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Flora on serpentinite gravel on the island of Rhodes
In the middle of the Island of Rhodes around Laerma there are big areas, which consist of serpentinite gravel and in which small, very special plants are growing, which elsewhere are only occuring in Western Turkey in similar biotopes. In the north of the island southeast of Pastida there is a small serpentinite region, too. These areas are rarely cultivated, there are only few olive groves. The serpentinite is of volcanic origin, and disintegrates at the surface of the earth. Most plants in these biotopes are rather small and delicate. Often they are growing in flutes caused by erosion, where moisture is most likely to be retained. Specialists for these extreme biotopes are the following plants:
Silene salamandra / Rhodian Catchfly Caryophyllaceae / Campion Fam.		Silene salamandra / Rhodian Catchfly Caryophyllaceae / Campion Fam.		Cerastium dominici / Dominique´s Mouse-Ear Caryophyllaceae / Campion Fam.
Silene tunicoides / Tunic Catchfly Caryophyllaceae / Campion Fam.		Silene tunicoides / Tunic Catchfly Caryophyllaceae / Campion Fam.		Alyssum pogonocarpum / Rhodian Alyssum, Beard-Fruited Alison Brassicaceae / Crucifers
Alyssum simplex / Common Alison Brassicaceae / Crucifers		Alyssum simplex / Common Alison Brassicaceae / Crucifers		Alyssum strigosum / Slender Alison Brassicaceae / Crucifers
Aethionema arabicum / Slender Alison Brassicaceae / Crucifers   Anthemis rhodensis / Slender Alison Brassicaceae / Crucifers
Linum virgultorum / Bushy Flax Linaceae / Linseed Fam.		Allium junceum ? / Red Serpentinite Leek Amaryllidaceae / Amaryllis Fam.
Some of the special plants I could not find: the red-pinkish flowering Bolanthus confertifolius, the white Bufonia ophiolitica (both Caryophyllaceae), the pinkish flowering Centaurium serpentinicola (Gentianaceae), as well as the small blue Solenopsis laurentia (Campanulaceae), for the latter one I was probably too early in middle to end of March.   In this area there are other plants, too, which are not only specialists for serpentinite, but can also be found in other biotopes:
Gagea rigida / Acute-Flowered Star of Bethlehem Liliaceae / Lily Fam.		Fritillaria rhodia / Rhodian Fritillary Liliaceae / Lily Fam.		Fritillaria rhodia / Rhodian Fritillary Liliaceae / Lily Fam.
Gagea peduncularis / Stalked Star of Bethlehem Liliaceae / Lily Fam.		Tuberaria guttata / Spotted Rock-Rose Cistaceae / Rockrose Fam.		Fumana arabica / Mediterranean Sun-Rose Cistaceae / Rockrose Fam.
Linaria chalepensis / Mediterranean Toadflax, Aleppo Toadflax Plantaginaceae / Plantain Fam.		Linaria simplex / Simple Toadflax Plantaginaceae / Plantain Fam.		Rumex bucephalophorus / Horned Dock Polygonaceae / Knotweed Fam.
Plantago cretica / Cretan Plantain Plantaginaceae / Plantain Fam.		Plantago afra / Fleawort Plantaginaceae / Plantain Fam.		Valerianella vesicaria / Bladder Corn Salad Caprifoliaceae / Honeysuckle Fam.
Arenaria rhodia / Rhodian Sandwort Caryophyllaceae / Campion Fam.		Sabulina tenuifolia subsp. hybrida / Fine-Leaved Sandwort, Slender-Leaf Sandwort Caryophyllaceae / Campion Fam.		Draba verna agg. / Common Whitlowgrass Brassicaceae / Crucifers
Sedum eriocarpum subsp. caricum / Carian Stonecrop Crassulaceae / Stonecrop Fam.		Arisarum vulgare / Friar's Cowl Araceae / Arum Fam.		Achyrophorus valdesii / Mediterranean Cat's-Ear Asteraceae / Composite Fam.
