Information about rare plants of Crimea. Blooming Crimea (a short botanical reference book). Dangerous plants of Crimea - yew berry
The Crimean flora is characterized by enormous diversity. In a small area there are forest, steppe, semi-desert and desert natural areas. Their distribution is related to the climate and topography of the peninsula. There are about 250 endemic plants in Crimea, some representatives of the flora are relics ice age. Mediterranean species have taken root well on the South Coast.
Below are some representatives of the flora of Crimea with brief description and photo.
Colchicum ankara
Colchicum ankara
The corm perennial grows in the steppes and on mountain slopes. The height of the plant is only 5 cm. The lanceolate leaves have a bluish coating. Flowering depending on temperature regime starts in January-March. Colchicum flowers have a pink-purple hue similar to a crocus. However, unlike the crocus, the flowers and leaves of the plant appear simultaneously. Colchicum refers to poisonous plants, today it is listed in the Red Book.
Astragalus bristulosa
Astragalus bristulosa
The perennial herbaceous plant is listed as an endangered species. Currently, it is preserved only in three regions of the southern coast of Crimea. The relic grows on rocks and slopes, its height is 15 cm. The shoots are covered with stiff hairs, the narrow foliage has soft pubescence. The plant has increased drought resistance. Purple flowers bloom in May.
Magnolia grandiflora
Magnolia grandiflora
The evergreen tree grows up to 30 m. It has a thick trunk and a dense crown. The leathery leaves have a pointed shape. Large white flowers attract attention. Magnolia blooms all summer and bears fruit in mid-autumn. Flowers and fruits contain a large number of essential oil. Today they are widely used in perfumery.
Real lady's slipper
Real lady's slipper
The Red Book perennial of the orchid family is found in the mountain belt, foothills and on the southern coast of Crimea. The length of the flowering stem is 60 cm, the green leaves have an oval-lanceolate shape. The flower is shaped like a shoe, hence the name orchid. During the flowering period, the plant emits a pleasant aroma, attracting insects. Prefers shaded mixed forests and edges, less common in open areas. The main threat to the lady's slipper population is mass collection for bouquets and digging up roots for replanting in gardens.
Snowdrop folded
Snowdrop folded
The perennial bulbous plant belongs to the Amaryllis family. It can be found on the edges of forests, among bushes, and in mountainous areas. The height of the snowdrop is 25 cm, the dark green leaves are covered with a bluish coating. The plant blooms in early spring, flowering lasts about a month. White single flowers exude a delicate aroma. At the end of spring, the foliage disappears until next year; the growing season continues in the underground part. The number of snowdrops has decreased significantly due to human economic and commercial activities.
Common barberry
Common barberry
The branched and thorny shrub grows up to 1.5 m. The shoots become yellowish with age. gray shade. The foliage is located in the axils of the spines. In autumn it becomes a rich red color, which gives the bush a decorative appearance. Barberry blooms in May, the flowers are collected in a raceme. Red elliptical berries ripen in September-October. Barberry is considered medicinal plant. Preparations based on it have choleretic, antispasmodic and diuretic effects. The wood is used to make crafts and souvenirs.
Yew berry
Yew berry
The coniferous tree is a relic of Crimea. It is found in forests and on mountain slopes, very rarely forming small groves. The yew grows very slowly, the annual growth is only 2 cm. The lifespan of the tree is amazing, the age of some individuals is 4000 years. Yew is the only representative of conifers that does not have resin. However, the bark, needles and wood are very poisonous. The tree can be recognized by the conical shape of the crown, red-brown bark and bright red shoots. Wood has been in demand since ancient times; it is heavy, elastic and resistant to rotting. Today about economic use there is no question. All yew areas on Earth, including Crimea, are protected areas.
