The flora of Crimea is very unusual and diverse. There are 2,500 varieties of wild plants on the peninsula. This is an impressive number. It is 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, the Crimea is rich in relics - plants that have been preserved without any changes for millions of years.

Historical digression

The plants of the Crimea have been thoroughly studied. But, nevertheless, discoveries of new species are regularly made. And the reason for this is the uniqueness of the peninsula. As we have already noticed, the plants of the Crimea are very diverse. An interesting fact is that everywhere on the peninsula plants are very different origin. Among them there are relics 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 associated with the history of the Crimea.

After all, initially it was a mountainous secluded peninsula, which over the course of thousands of years was joined and then separated by land isthmuses from the mainland (with the lands of the Caucasus, Asia Minor, the Balkans, the East European Plain). Therefore, the plants of the Crimea also changed. We should also not forget that more than a thousand species of exotic specimens have been brought by man over the thousands of years of the history of this land. So it turned out that the flora of the peninsula acquired such a colorful and diverse look.

Change of belts of vegetation

Another feature of the Crimea is a very clear change of vegetation from north to south.

The northern part of the peninsula is hilly steppes. At present, most of them have long been plowed up, and therefore these lands have lost their natural appearance. The original appearance was preserved only by those areas that are unsuitable for Agriculture. These are solonchaks, beams, ravines, rocky plains.

In the area of ​​the foothills, the steppes change into forest-steppes. Here, apart from steppe plants, species such as juniper, fluffy oak, shaggy pear, wild rose, hornbeam, etc. grow.

With height, oak forests are replaced by beech ones. 200-250-year-old trees amaze with their power and primordial gloomy beauty. It is always very gloomy here, there is not even undergrowth and grass cover, there is only a thick layer of fallen leaves. At an altitude of about a thousand meters, huge mighty beech trees give way to gnarled, undersized trees.

At the very top, the forests give way to flat peaks, which are separated from each other by very deep passes. Outwardly, the yayla look like steppes. It is here that a quarter of all endemics of the peninsula are located.

Further, closer to the sea, there is a belt of beech-pine and pine forests, which consists of Crimean pine and Scotch pine. There are also oaks, beeches, hornbeams here. Natural pine forests are more pronounced on the South Shore, which cannot be said about the southeastern part.

South coast

Even further south, the shilyak belt begins, consisting of hornbeam, downy oak, juniper, small-fruited strawberry, pistachio and many others. In the southeast, the climate is very dry, so shilyaks are 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 very much changed by man. Most of the territory is occupied by health resorts, gardens, vineyards, roads. And also by human hands, extensive parks have been created here, in which species brought to the peninsula grow. Imagine that many plants have been living here for about 200 years. At present, all parks have become an integral part, and among them are the famous Alupkinsky, Forossky, Livadia, Massandrovsky, and what is the well-known one in which not only Crimean plants are collected (photos are given in the article), but also many imported exotic varieties.

I must say that the parks themselves have long merged with evergreen natural thickets and form a single whole.

Reserves of Crimea

Crimean plants are protected by laws. Four completely new nature reserves and sixteen sanctuaries have been created on the peninsula. Natural monuments, reserved tracts, protected parks are also under protection.

Near the Nikitsky Botanical Garden is the Cape Martyan nature reserve. Also on the peninsula is Yalta, which collected rare plants of the Crimea. This is just a small part reserved places this edge. All of them are unique and interesting in their own way, each has its own task of preserving relic and endemic plants. In our article we want to give a description of 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 a great soil and water protection role. The 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 the leaves. Nuts appear on the tree in autumn. They feed on squirrels, roe deer, wild boars, deer. Beech oil is very valuable, its properties are not inferior to olive oil.

Well, there is no need to talk about wood. Thanks to special property it is used for the manufacture of barrels for expensive wines, parquet, musical instruments, yachts. In the distant past, trees in the 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. In total, 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 that has been living for more than a thousand years. Such a thousand-year-old plant is located near 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 laid in the Nikitsky Garden, which still feels great to this day. Scientists of the garden were settled throughout the South Coast. Now it is a plant of the Southern Crimea.

