3Q2 Remarks on the most Important Plant-Societies of the Island. 



visit Cyclamen persicum was at the very height of its bloom; its large, pink flowers brighten the forest 

 soil. Of orchids Orchis Simius was present in great numbers, and also the largo, handsome Llmodormn 

 ahortivum was seen in some places. 



In regard to Cii-pressus sempervirens Ungek utters as a result of his observations on Cyprus in 

 1862 as follows: "Ihr baldiger Untergang als Waldbaum lasst sich filr eine nicht zu feme Zeit voraus- 

 sagen".') If he had had the opportunity of seeing the present conditions, he would hardly have made this 

 statement. The protection, which the cypress-forests have enjoyed during the last 30 years, have resulted 

 in an unexpected increase of the growth, and there is surely every reason to look confidently on tlie 

 future of these forests. 



In April, 1905, I had the opportunity of examining some tracts in the cypress-forests near Kantara, 

 where the trees had been destroyed by forest- fire some time earlier. 



The one forest-fire-area lies on the northern mountain-slope, above the village of Davlos. The 

 fire broke out in the afternoon of the 8th of October 1904 and continued till the following day. The 

 origin of the fire is unknown, but probably it is due to want af caution on the part of the shepherds. 

 The autumn-rain had not yet commenced, and the forest was therefore very dry. The forest soil was 

 rich in low, dry copses, mainly consisting of Genista sphacelata, and withered leaves, and the fire spi-ead 

 therefore rapidly. The total fire-area, ca. 300 donums {= ca. 40 hectare) in extent, lies in the upper 

 part of the steep, northern slant of the mountain-ridge. The flre reached as far as up to the precipitous 

 clitts Korouia and Ekaton Spidhia at the highest crest of the mountain. The forest was veiy valuable and 

 consisted chiefly of cypress-trees, large and small. Through the fire the forest was almost quite ruined; on my 

 visit most of the trees stood on roots, but dry, without needles (Fig. 127). Most of the shrubs and the 

 over-ground parts of the perennial herbs Avere also quite burnt down. The soil itself was to a great extent 

 wholly bare. New shoots had already begun, however, to rise from the lower parts of the burnt trunks of 

 Arbutus Andrachup, Myrtus communis and Fistacia Lentiscus; on Asparagus acutifolius fresh sprouts were 

 springing forth from the rhizomes. Genista sphacelata, on the contrary, was seemingly totally destroyed by 

 the fire; it grows in plenty and forms dense copses up to the very boundaries of the fire-area, but within 

 this it is totally absent. Innumerable small seedlings of Cistiis villosus var. creticus and of Salvia triloba 

 subsp. libanotica had already germinated on the fire-area. Numerous annual herbs had likewise grown 

 forth; Vicia j)ubescens and Anagallis arvensis subsp. coerulea were among the most frequent of these. 



On the southern slope of the mountain, ca. 1 Engl, mile from here, immediately east of the Kantara 

 ('onvent, there is another very considerable forest- fire-area. The fire took place a year earlier than the 

 former, in 1903. In 1905 most trees had been carried away. The new vegetation was rather more 

 developed than on the former fire-area; the young C(*<»s-plants had grown up and begun to predominate, 

 and thus the herbaceous plants had to a great extent been suppressed. Besides Cistus (mostly C. villosus 

 var. creticus), Lithospermum hispidulum, Thymelaea Tartonraira, Helichrysum rupicolum subsp. hrachyphyllum , 

 Asparagus stipularis, Sanguisorba spinosa a. o. were also present in great numbers. Genista sphacelata 

 was even here absent on the burnt area. Of herbs only few were to be seen. 



ytill more developed was the vegetation on a fire-area from 1899 at the little church of Hag. .loannis, 

 just at the pass-height of the mountain-ridge, where it is cut by the bridle-path from Ardana to Phlamudi. 

 Fires, occurred here on thi-ee different occasions in the same year, consumed in total over 200 donums 

 (= ca. 27 hectare) wood, and some shepherds were strongly suspected of having set the wood on fire 

 in order to get rid of the cypress-forests, so troublesome to their herds. In 1905 foot-high copses of 

 Cibtiis villosus var. creticus and C. salviif alius grew densely and luxuriantly all over the fire-area; to^fether 

 with these, although less numerous, grew Lithospermum hispiclulum, Thymelaea Tartonraira a. o. From 

 the burnt stubs fresh shoots of Arbutus Andrachne, Pistacia Lentiscus, wild Olea europaea and Cera- 

 tonia Siliqua, etc. grew forth. Of herbaceous plants only very few were seen, mostly Astragalus cyprius 

 and Anthemis tricolor. 



') Unger u. Kotschv, Die Insel Cjijeru, p. 114. 