Pistachio obtufolia
Pistachio obtufolia
The tree came to the island from. The lifespan can be 1000 years. The height of the pistachio reaches 8 m, it has a dense crown and ashy-colored bark. The oval leaves are collected in a bunch, the flowers are inconspicuous. The fruits, spherical drupes, ripen in late summer. The plant is drought-resistant, tolerates highly saline soils, but needs intense lighting. Pistachio does not form independent plantings. In many fruits, the seeds simply do not ripen, which is why the tree does not reproduce well. The wood is very dense and heavy. Pistachio is listed in the Red Book; the limiting factors are human activity, disasters, unregulated recreation and erosion.
Walnut
The tree came to Crimea from Greece and gradually spread throughout the peninsula. Adults reach a height of 30 m, average duration life is up to 3-4 centuries. The walnut has a spreading crown with numerous branches. The girth of the trunk is 2 m. The walnut is distinguished by a powerful root system that extends 20 m in different directions. The elongated leaves have a specific smell. The fruits are false drupes that contain a single seed. The nuts ripen by early September. By the wood beautiful drawing, therefore it is highly valued in furniture production.
Cypress evergreen
Cypress evergreen
The coniferous tree has a pyramidal shape. The height of the trunk is 30 m. The dark green needles have a pleasant aroma, small cones are covered with a pattern. Cypress is most common on the southern coast of Crimea. Here it forms groves and alleys and actively participates in the formation of a healing climate. The tree reaches its maximum height at the age of 100 years. It tolerates droughts and significant temperature drops well.
The flora of Crimea is very unusual and diverse. There are 2,500 species on the peninsula wild plants. This is an impressive figure. It is also necessary to note the uniqueness of the flora. There are 250 endemics here, that is, plants that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. In addition, Crimea is rich in relics - plants that have been preserved without any changes for millions of years.
Historical excursion
The plants of Crimea have been studied quite thoroughly. But, nevertheless, discoveries of new species are made regularly. And the reason for this is the uniqueness of the peninsula. As we have already noticed, the plants of Crimea are very diverse. An interesting fact is that plants of very different origins coexist everywhere on the peninsula. Among them there are relicts and endemics. In addition, there are a lot of related plants from completely different Black Sea regions: the Caucasus, the Balkans, Asia Minor. A similar phenomenon is connected with the history of Crimea.
After all, it was originally a mountainous, secluded peninsula, which over the course of thousands of years was either joined or separated many times by land isthmuses from the mainland (with the lands of the Caucasus, Asia Minor, the Balkans, and the East European Plain). Therefore, the plants of Crimea also changed. We should also not forget that more than a thousand species of exotic specimens were brought by humans over thousands of years of the history of this land. So it turned out that the flora of the peninsula acquired such a motley and diverse appearance.
Change of vegetation zones
Another feature of Crimea is a very clear change of vegetation from north to south.
The northern part of the peninsula is hilly steppes. Currently, most of them have been plowed for a long time, and therefore these lands have lost their natural appearance. Only those areas that are unsuitable for Agriculture. These are salt marshes, ravines, ravines, rocky plains.
In the foothills area, the steppes change to forest-steppe. Here, in addition to steppe plants, such species as juniper, downy oak, shaggy pear, rose hips, hornbeam, etc. grow.
With height, oak forests give way to beech forests. 200-250-year-old trees amaze with their power and pristine, gloomy beauty. It is always very gloomy here, there is even no undergrowth or grass cover, there is only a thick layer of fallen leaves. At an altitude of about a thousand meters, huge, mighty beeches give way to gnarled, stunted trees.
At the very top, the forests give way to flat peaks, which are separated from each other by very deep passes. Externally, the yailas look like steppes. It is here that a quarter of all endemic species of the peninsula are found.
Further, closer to the sea, there is a belt of beech-pine and pine forests, which consists of Crimean pine and Scots pine. There are also oaks, beeches, and hornbeams here. Natural pine forests are more pronounced on the South Coast, which cannot be said about the southeastern part.
South coast
Even further south begins the shiblyak belt, consisting of hornbeam, downy oak, juniper, small-fruited strawberry, pistachio and many others. In the southeast, the climate is very dry, so shiblyak is very rare.
