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



277 



pushed their way partly into the other steppe-societies, and partly into the maquis-thiekets. Considered as a 

 whole, however, the dwarfshrub-steppes of Cyprus constitute a fairly well-distin<ruished plant-society. In 

 the list below are enumerated the most important species generally occurring in these steppes: 



Ophioglossnm lusitaniciim 



Stipa tortilis 



A lopecurus anthuxan tho ides 



Lagurus ovatus 



Arena harhata subsp. WicM'ii 



Koehlerki phleoides 



Tritimm ovatum 



Hordenni muriniim 



Psilurus aristatus 



Carex Halleriana 



Allhcm Cupani 



A. subhirsiitum. subsp. cUintum and 



subsp. trifoUatum 

 Gagea reticulata var. tcniiifolia 

 Lloydia graeca 



Oniithogaliim umheUutvm var. miiiiifi 

 0. tenuifoli'um subsp. trichujilii/lldm 

 Hyacinthus Pieridis 

 Iris Sisyrinchium 

 Ophrys I atm 

 Noaea nincronata 

 Velezia rigida 

 Tunica velutina 

 Adonis aestivalis subsp. microcarpa 



Ranunculus asiaticiis 



Biscutella didyma subsp. Colinnnae 



Telmissa microcarpa 



Sanf/uisorbn spinosn 



Prosopis Steph a niana 



Tri folium clypeatum 



Lotus Te.tragonolohns subsp. palaesiinus 



Alhagi maur or um 



Lathyrtis sativus 



L. hlepJiaricarpiis 



Polygala monspeliaca 



P. reiiitlosa 



Palhiriis (uislndis 



Hypericum modestum 



Helianthemum salici folium 



Cuscuta glohularis 



Lithospermum apuhim 



Teucrium PoJitim subsp. mieropodioides 



Salvia verbniacca 



Thijimis aipilalus 



Parenfueellia latifolia and var. (dhi/lora 



Plantago cretica 



Galium suherosum 



Broteroa corymhosa 



4. Xerophile Shrub-Societies. 



Everywhere in the Mediterranean countries copse-woods of low shrubs of distinctly xerophile building 

 play a prominent part in the vegetation. This is also the case with other regions, having a similar 

 temperate climate as the Mediterranean, with dry, sunny summers and moist winters. The term of 

 "Maquis", originating from Corse, has become the international name for these shrub-societies of the 

 Mediterranean. 



A distinctive feature of most of the maquis-shrubs is their hibernating, evergreen leaves, that 

 may either be coriaceous and glossy or also densely covered with soft gray hairs. Among them there are, 

 however, also some species, which shed their leaves in the winter. 



The maquis-scrubs have also on Cyprus a very large extension. They occur chietiy on dry slopes 

 and mountain-flanks in the lower regions of the island. Already Umger speaks of extensive "Gestriipp- 

 formationen", chiefly consisting of Pistacia Lentiscus, Juniperus phocnicea and othei' species of shrubs'). 



') Unger und Kotschy, Die Insel Cyperu, p. 109. — When Unger (1. c.) and E. Hartmann (Die Walder Cyperns, 

 p. 193) mention Vlex europaeus among the most prominent species of the maqiiis of the island, this is donhtless due to a 

 I'onfusion, in all probahility with Genista sphacelafa, which they do not refer to. The real Ulex etwopaeus hardly grows in 

 Cyprus, (i/fr. p. 102). 