Medicago monspeliaca / Hairy Trigonella, Star-Fruited Fenugreek Fabaceae / Legumes		Medicago rigidula ? / Rigid Medick, Tifton Burclover Fabaceae / Legumes		Medicago constricta / Contracted Medick Fabaceae / Legumes
Hymenocarpos circinnatus / Disk Trefoil Fabaceae / Legumes		Securigera parviflora / Small-Flowered Hatchet Vetch Fabaceae / Legumes		Hypecoum procumbens / Sickle-Fruited Hypecoum Papaveraceae / Poppy Fam.
Lysimachia linum-stellatum / Flax-Leaved Loosestrife Primulaceae / Primrose Fam.		Euphorbia taurinensis / Torino Spurge Euphorbiaceae / Spurge Fam.		Euphorbia peplus / Petty Spurge Euphorbiaceae / Spurge Fam.
Valantia hispida / Hairy Valantia Rubiaceae / Bedstraw Fam.		Sherardia arvensis / Field Madder Rubiaceae / Bedstraw Fam.		Geranium lucidum / Shining Crane's-Bill Geraniaceae / Crane's-Bill Fam.
Salvia viridis / Annual Clary Lamiaceae / Mint Fam.		Clinopodium graveolens subsp. rotundifolium ? / Round-Leaved Calamint Lamiaceae / Mint Fam.   rather Clinopodium acinos (= Acinos arvensis) ?		Scrophularia lucida / Shining-Leaved Figwort Scrophulariaceae / Figwort Fam.
Some plants don't reach their normal size on the lean serpentinite gravel.
Cardamine hirsuta / Hairy Bitter-Cress Brassicaceae / Crucifers		Scandix pecten-veneris / Shepherd's Needle Apiaceae / Umbellifers		Centranthus calcitrapae / Annual Valerian Caprifoliaceae / Honeysuckle Fam.
At the hill Kapasa southeast of Artamiti monastery I found the following plants:
Papaver purpureomarginatum / Red-fringed Poppy Papaveraceae / Poppy Fam.		Viola heldreichiana / Heldreich's Violet Violaceae / Violet Fam.		Lysimachia loeflingii / Scarlet Pimpernel Primulaceae / Primrose Fam.
Geranium purpureum / Little Robin, Lesser Herb Robert Geraniaceae / Crane's-Bill Fam.		Veronica trichadena / Pale Speedwell Plantaginaceae / Plantain Fam.		Malcolmia chia / Chian Stock, Aegaean Stock Brassicaceae / Crucifers
Most plants are small herbs. There are hardly any more shrubs than those showed in the following photos.
Euphorbia acanthothamnos / Greek Spiny Spurge Euphorbiaceae / Spurge Fam.		Calicotome villosa / Hairy Thorny Broom Fabaceae / Legumes		Genista acanthoclada subsp. echinus / Thorny Broom Fabaceae / Legumes
Lavandula stoechas / French Lavender Lamiaceae / Mint Fam.				Pinus brutia / Calabrian Pine Pinaceae / Pine Fam.
At the brook which is crossed by the dirt road northwest of Laerma between chapel Agios Georgios and Artamiti monastery e.g. the following plants are growing:
Platanus orientalis / Oriental Plane-Tree Platanaceae / Plane Tree Fam.		Ficaria chrysocephala / Eastern Fig Buttercup Ranunculaceae / Buttercup Fam.		Leontodon tuberosus / Tuberous Hawkbit Asteraceae / Composite Fam.
At other sites around Laerma I found more plants in the serpentinite area:
Clinopodium nanum / Dwarf Calamint Lamiaceae / Mint Fam.		Plantago weldenii / Buck's-horn Plantain Plantaginaceae / Plantain Fam.		Gagea graeca / Greek Gagea Liliaceae / Lily Fam.
Further east below Kamiri monastery I found also the following plants in the serpentinite area:
Iberis carnosa / Pruit's Candytuft Brassicaceae / Crucifers		Ranunculus paludosus / Fan-Leaved Buttercup, Jersey Buttercup Ranunculaceae / Buttercup Fam.		Silene salamandra / Rhodian Catchfly Caryophyllaceae / Campion Fam.
Surely this plant list is not yet complete. It will be continued on occasion.

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8.8.2023

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