CSE Sites in Eastern Crete, Greece. 1995

95/01

Selena Area. Junction of the road from Gonies to Krasi. 397m
Aspect: West, 75% shade, Slope 1:1. Prodominantly Quercus coccifera scrub. Soil: 2cm Quercus litter decomposing at bottom. Clayey loam. Very smooth red clay, less organic matter with depth. Boulders at surface. A lot of competition with scrub for light. No regeneration.
Growing with: Grasses, Oxalis pres capae, Phlomis cretica, Phyllyria, Euramnus, Iris unquicularis, Anenome heldreichii, Asparagus sp. Geranium robertianum, Salvia trilobus, Osycus.

95/03

On road from north coastal road, to Kastelli, shortly affter turn-off to Lassithi. 61m
Aspect: North-north-east (30 degrees). 80% shade Slope 1:1 with C. creticum growing mostly in level parts. Soil: Rocks at surface, 2.5cm leaf litter, loam with lots of organic matter. Cliff composed of hard dry stoney, clayey deposits with no organic matter. C. creticum regenerating well "damp ditch thickest on a man made gully". Sparse ground vegetation with much bare ground covered with leaf litter of main trees. C. creticum growing at bottom of gully and extending upwards.
Growing with: (Gully) Nerium oleander, Quercus coccifera, Serotina siliqua, Phyliria, Oxalis, Dracunculus vulgaris, Arum concinnatum, Stachys, Pistacio. (Cliff) Quercus, Phlomis, Anenome heldreichii, Composites, orchids, grasses.

95/05

Scree, just before pass onto Lassithi plain, road from Krasi. 825m
Aspect: North-north-west. Slope 1:1. 0% shade Soil: "Buried beneath rocks". Stabilised scree, no movement for centuries. C. creticum growing under spiny bushes & in rock crevices. Sun in mid-late afternoon. Regeneration occurring, no flowering plants as considered too early.
Growing with: Hedera helix, mosses, grasses, Allium sp., Sarcoptrem spinosum, Anthemis sp., Sedum sp., Euphorbia sp., Rumex acetacella, Dracunculus sp., Anenome sp., Urginea maritima, Eringynum caripeli, Geranium robertianum.

95/07

Agios Nikolaos to Sitia road, between Kavousi and Lastros. 400m
Aspect: North. Slope 1:0.5. 40% shade Soil: Dry clayey loam with little organic matter under 5mm leaf litter. C. creticum plants with longer stems due to dense shrub layer. Healthhy plants, regeneration occuring. Olive trees at top of bank providing some shade at noon.
Growing with: Rubia sp., Quercus coccifera, Erica, Euphorbia chavac, Osyris, Composites, Oxalis pres capae, Geranium robertianum

95/10

Sitia Area: Church past Toplou Monastery. 92m
Aspect: West. Slope 1:8, Shade 0% Soil: Hard packed clay with lots of stone and rocks. Open grazed turf/moorland, exposed hilltop Very unnatural site. Probably moved to the church from elsewhere. Although some regeneration, small population of 65 plants, and not present outside very restricted patch.
Growing with: Pistacio, Salvia trifoliata, Cystus, Plantago lagopus, Geranium robertianum, Grasses, Carex sp., Habeacea sp., Anagallis avenesis, Crocus sp.,Verleurianella locusta

95/12

Zakros Gorge. 100m
Aspect: North, Slope - level, Shade 60%. Soil: Sandy, not a lot of decayed organic matter. Rocks at surface. Gorge bottom, flood plain of stream. Dry at time of visit. Plants occasionally flooded by flash floods. Very healthy plants with more flowers than previously seen. Lots of regeneration, large population.
Growing with: Nerium oleander, Aristotia cretica, Oxalis pres capae,, Dracunculus vulgaris, Salvia, Thistle, Vitex, Acanthus spinossimus, Salaginella sp., Bryonia cretica, Phlomis cretica, Arum concinnatum, Geranium robertianum, Grasses.

95/13

Lerapetra Area, north of Stavrohori, in a slight gully. 336m
Aspect: East, Slope 1:1.5, 50% shade. Soil: Some decayed organic matter, loamy soil, no stones near surface North side of gully, growing in undergrowth. Lots off regeneration. Very pink flowered population, good leaves some typically C. repandum.
Growing with: Pistacio, Olives, Carob tree, Ficus, grasses, Oxalis pres capae, Erica, Acanthus spinosimus, Sorrellia, Ophrys, Urginea, Rubus, Hedera helix, Nerium oleander, Euphorbia cracetus, Anenome heldreichii.