Strawberry small-fruited

Plants and animals of the Crimea are so diverse that they never cease to amaze. And the South Coast is a unique place, a piece of the 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 winding tips of branches. On the tree, fruits are formed that are very similar to strawberries. They are quite edible. Since the plants have a decorative appearance, they are cultivated in the parks of the peninsula. And in the vicinity of Gaspra there are several trees, whose age, according to scientists, is approaching a thousand years.

figs

Figs are also called differently. His homeland is the Mediterranean. I must say that this is an evergreen plant, there are more than 800 of its species. For a person, fruits are of particular value. They are eaten fresh, dried, and jam is made from them. 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 in. Currently, there are 300 species of figs in the famous Nikitsky Garden. The tree has a strong root system. There are no flowers familiar to us on the tree. But the fruit looks like a bag with seeds inside.

cypress evergreen

It is a coniferous evergreen tree. It came to the Crimea from Greece. It acclimatized here in antiquity. But it became widespread in the 18th century, when many plants were brought on the orders of Potemkin. The evergreen cypress has a pyramidal shape. Its needles are very soft to the touch. The cones are small and have a round shape, like a soccer ball. Cypress seeds are food for many birds: grosbeaks, woodpeckers, finches, 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 the essential oils of the tree have the strongest bactericidal effect, which can suppress staphylococcus aureus, 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. She 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 cultivated species in greenhouses. In the Crimea, there are 39 varieties of this plant, 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 collected truly innumerable riches in the form of flora and fauna. Any tourist who has visited the peninsula for the first time never ceases to admire its beauties and amazing plants. And there really is something to see, something to admire. What is worth only richest history this edge.

If we talk about the unique plants of the peninsula, then many of them are under protection and have long been listed in the Red Book. The plants of the Crimea, the description of which we have given 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 in total. We list just a few of them:

  1. River horsetail.
  2. The bone is graceful.
  3. North Kostenets.
  4. Juniper deltoid.
  5. Maple Steven.
  6. Ira is beautiful.
  7. The cuff is oak.
  8. Red onion.
  9. Cuneiform hawthorn.
  10. meadow sage.
  11. Crimean dandelion.
  12. Tulip Bibirshtein.
  13. Forest grapes.
  14. Sea rock.
  15. Cystoseira bearded.

Instead of an afterword

Crimea is a completely unique and amazing place. In addition to extraordinary beauty, it strikes with the riches of the plant world. On the whole planet, perhaps, there are not so many places that can boast of such a species richness of flora brought from other regions and taking root in a new place.

Crimea is famous not only for the sea, beaches, but also for unique plants. Trees, shrubs, herbs fill the air with a pleasant aroma. In total, more than two thousand species of plants grow on the territory of the peninsula, about 260 of them are listed in the Red Book. Below I have described the most interesting, rare representatives of the Crimean flora.

Bay leaf is one of the most popular spices. In the Crimea, it is included in the fund of evergreens of the South Coast. The life expectancy of a laurel bush is about 300 years. The fruits are black in color, are used to make fragrant oil used in medicinal and technical purposes. The leaves are rich in volatile substances (phytoncides), which have a beneficial effect on human health. The main feature is the suppression of the development of tubercle bacillus. The plant is able to withstand temperatures down to -13 °.


You can see an evergreen plant of the myrtle family with fruits resembling a cucumber in the Crimea today in and in. It grows wild in Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. Feijoa blooms with beautiful red-white petals, the middle of the flower is decorated with a purple stamen. The tree tolerates frosts up to 12 ° and drought well. Fruits are especially valued for their high iodine content. This property is inherent only to those plants that grow near the Black Sea coast.


The plant (evergreen) reaches a height of 2 - 3 meters. It looks especially impressive during flowering, in May - June. Belongs to the myrtle family, as well as eucalyptus, feijoa, and so on. The leaf is dark green in color, fills the space with a fragrant aroma when rubbed. Flowers form black fruits with a pleasant smell. The first plant appeared on the territory of the peninsula in 1815, in the famous botanical garden. Today, myrtle is very rare on the peninsula.