But on the South Coast they are quite thick. In general, the vegetation of the South Coast is close to the Mediterranean, but has been greatly altered by man. Most of the territory is occupied by health resorts, gardens, vineyards, and roads. Also, extensive parks have been created here by human hands, in which species brought to the peninsula grow. Imagine that many plants have been living here for about 200 years. Currently, all parks have become an integral part and among them are the famous Alupkinsky, Forossky, Livadia, Massandra, and what is the well-known park that contains not only the plants of the Crimea (photos are given in the article), but also many imported exotic species.
It must be said that the parks themselves have long merged with evergreen natural thickets and represent a single whole.
Reserves of Crimea
Plants of Crimea are protected by laws. Four completely new nature reserves and sixteen wildlife sanctuaries have been created on the peninsula. Natural monuments, protected areas, and protected parks are also protected.
Near Nikitsky botanical garden The Cape Martyan Nature Reserve is located. Also on the peninsula is Yalta, which contains rare plants of the Crimea. It's just small part protected places of this region. All of them are unique and interesting in their own way; each has its own task of preserving relict and endemic plants. In our article we want to describe some of them.
Beech
Beech is a genus of the Beech family. Two species grow in Crimea: ordinary and eastern. Both of them have a regal appearance and play an important soil and water conservation role. A tree lives from 250 to 350 years. It blooms for the first time at the age of 30, and maybe even at 60 or 80 years. It blooms in April with the simultaneous opening of leaves. In autumn, nuts appear on the tree. Squirrels, roe deer, wild boars, and deer feed on them. Beech oil is very valuable; its properties are not inferior to olive oil.
Well, there’s no need to talk about wood. Due to its special properties, it is used to make barrels for expensive wines, parquet, musical instruments, yachts In the distant past, trees in Crimea were mercilessly cut down. And now they are under protection. The grove on Ai-Petri is generally a protected area.
Oak
Oak belongs to the Beech family. There are approximately 450 varieties of this plant in the world. The bark and wood of the tree are highly prized. In Crimea there is a rather rare fluffy oak tree that lives for more than a thousand years. Such a thousand-year-old plant is located not far from Foros. Its girth is five and a half meters. And in the Bakhchisarai region a tree with a girth of eight meters was found. Back in 1820, a cork grove was established in the Nikitsky Garden, which continues to thrive to this day. Scientists of the garden have settled throughout the South Coast. Now this is a plant of Southern Crimea.
Small-fruited strawberry
The plants and animals of Crimea are so diverse that they never cease to amaze. A South coast- a unique place, a piece of subtropics, where very special plants grow, which, in principle, could not take root in these parts, but thanks to the unique microclimate created by the mountains, they feel great here.
One of these plants is the small-fruited strawberry. This evergreen tree, numbering more than twenty species growing in North America and the Mediterranean. In Crimea, the plant is found only on the southern coast. It has been preserved in these places since the Tertiary period, and is currently listed in the Red Book. The tree reaches a height of six meters. It is characterized by a bizarrely curved trunk and sinuous branch tips. The tree produces fruits very similar to strawberries. They are quite edible. Since plants have decorative look, they are cultivated in the parks of the peninsula. And in the vicinity of Gaspra there are several trees, the age of which, according to scientists, is close to a thousand years.
Figs
Figs are also called His homeland - the Mediterranean. I must say that this evergreen, there are more than 800 of its species. Fruits are of particular value to humans. They are eaten fresh, dried, and made into jam. In general, this is a very ancient plant on earth; it has been cultivated since time immemorial. However, it is not known exactly when and by whom this tree was brought to the world. Currently, in the famous Nikitsky Garden there are 300 species of figs. The tree has a powerful root system. There are no usual flowers on the tree. But the fruit looks like a bag with seeds inside.
