268 



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



low thorny shrubs Prosopis Stephaniana , Paliurus avstralis and Sangidsorha spmosa, of which the steppe- 

 societies of the island are rarely destitute; moreover a series of different plants with subterranean tubers, 

 bulbs or the like, as 7//*' Sisyrhichiiim, various Liliaceae, among- which is the high white-flowered Asphodehts 



;Y/mos«<.s' subsp. microcarjms, Mandraqora offichiantm . Leontodon 

 tidierosinn subsp. OUvieri and others. 



From my diary some notes will here be quoted from the 

 steppe-lands near Vatili, in the middle of the large plain of 

 Messaria. At the time of my visit, in the first days of April 

 1905, StijM tortilis and Asphodelus ramnsus subsp. mierocarpus 

 were the most prominent species of these steppes. A very 

 great part of the plain is here cultivated, and is occupied by large, 

 rich fields. The original character of steppe is chiefly preserved 

 only in the most shallow places, where the soil over the hard 

 conglomerate- and sandstone-flats, which cover the marl-strata 

 underneath, only has a depth of up to ca. '/i meter, and 

 sometimes merely a few centimeters. This especially applies 

 to the most elevated tracts of the plain, where the lock rises 

 scutiformly, forming low, more or less salient convexities. In 

 such a steppe not far west of the village I found the following 

 vegetation. Stipa tortilis, Hurdeum miirinum, Drachypodhim 

 d'lstarhyum. Bronius squarrosutt, Lagurus ovatufi, Psilurus ari- 

 status, Triticum ovatttm. Koehleria phleoides and Arena harhata 

 subsp. Wiestii form large grass-mats, which cannot, however, 

 be said to be very dense. Especially Stipa plays a predomi- 

 nant part here, its soft panicles with the long and glossy 

 awns are waving at the lightest wind. There are only a few 

 low shrubs. Indeed Sanguism-ha spinosa is found, but it is of 

 quite inferior importance; some scarce specimens of Thymus 

 capitatux, however, were seen, having as yet neither flowers 

 nor buds. Of tuberous oi' bulbiferous plants Asphodelus ramosas 

 subsp. mierocarpus was predominant; it is of very frequent 

 occurrence wherever the depth of the soil is at least 15 — 20 

 centimeters. Ornithogalum tenuifoJium, subsp. trichophi/Uum, 

 which is also very frequent, requires much less soil. Several 

 other bulbous plants were also noticed, their florescence, how- 

 ever, had passed a long while ago, and I was not able to 

 identify the half withered parts, which were still to be seen. 

 Furthermore I observed the following herbs: Scorpiums sub- 

 rillosa (numerous, in fruit), Ert/thraea pulchella (scarce). Alsine 

 picta (in great quantities), Sali-ia viridis subsp. Horminum 

 (numerous), Alkanna tindoria (numerous), Trifolium prociim- 

 bens (numerous), Sherardia arvensis (in great quantities), Medicago minima (in great quantities), M. coronafa 

 (scarce), Liniim strictum subsp. spicatum (scarce), Hippocrepis ciliatn (scarce), Galium setaceum (rather 

 scarce), Lagoseris bifida (in abundance), Leontodon tuberosum subsp. OUvieri (in abundance), Trifolium 

 angustifolium (sparse), Plantago Psyllium (numerous), Anthemis Cotula (in abundance), Lagoecia cuminoides 

 (numerous), Malva aegyptica (rather scarce), Galium murule (very scarce), Trigonella monsjÆaca (scarce), 

 Linum angustifolium (rather scarce), Parentucellin tofi/b?ja (numerous). Tunica velutina, Ranunculus asiaticus 

 (with lemon-coloured flowers numerous, with deep-red ones scarce), Anagallis arvensis subsp. coerulea 



Fig. 104, Psilnru.'i aristatus Duv.-.Iouve. (Vi). 