Not an annual plant of the sumach genus, in which there are about 20 species. It is one of the most ancient trees, the age can be up to one thousand years. The height of the pistachio with a dense crown and gray bark reaches 8 meters. The leaves are tufted, the flowers do not cause much emotion. The fruits are not edible. root system has unique properties- anti-erosion. Pistachio tolerates drought and frost very well. The leaves have a strong smell of resin, it is she who has a healing property. Pistachio resin is used in medicine.


Corm plants, from the iris family, about 80 species of representatives are included in this group. The height of crocuses varies from 8 to 30 centimeters. On the territory of the peninsula, all wild crocuses are listed in the Red Book. Flowers adorn stone slopes, glades, delighting tourists with beautiful flowers from February to 15-20 April. The leaves of the plant are narrow, the flowers are light purple or yellow with a graceful limb. On the peninsula, you can often find saffron (the second name of crocus) in juniper groves.


Herbaceous perennial plants of the legume family - astragalus, have more than 2 thousand species. The height is small - from 5 to 10 centimeters. Feel comfortable in areas of increased drought. Astragalus bristleus is an endemic species. On south coast Crimea is found on the famous, in the vicinity of Sudak. The best soil for it is gravelly slopes, rocky surfaces. You can enjoy the beauty of unusual red-violet flowers in May. At this time, by the way, many rare species bloom.

Orchid


Scientists disagree on how many species of orchids the orchid genus has, and the data vary greatly (from 20 to 35 thousand). In Crimea, up to 39 species of orchids will melt, including a rare representative - Komperia Compera. Komperia is a relic representative. A beautiful plant up to 50 centimeters tall. The leaves are grayish-green, three to four little things. The flowers are big enough unusual shape. The orchid blooms from May to June. There is a unique plant in the so-called "Crimean Africa" ​​-.

Fern


Exactly this rare plant from the entire family, numbering more than 10 thousand species. In the Crimea, this fern is represented by only 12 units. You can see them only on the majestic. The evergreen plant is covered with black-brown films on the vine. Rhizome creeping, reproduces by spores in summer period. The leaves are unusually dark in green sometimes even black. The same species is found on the territory of Dagestan and Turkmenistan.


An endemic species that grows only in the Crimea. A frequent flower, but due to constant destruction is at risk. Therefore, it is reserved and carefully protected by the state. Snowdrop is a member of the Amaryllis family, which includes less than 20 species. Grows in shady places. Flowering begins in December - January and continues until the first leaves appear on the trees.


The perennial plant belongs to the buttercup family. Height from 10 to 25 centimeters. It grows mainly in pine and oak forests on rocks. Blooms from February to May. The stem is covered with a silvery fluff, the flowers are fluffy, lilac with a yellow center. The buds are large (3 - 3.5 cm). When the flower is closed, it can be confused with one of the tulip species. With the onset of evening, the flowers close, lower their heads. In the morning they bloom again. The plant is rare. Listed in and included in the Red List of Europe.


The plant, reaching a height of up to 50 cm, belongs to the peony family. grows in southern regions Crimea. The leaf is green, elongated, similar to pine needles. The flower is bright red with a diameter of up to 10 centimeters. Flowering begins at the end of April and continues until June. Favorable soil for growth - stone slopes. It is found in the vicinity of Koktebel, on the territory. Most representatives of this species are on Mount Klimentyev.

Perennial plant of the orchid family. Listed in the Red Book. "Shoe" is distinguished by bright green oval-oblong leaves and inflorescences similar to shoes. They flaunt on tall stems, up to 60 centimeters tall. That's where the name came from. In the season of mass flowering, it spreads a pleasant aroma in the area, attracting great amount insects. It grows mainly in shady forests of mixed type, on the edges, but can sometimes be found in open areas.


A Red Book plant, only 5 centimeters in height, pleases with its flowering from January - March. This family includes more than 70 species, the Ankara colchicum is one of them. The leaves are covered with a bluish bloom, the flowers are pink-lilac in color, somewhat similar to a crocus. The main difference is the simultaneous appearance of inflorescences and leaves. Colchicum belongs to the category of poisonous, so tearing it is strongly not recommended. You can get serious poisoning. It is found in the steppes, on mountain slopes. It looks especially impressive on them.