Cypress evergreen
This is a coniferous evergreen tree. It came to Crimea from Greece. It acclimatized here in ancient times. But it became widespread in the 18th century, when many plants were brought in by order of Potemkin. The evergreen cypress has a pyramidal shape. Its needles are very soft to the touch. The cones are small and round in shape, like a soccer ball. Cypress seeds provide food for many birds: grosbeaks, woodpeckers, finches, and robins. In addition, the tree is known for its medicinal properties.
Even the ancient Greeks noticed the positive effect of cypress on people with diseased lungs. Modern scientists have proven that essential oils of the tree have a strong bactericidal effect, which can suppress staphylococcus, Koch's bacillus and other bacteria. IN medicinal purposes Tree cones are also used. The wood is particularly durable, resistant to decay and has a wonderful aroma. It has been valued since time immemorial.
Orchid
Orchids are very common in the tropics. This species includes the well-known spice vanilla and a great variety of species grown in greenhouses. There are 39 varieties of this plant in Crimea, 20 of which can be found in Laspi. According to meteorologists, this is the most warm place throughout the South Coast. It is also jokingly called “Crimean Africa”. It is for this reason that many endemic plants are found here.
Red Book of Crimea. Plants included in it
Crimea is a completely unique place that has gathered truly untold riches in the form of flora and fauna. Any tourist who has visited the peninsula for the first time never ceases to admire its beauty and amazing plants. And there really is something to see and admire here. What's it worth? rich history this region.
If we talk about unique plants peninsula, many of them are under protection and have long been listed in the Red Book. The plants of Crimea, which we described in the article, are very interesting and worthy of detailed attention. We would also like to dwell on those species that, for one reason or another, have already been included in the Red Book. There are more than 250 of them. Let's list just a few of them:
- River horsetail.
- The bone is elegant.
- North Costenz.
- Juniper deltoid.
- Stephen's maple.
- Ira is graceful.
- Oak cuff.
- The onion is reddish.
- Hawthorn cuneifolia.
- Meadow sage.
- Crimean dandelion.
- Bibirstein Tulip.
- Forest grapes.
- Sea damask.
- Cystoseira bearda.
Instead of an afterword
Crimea is a completely unique and amazing place. In addition to its extraordinary beauty, it amazes with the richness of its flora. On the entire planet, perhaps, there are not many places that can boast of such a wealth of species of flora, imported from other regions and taking root in a new place.
- Go to: Guide to Crimea
Rich and varied vegetable world Crimea, and the list of wild plants of the peninsula includes more than 2,500 species. Interestingly, about 90% of all plant species are found in the mountainous Crimea. In addition, about 1,500 plant species are acclimatized in Crimea.
47 species of plants growing on the peninsula are included in the Red Book. The abundance of endangered species in itself is evidence of the threatening situation in which they find themselves as a result of the excessive recreational load on the Crimean nature.
A peculiarity of the Crimean landscapes is that here typical Central European plants coexist with Mediterranean plants and people from Western Asia. Some relict plants from the pre-glacial period have been preserved on the peninsula, such as small-fruited strawberry, tall juniper, and Comperia compera orchid). In Crimea, 142 plant species are endemic, i.e. they are nowhere except Crimean peninsula, do not meet.
Butcher's broom - this exotic Mediterranean plant exists on a narrow strip of the South Coast, and here its habitat is very small. It has tough dark green leaves and red berries that can be seen even in winter. And the fact that the butcher's broom is very similar to leaves is special flat branches. The real leaves are located in the center of these plates and are almost invisible. It got its name - butcher's broom - for its thorniness. Therefore, solid “pillows” of butcher’s broom, which can sometimes be found under trees, resemble special type a wire on which someone specially strung orange and red berry balls.
Beech forests are the darkest and most mysterious. Only very shade-loving plants grow under the canopy of a beech forest, since weak leaves make their way through the dense canopy of leaves. green light: Beech leaves create an almost impenetrable “roof”. In the beech forest, lush ferns make their way here and there, reminiscent of the prehistoric forest of the Carboniferous period with its ferns, horsetails and mosses... And in places where the crystal pure water shoots up among the boulders straight from the ground, you can find an unnaturally bright green carpet of moss saturated with moisture.
