Survey of thu Vertical Regions of the Vegetation. 3 1 7 



3. "Unteres Gebiet des vulkanischen Gesteins mit Rebenkultnr und o-emischten Waldern", 800 — 1200 in., and 



4. "Gebiet der Pinus Larieio von 1200—1900 m., der hochsten Erhebung der Insel und Grenze des 

 Baumwuchses".') 



The classification to which I have personally arrived, on the basis of observations made during 

 my journeys on the island, joins rather closely to that of Hartmann. Only I prefer to unite his zones 

 2 and 3, and moreover to set up a special alpine region for the area of Chionistra which lies beyond 

 the forest-limit. We thus get the following regions: 



1. Lowland-region. Until 500 m. above the sea-level. 



2. Hill-region. 500 — 1200 m. — — 



3. Mountain-region 1200 — 1900 m. — = — 



4. Aljnne region. 1900 — 1953 m. — — 



These regions are far from being always sharply defined, but notwithstanding they give an 

 approximate illustration of the chief features of such changes of the landscape— and also of the vege- 

 tation — which stand in connection with the increasing heights above the sea-level. 



The lowland-region embraces the vast plain, which stretches across the island from the east 

 to the west, and moreover a belt of hilly land, intersected by numerous eroded valleys, along the coasts 

 of the island. 



To this region belong in the first place all plant-societies, which are attached to the sea-coasts: 

 the sand-coast-vegetation, the sandy and muddy marshes, societies of reedy plants, a. s. 0. To this further 

 belong the majority of the steppe-societies, which occupy such a great part of the surface of the island. 

 Also xerophile shrub-societies play a great role in the lowlands; a single type of these societies, viz. 

 the juniper-maquis, is nearly exclusively confined to this region. In the lowlands the forest-societies are, 

 on the contrary, of subordinate importance. 



Numerous of the most conspicuous plants of the island are wholly or prevalently confined to the 

 lowlands. Thus it is only here that Nerium Oleander, together with Vite.r Agnus Castus and the Tamarix- 

 species, form flowery copses along the shores of the rivers and smaller water-courses. The date-palm 

 (Phoenix dactylifera) and the fig-cactus (Ojnmtia Ficus indiea), both of which no doubt have originally 

 been imported by man, but which are vastly spread in the lowlands, are also wholly attached to this 

 region. This is also the case with a great number of the weeds, which dui'ing the spring-months form 

 the bright flower-cover in the cultivated fields of the lowlands and especially of Messaria. 



To the hill-region belongs a belt of medium-sized ridges, which from the Troodos-range diverge 

 into all directions. Further I reckon to this region the whole northern mountain-range, the highest sum- 

 mits of which reach only a little more than 1000 m. above the sea-level. 



Especially characteristic of this region is the vast distribution of the maquis-societies (shinia- 

 maquis as well as cistrose-maquis). Moreover comparatively considerable forest-stretches are here found, 

 with Pinus halepensis, Quercus alnifolia (and various other flat-leaved trees), and on the northern moun- 

 tain-range Cupresstis sempervirens as the chief tree-species creative of forest. 



The majority of the Mediterranean types of evergreen foliferous trees and shrubs reach to the 

 upper part of this region, and even here they play a predominant part in the landscape. This is the 

 case with for instance: Olea europaea, Ceratonia Siliqua, Arbutus Andrachne. Quercus alnifolia and coc- 

 cifera, Pistacia Lentiscus, a. 0. In part they climb still higher up, into the next region. Above all this 

 applies to Quercus alnifolia, which just in "the mountain-region" has its greatest importance as foreat- 

 tree, but it is also applicable to the majority of the other species here mentioned. 



'') Hartmann, Die Wakier d. Insel Cypeni, p. 169 — 171. 