95/14

Sitia Area: Steep sided gorge near Vori. Vori is in middle of island just west of main road from Sitia to the south. 336m
Aspect North-northeast. Slope 1:0 (vertical) Shade 0-80%. Soil: Very stony, clay, little if any . decayed organic matter. Plants at bottom, to several metres up the sides of the gorge. Healthy plants, regeneration occuring.
Growing with: Olive trees, Salvia trifoliata, Spartium, Erica, Ophrys scolupax, Hedera helix, Oxalis pres capa, grasses, composites, Sarcopterum spinosum, Ranunculus creticus, Geranium robertianum, Campanula, Umbelliferas, Allium subhirsutum, Iris unguicularis, Anenome heldreichi Arum concinnatum.
Plants with speckled leaves at this site were fairly common, but these plants were not yet in flower so were excluded from the survey.

95/15

East facing gully south of Kalivitis. Kalivitis is east of Lerapetra, a few kilometres inland from south coast at Mavros Kolimbos. 150m
Aspect: East. Slope 1:2, 60-70% shade. Soil: Rocks at surface, decaying organic matter on surface 2cm deep. Very healthy population, lots of regeneration. Plants growing in gully bottom, in shade of Carob and Pine trees.
Growing with: Carob tree, Pinus brutea, Nerium oleander, Cystus, Gladiolus, Erica, Carex, grasses Taruxicum, composites, Geranium robertianum, Thisles, Umbelliferas, Hedera helix, Trifolium sp. Salvvia trifoliatum, Arisarum vulgare, Myrtus communis, Oxalis pres capae, Labiates.

95/16

North of Anatoli. Anatoli is just west of Lerapetra and inland from south coast. 625m
Aspect: North, Slope 1:1, Shade 30%, but would have been about 80% before fire. Soil: Thin layer of pinus needles. Thin layer of ash. Many rocks protruding through the soil. Clayey loam. Burnt Pine woodland with a lot of bare ground. Plants not yet in full flower. A lot of regeneration, some good leaf forms.
Growing with: Pinus brutia, Juniperus, Quercus coccifera, Ranunculus, Gladiolus, grasses, thistle Iris unguicularis, Ophrys fusca, Ophrys sphegodes Orchis anatolica, Geranium robertianum, Barlia robertiana, Allium hirsutum, Euphorbia

95/17

West of Lerapetra on minor road between Istro on north coast to Anatoli and south coast. 610m
Aspect: Gully South-east, Slope 1:1.5, 20% shade but would have been 80-90% before fire. Soil: Very stony red clay. No litter layer but some ash. Burnt Quercus coccifera in small gully. Fire in summer off 1994 (probably), not as much re-growth as a site 95/16. Regeneration occuring.
Growing with: Quercus coccifera, Oxalis pres capae, thistles, grasses, Dracunculus, Umbelliferas, Rubia, Geranium robertianum, Triffolium, Arum, Anenome heldreichii, composites, crucifers, Myrtus, Clematis.

95/18

Just north of Lerapetra 183m
Aspect: Northwest. Slope 1:0.75, shade 80% Soil: Litter layer 2-3cm, layer offf partly decomposed organic matter. Quercus coccifera scrub. Not a lot of regeneration.
Growing with: Quercus coccifera, Pinus brutia, Carob, Cystus, grasses, Carex, Salvia, composites, Smilax, Pistaceo, Tamus communus, Iris unguicularis, Umbelliferas, Oxalis pres capae, thistles, Urginea maritima, Asphodelus, Erica.

95/19

South of Dikti Mountains, near Kato Simi. 580m
Aspect: South. Slope 1:4 up river bed, 1:0.5 up sides. 50% shade. Soil: Litter layer 2-10cm, decomposing litter 2cm. Clay loam, lots of organic matter, no redness, some stones, some rocks sticking through surface. Gulley with near vertical sides rising at a slope of 1:3 perhaps steeper. South facing gully, warm deep leaf litter Very healthy plants, lots of regeneration. Some growing in tree crotches up to 1m from the ground.
Growing with: Iris unguicularis, Vinca major, Platanus orientalis, Myrtus communis, Nerium oleander, Pinus brutia, Clematis cirrhosa, Rubus fruticosa, Lonicera, Ranunculus cretica, Geranium robertianum, Tanus communis, Hedera helix, Urginea maritima, Carex sp., Arisarum vulgare, Valeriana, Phlomis cretica, Erica, Euphorbia