A perennial plant (buttercup family) that prefers the beech forests of the Crimea is as dangerous as it is beautiful. Blue, purple inflorescences are located on a long thin stem. Height can reach 2.5 meters. Flowers usually have irregular shape. Some species are distinguished by yellow inflorescences. In antiquity, aconite was used as one of the ways to enforce the death sentence. Some citizens manage to dig up tubers to plant on suburban area. Even knowing about the strongest poisonous properties.

The rose grows in Unlike the aconite described above, it has healing properties. The flowers look like wild roses when in bloom. Leaves and shoots, young, exude a pleasant aroma. It is from this plant that dark green or brown incense oil is obtained by distillation. It is used in perfumery as an excellent fixing agent. In the countries of the East and Egypt it is used for aromatic incense. Blooms white, pink or reddish, in June - July, no longer than one day.

Iris

Only three types of irises out of 250 grow in Crimea: false calamus, dwarf and Siberian. False calamus irises prefer marshy places, foothill areas. The plant has powerful leaves and bright sunny flowers. The dwarf species is named due to its small growth, the maximum to which they grow is 20 centimeters. Flowers of different shades - golden, purple, blue and even brown-yellow. Iris blooms from March to May, decorating large areas. What can not be said about the Siberian, it is very rare.

It is simply unrealistic to describe all the plants listed in the Red Book of Crimea. There are a huge number of them. But the species listed above, in my opinion, is quite enough to understand how rich, diverse and unique vegetable world peninsulas. All interesting and good rest!

The official status of the Red Book of the Republic of Crimea provides a reliable state protection biological species included in it and implies strict legal liability of persons causing damage to their populations.

This edition 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. In this order, these groups are located in the book. Vascular plants are divided into sections of psilotophytes, horsetails, ferns, gymnosperms and flowering plants; further bryophytes into hepatic and leaf-stem mosses, algae into green, ochrophyte, red and characeae, and fungi into marsupials and basidiomycetes.

Within each division, 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 and Chase, 2011), that is, their traditional division into monocots and dicots is not accepted in this publication. The systems of ferns (Christenhusz and Chase, 2014) and gymnosperms (Christenhusz et al., 2011) are also borrowed from the most recent publications.

The names of species of vascular plants are given for the most part according to the "Natural flora Crimean peninsula» (Ena, 2012). Deviations are mainly related to new information published in later works (in particular, on many orchids, tulips, and slender boletus), less often with the author's position of the essay writers (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", was first discovered in the Crimea only in the last two or three years (Haussknecht's kostenets, rocky hermitage, a number of species of dremliki).

Essays on each species include Russian and Latin names, conservation status taxon, brief information about its range, description of the features of morphology and biology, threat factors and the adopted and necessary protection measures.

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, authorship 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 the Crimea (Development of Priorities, 1999), reproduced here from symbols on the next page. The distribution of species is marked on maps in squares of 10*10 km. The red dots indicate the squares within which the presence of the species was confirmed by modern finds made after 1994. The blue dots indicate that the species was present in this square according to information received before 1994, and has either disappeared or is known to exist at present. after 1994 were not tested.

The Red Book of the Republic of Crimea includes all species listed in (2008; hereinafter referred to as the RF CC

Crimea can rightly be called "little Australia". Firstly, on this unique peninsula there are three climatic zones: temperate continental climate of the steppes, mountain belt and subtropics of the southern coast. Secondly, a huge number of endemic plants grow here and many endemic animals live here. Thirdly, in a relatively small area (just over 26 thousand square kilometers) there are about 50 salt lakes and 257 rivers flowing.

The high Crimean mountains, the proximity of two seas at once - the Black and Azov, ancient cities- all this led to the uniqueness of the nature of the Crimea.

