Remarks on the most Important Plant-Societies of the Island. 



263 



n 



i**-** 



Many of the species belongring to the rock-ves-etation exhibit forms of growth rendering them 

 pai'ticularly qualified to subsist under such conditions. Most of them have, in some way or other, a 

 distinctly xerophilous construction. They in- 

 clude several small shrubs with evident xero- 

 philous adaptations, i. a. Ephedra fragiUs 

 subsp. campylopoda, Erica sicula var. libanotica, 

 and Galium suberosum : the latter, on its old 

 branches, is guarded against transpiration by 

 thick layers of cork (Fig. 10.3). Species like 

 Silene fruticosa. Brassica Hilarionin, and 

 Achillea cretica have to some extent from the 

 base upwards more or less ligneous stems, 

 although belonging to genera which almost 

 exclusively contain herbaceous species. Not 

 a few species are protected by a dense hair- 

 covering, e. g. Alyssum Troodi, Lotus creticus 

 subsp. collinus, Convolndns oleaefolius, C. cy- 

 prius, Sideritis cypria, Phlomis cypria, Hyos- 

 cyamus aureus, Galium camim, Helichrysum 

 rupicolum subsp. brachyjihyllum , Cirsium 

 Chamaepeuce subsp. Alpini. etc., etc. Others 

 have a juicy subterranean bulb or a tuberous 

 rhizome by aid of which they survive the dry 

 season, e. g. Gagea peduncularis, Anemone 

 blanda, Cyclamen persiciim, Laetuca hispida 

 subsp. Candolleana; I have found the first- 

 named species growing out of cavities in 

 limestone through so narrow apertures that 

 the bulb could not be extracted without the 

 aid of hammer and chisel; and Cyclamen 

 persicum is not unfrequently seen, e. g. in the 

 vicinity of Paphos, growing in such restricted 

 space that its tuber has become flattened and 

 deformed. The succulent plants are represented 

 by a series of Crassulaceae (Sedum, Umhilieus). 

 Euphorbia Myrsinites has a milky juice; Rus- 

 cus aculeatus and Asparagus stipularis are 

 provided with leafless cladodia.— The rock- 

 plants further embrace a number of slender 

 annual herbs which perform theii' whole course 

 of development and decline within the com- 

 pass of the winter and spring months, having 

 already produced mature seeds and faded 

 away, when summer comes and the drought 

 sets in for good. Of such species we may 



note: Stipa tortilis, Cynosicrus elegans, Rumex vesicari us suhsp. cyprius, Arenaria piamphylica, A. oxypetala, 

 Saxifraga tridactylites, Geranium pitsiUum, Linum fiodiflnrum, Convolvulus pentapetaloides, C. siculus, 

 C. coelesyriacus, Sideritis romana subsp. curvidens, Zizyphora capitata, Satureia exigua var. integrifolia, 



Fia-. 101. Brand 



of Bosea cypria Bois.s. C/i). 