95/20

Up the mountain behind Elounda. 244m
Aspect: North-northeast, Slope: 1:2, 0-80% shade. Soil: Red clay. Fairly stable scree, some under Quercus coccifera. Plants slightly stressed - habitat seemed dry for C. creticum.
Growing with: Quercus coccifera, Salvia triloba, Phydellus astebus, composites, Mulcomia sp., Ranunculus asiaticus, Annagyrus sp., thistles, Urginea maritima, Geranium robertianum, Arisarum vulgare, Clematis cirrhosa, Umbelliferas, grasses. Euphorbia creticus, Acanthus spinosisima, Dracunculus, Asphodelus aestivus, Urginea maritima

95/21

North of Elounda, between Kato Loumas and Vrouhas. 244m
Aspect: North. Slope 1:2. 80% shade. No soil data. Under a tree, shallow gully manipulated by cultivation. Some olives. Goat droppings. Reasonable regeneration. Plants very healthy and very vigorous (huge). Small population.
Growing with: Quercus coccifera, Oxalis pres capae Callacatome vallosa, Dracunculus, Salvia triloba, Urginea maritima, Sarcopterum spinosum, thistles.

95/22

West of Elounda, North-northeast of Neapoli, between Nofalias and Kourounes. 549m
Aspect East-northeast. Slope 1:0 to 1:0.5, but 1:1.5 at top of site. 70% shade. Soil: No leaf litter, some organic matter in clay. Very rocky with crevices at bottom. More plants where it levelled off to spiny scrub. Growing conditions reasonably good, but flowering sparse at bottom, better at top.
Growing with: Quercus coccifera, Phlomis, Salvia triloba, Sarcopterum, Euphorbia santhoccum, composites, Salginella, Asphodellus, Urginea, Anenome heldreichii, Allium subhirsuitum, Dracunculus vulgaris, labiates, Pistaceo, Cystus

95/23

South-west of Agios Nikolaos, between Kritsa and Kroustas. 366m
Aspect: Gully - Northeast, Plants - Southeast. Slope 1:4 to 1:1. 90% shade. Soil: Litter layer 0-2cm, red clay with some organic matter. Mature Quercus coccifera woodland with much bare ground. Very favourable growing conditions, apart from goat activity - mostly disturbance from trampling, Regeneration very good.
Growing with: Quercus coccifera, Geranium robertianum, grasses, Phlomis creticum, Callicotome vallosa, composites, thistles, umbelliferas, Asparagus, Urginea, mosses.

95/24

Just north of Kato Amigdali, which is west of Agios Nikolaos, south of Neapoli. 519m
Aspect: North (10 degrees). Slope 1:0.5 to 1:2 50+% shade. Soil: Leaf litter layer 3cm, with 2cm decomposing litter layer. Red clay & organic matter making a loam. Dense Quercus coccifera scrub/woodland. Average growing conditions.
Growing with: Quercus coccifera, Salvia triloba, Calacotome velosa, Sarcopterum sppinosum, Iris unguicularis, Oxalis pres-capae, Labiates, Geranium robertianum, grasses, Galium, umbellifera composites, Asphodelus aestivas, Allium, Daphne, Carex.

95/25

Northeast of Lassithi Plain, Southwest of Neapoli. Just out of Exo Potami. 854m
Aspect: Southeast, Slope 1:1, 50% shade. No soil . data. Open Quercus coccifera woodland, some lose rocks. Not many plants in flower probably due to altitude.
Growing with: Quercus coccifera, Salvia triloba, Nerium oleander, Euphorbia, Taraxicum, Trifolium, mosses, Cystus, Paeonia, Clematis, Sarcopterum spinosum, umbelliferas, grasses, legumes, Daphne sericea, Ranunculus creticus, Ranunculus ficaria.

95/26

Lassithi Plain: On path to Kronos Cave. 854m
Aspect: West. Slope 1:4. 50-60% shade. No soil data. Old terraces with Quercus coccifera woodland. Reasonable regeneration, but a relatively small population. No flowers yet, probably due to altitude.
Growing with: Quercus coccifera, Euphorbia characias, grasses, Hedera helix, umbelliferas, Rubus, Prunus, Rubrae, Osyris, Sarcopterum spinosum, Cystus, Asphodelus aestivus, Daphne sericea, composites, labiates.

95/29

South side of Lassithi Plain. Above road at the east exit from Kaminaki. 1068m
Aspect: North. Slope almost 1:0. Shade 90%. Soil: Leaf litter 1cm. Soil quite high in organic matter but still a clay base. Moist, probably due to irrigation above. Regeneration very good, and very dense but restricted population. No flowers probably due to altitude.