242 



Remarks on tlie most Important Plant Societies of the island. 



dalis persieus) also are not rarely seen. — Almond trees (A. communla) are amongr the commonest fruit 

 trees and are found in most gardens in the lower regions of the island. The first impression I received 

 of the vegetation of Cyprus is attached to the almond trees, being at the very time of my arrival in the 

 first f days of march, in full bloom; their rich, pink bloom was visible a good while before we cast our 

 anchor in the bay outside Larnaka.— Orange trees (Citrus aurantium) and lemon trees (C. mecUea) 

 are"; both commonly cultivated iu the lower regions. "Almost all the varieties of the lemon and orange 

 trees which are met with in Cyprus produce big, solid (not flabby) and thick-skinned fr'uit. A variety of 

 the orange tree distinguished for the size of its fruit i.s that of .Tafla, which is to be found in many 



Mi;-. 8<>. Pistiicia ntlanfim at Kitti. In tlie Front of the Pliotograph tlie Threshine-Place of the Villai;e 



parts of the island" (Gennadids). — Pistacia atlanticn. as treated of p. V22 — 12.3. grows in big old copies 

 at Hierokipos near Paphos, near the village church of Kitti, and probably also elsewliere. Round the 

 church of Kitti there is a group of very old, beautiful trees, distinguished for tlieir leafy, shadoAvy corollas 

 (Fig. 86). The biggest of these trees had a girth of 4.82 m. This species has long been misconceived 

 in Cyprus and therefore by some authors has sometimes been confounded with P. Tercbinthns and some- 

 times with P. palaestlna, a subspecies of the latter. — Zizyphus sativa, Z. Lotus and Z. Spimi Christi 

 are all of them to be met with planted in the neighbourhood of villages, sporadically in the lower parts 

 of the island. The former species probably only occur planted; on the other hand it is probable tliat 

 the two latter species also belong to the wild flora of the island. Near Alethriko a rarely big copy of 

 Z. Lotus is to be found near the threshing-place of the village (Pig. 87). This tree has two trunks the 

 thickest of which has a girth of 1.38 m. The corolla is widely ramified, the biggest diametre being 9 m. — 

 Fig-cactus (Opuntla Fimis indica) is often planted in the gardens, especially in the eastern parts of the 

 island. It bears fruit richly. It is also often seen to run v/M. ~ Eiamymis mujustlfoVia is not rare in 