The strawberry trunk seems to be dressed in suede instead of bark. Small-fruited strawberry, or also called coral tree, is the only evergreen deciduous tree in the flora of Crimea. The leathery leaves of the strawberry can withstand even the snow that falls on the South Coast. Young strawberry trees are hardly noticeable, but in Crimea there are giant strawberry trees that are hundreds of years old.
In the dilapidated stone walls of Chersonesus, sometimes you come across strange bouquets of berries growing right from the walls, sometimes resembling a very beautiful beard of a forester... This is ephedra, which is so unlike any other plant that it is the only one in our flora that forms a separate family of Ephedras. Ephedra has no leaves, only twigs that resemble a beard.
There are 47 orchid species in Crimea, about 20 of which are found in Laspi Bay. Crimean orchids like gems: small, but they have no price, and the rarest of them is Compera’s comperia. Once upon a time, a botany lover, the Frenchman Compere, who had an estate in Laspi, discovered this species. Comperia flowers are pinkish-brown, and each flower appears to thin out, ending in thin threads. Apart from Crimea, this flower is found only in some areas of Asia Minor. In other Crimean orchids interesting names: orchis, lyubka, dremlik; ofris, whose flowers look like bumblebees.
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The official status of the Red Book of the Republic of Crimea ensures reliable state protection of those included in it biological species and imposes strict legal liability on individuals who harm their populations.
This publication includes 297 species of vascular plants, 35 species of bryophytes, 18 species of macrophyte algae, 22 species of lichens and 33 species of macroscopic fungi. This is the order in which these groups appear in the book. Vascular plants are divided into the divisions psilotophytes, horsetails, pteridophytes, gymnosperms and flowering plants; then bryophytes into hepatic and leaf-stem mosses, algae into green, ochrophytic, red and charophytic, and fungi into marsupials and basidiophytes.
Within each department, orders, families, genera and species are given in alphabetical order(according to Latin names). The Red Book of the Republic of Crimea takes into account the latest achievements of world science in the field of macrosystematics of vascular plants. In particular, the classification of flowering plants is given according to the APG III system (see Reveal, Chase, 2011), that is, their traditional division into monocots and dicotyledons is not accepted in this publication. The systems of pteridophytes (Christenhusz and Chase, 2014) and gymnosperms (Christenhusz et al., 2011) were also borrowed from the most modern publications.
The names of vascular plant species are given for the most part By " Natural flora Crimean Peninsula" (Ena, 2012). Deviations are mainly related to new information, published in later works (in particular, on many orchids, tulips, and Norica), less often with the author’s position of the compilers of essays (on hawthorns and Crimean cabbage). A small part of the species included in the Red Book, but not in the “Natural Flora of the Crimean Peninsula”, were first discovered in Crimea only in the last two to three years (Haussknecht’s kostenets, rocky hermit, a number of species of dormouse).
Essays on each species include Russian and Latin names, conservation status taxon, brief information about its habitat, a description of the features of morphology and biology, threat factors and accepted and necessary measures security
The description of each species is accompanied by a color illustration (photo or drawing), the author of which is indicated at the end of the essay (in the case of two photographs, the author is indicated in order from left to right)
The description of each species is also accompanied by a map with a grid designation of its locations on the territory of the Republic of Crimea. The basis of these maps is a map of the main landscape zones of Crimea (Development of Priorities, 1999), reproduced here from symbols on the next page. The distribution of species is marked on maps in 10*10 km squares. Red dots mark squares where the location of the species is confirmed by modern finds made after 1994. Blue dots mean that the species was present in this square according to information obtained before 1994, but has now either disappeared, or data on its presence after 1994 have not been verified.
The Red Book of the Republic of Crimea includes all species listed in (2008; hereinafter referred to as the Code of the Russian Federation