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



in appearance reminds rather more of our Norwegian juniper (J. communis), is met with in small scattered 

 specimens; Quercus alnifolia grows in many places abundantly on sunny slopes in the forest; Sorbiis 

 Aria subsp. cretica (Fig. 133), Crataegus Azarolits, Eosa dumetornm and R. canina occur more scarcely 

 or in single specimens. 



In the forest soil grow several small, low shrubs, which partly form dense copse- woods. The most 

 important of these are Berberis cretica, Cistus villosus var. creticus, Salvia triloba subsp. ci/pria, S. grandi- 

 flora subsp. Willeana, Pterocephalus multifloriis, Bubus ^dmifolius subsp. anatolicus, Teiicrium cyprium, 

 Astragalus Echinus and Cotoneaster Nummularia. Some of these species are sticky, small shrubs of a 

 strong aromatic scent; others are provided with sharp wood- or leaf- thorns. 



A fair number of perennial and partly also annual herbs are present in the forest soil of these forests, 

 amongst which several that have not been observed in the Aleppo-Pine-forests, or on the whole in any 

 of the other plant-societies of the island. Among the most conspicuous species the following must be 

 particularly noted: a large, red-flowered kind of peony (Paeonia corallina), the peculiar, violet orchid 

 Limodorum abortivum, which occurs abundantly everywhere and may be up to 1 m. high (Fig. 134), Aspho- 

 delus ramosus subsp. microcarpus, the handsome, endemical Saponaria depressa subsp. eypria, which over 

 large tracts makes itself conspicuous through its beautiful, red flowers (Fig. 18, p. 74), Hijpericum con- 

 fertum subsp. stenobotrys, Paracaryum myosotoides, Euphorbia cassia subsp. Rigoi. Centaurea cretica, Anthemis 

 tricolor, Satureia vulgaris, Thlaspi sp. (which had already done flowering at my fii'st visit on the 17th of June 

 1905), Crepis Fraasii, Alyssum condensatum, Scorzonera Troodea, Scutellaria hirta (the colour of the flowers 

 varying from pink to deep purple), Crucianella niacrostachya. Of more scarce or local occurrence are: 

 the 3 orchids Cephalanthera rubra, the large red flowers of which in the middle of July brighten the 

 pine-forest above the Government-Cottage, Platanthera bifolia subsp. montana and Epipactis latifolia var. 

 parvifolia, further Viola silvestris subsp. Riviniana, Vicia Cracca subsp. elegans, Ajuga orientalis, Hype- 

 ricum iwrforatum, Velezia rigida, Dianthus multipunctatus var. Troodi, Lactuca viminea, Arabis purpurea, 

 Potentilla hirta subsp. pedata, Galium tenuissimum, G. jjejdid i folium a,nå G. murale, Arenaria brevis, Draba 

 verna subsp. vulgaris, Myosurus minimus. Allium cassium var. hirteUum, Rubia Olivieri subsp. brachypoda, 

 Epilobium lanceolatum (chiefly in somewhat moist places). As already mentioned elsewhere (p. 230), Epi- 

 lohimn angustifolium and Rumex Patientiu sub.sp. graecus have in the latter years spi'ead considerably into 

 the pine-forest on both sides of the road. 



On the forest ground hardly other ferns occur than the common, large brake, Pteridium aquilinum, 

 the fresh, green leaves of which cover the ground over large stretches, rendering considerable service by 

 protecting the young pine-seedlings against the rays of the sun during the most sensitive period of their life. 



On rocks in these pine-forests the low dwarf-shrub Putoria calabrica occurs everywhere in great 

 quantity. It has handsome, red flowers sitting jointly at the end of the branches (Fig. 135). The plant 

 has, especially when young, an intensely disagreable smell. It is to a large degree utilized by the villagers 

 for dyeing. Onosma Troodi is not infrequently seen in similar places. 



d. Cedar-Forests. In the heart of the Paphos Main Forest, on the highest crests between 

 the Convent of Kykko and Stavros tis Psochas, the Cyprian Cedar (Cedrus libanotica subsp. brcvifolia), 

 already mentioned by Theophrast and Plinius as an important forest tree, has managed to survive up to 

 the present time.') In this isolated forest-tract, one of the most inaccessible of the island, several thousand 

 cedars grow still to-day; the situation of the cedar-growths will best be seen from the map-sketch, Fig. 136. 

 Most of the cedars grow sparsely or in small groups over the mountain-slopes, which are forested by other 

 tree-species, chiefly Qiieicus alnifolia, but partly also Pinus halepensis; the forest has on the whole the 

 same character as already described from the neighbourhood of Kykko (p. 296). On several smaller stret- 

 ches, especially on the very mountain-ridge, which forms the water-shed between the north and the south, 



1) Compare above pp. 14 and 29—30. 



