatum (in flower, numerous), Rhagadiolus stellatus 

 (with fruits, 1 copy). So high up, however, this vegetation seems to be of a rather inconstant nature; it 

 could certainly be of no long duration if it was not enlarged from without. The fact that a collection of 

 synanthrope plants may be found on the highest top of Cyprus is in itself interesting; it is, however, not 

 surprising, if we I'emember, how faithfully weeds will follow man into the very desert, to the most distant 

 places of human civilization. In Lyngen, in Arctic Norway, 69" 26' N. L., a great deal of weeds have 

 been found, several of which were flowering, near a deserted workmen's cottage, 450 m. above the sea^); 



') Unger u. Kotschy, Die Insel Cypeni, p. 505. 

 -) E. Hartmann, Die Wiililer d. Insel Cypeni, p. 171. 



■') E. Haolund, Ett nyt hojdmaxinium for iiagva niderat- oeh kiilturvaxters forekomst i NmilUga Norge (Nyt mag. 

 i. n;itv. hd. 39). 



1 