Flora of Crimea

The flora of the Crimean peninsula is very unusual and original. Its diversity is astounding. So, on the peninsula there are over 2500 species of plants. For comparison: only 1,500 species of vegetation grow in the European part of Russia. In addition to endemics, there are many relict plants - those that have not been seen for many millennia. A main feature Crimean flora is that it varies significantly from north to south.

In the north of Crimea, where the Kerch Peninsula is located, is the kingdom of hilly steppes. Most of them are plowed under agricultural land. Only uncultivated grain areas remained uncultivated: solonchaks, ravines, gullies, rocky plains. In this part of the Crimea, cultivated plantations and crops predominate.

If we move from here to the south, we will find ourselves in a zone of foothills, where the steppe is replaced by forest-steppe. Linden, ash, skumpia, hornbeam, a lot of juniper, pear, and hawthorn are more common here.

Even further south, the forest-steppe gradually develops into a strip of oak forests. Dubnyak, by the way, occupies more than 60% of the peninsula. Among the varieties, the most popular are rocky, fluffy, pedunculate oaks. Oak forests in the Crimea are very light, sparse, with luxurious undergrowth and tall grass.

A little higher in the mountains are the richest beech forests. These mighty trees grow at an altitude of 700 to 1200 m above sea level. Beech forests amaze with their grandeur and silence. They are dense, dark, without undergrowth and grasses, only a sea of ​​fallen leaves wraps around the roots of trees. And only on the very peaks of the Crimean Mountains, beech trees are small and gnarled. And often here they are interspersed with hornbeams.

In rocky wet places thickets of berry yew, a relic tree that has been preserved since the Tertiary period, have been preserved.

However, the very peaks of the Crimean Mountains are usually called Yayla. Yayla is a chain of peculiar table-like flat peaks connected by deep passes. Once upon a time there were beautiful pastures with lush grass and meadow plants. Most of the Crimean endemics grow on yayla.

And further south begins the descent to the sea, and the flora in these places is simply amazing with the brightness of greenery and diversity. On the southern slopes of the mountains, beech forests give way to pine forests. Even further south, the shilyak belt begins (sparse woody-shrub forests), where fluffy oaks, juniper, pistachios, strawberries, Pontic larch, dense thickets of dogwood and prickly derzhitree meet.

But it should be noted that on the southern coast of Crimea, the shiblyak in its original form was preserved only in some places: in Laspi Bay, on Capes Martyan, Aya. Basically, this part of the peninsula has undergone significant changes due to human activities. It is here that all the health resorts and resorts of Crimea are located, and the plants in this part of the peninsula are 80% imported. But many have been growing here for centuries. So, for example, birch is an extremely atypical tree for the Crimea. It was brought here from Russia only some 200-250 years ago.

In total, the area of ​​Crimean parks stretched over 2,000 hectares. Here you can already meet exotic plants, brought to the peninsula from all over the world: cypresses, figs, crocuses, almonds, over 20 thousand species of orchids, ferns, tulips and cyclamens.

Fauna of Crimea

Uniqueness geographical location The peninsula also determined the uniqueness of the fauna. There are many endemic animals in Crimea, but at the same time animal world represented much poorer than, for example, even in the neighboring regions of Russia and Ukraine.

Studies have shown that ostriches and giraffes once lived in the Crimea. Then, with climate change, the peninsula moved reindeer and foxes. Thus, the fauna of the peninsula is an amazing conglomerate of the most diverse species, many of which have adapted to local habitat conditions.

The ichthyofauna is richly represented: marine fish There are over 200 species, many live permanently, more than 50 species are in transit, traveling along the coast of Crimea to the Bosphorus. IN fresh waters lakes and rivers, zoologists have counted 46 species of fish, and 14 species are "aboriginal". The rest, such as carp, pike perch, perch, crucian carp, silver carp, grass carp were introduced and perfectly acclimatized in the Crimea.

Of the amphibians, the most common are lake and tree frogs, toads and newts. And of the 14 species of Crimean reptiles, only the steppe viper is poisonous. There are many snakes, copper snakes, there are yellow-bellied, four-striped and leopard snakes. Only one species of turtles lives in Crimea - marsh ones. They inhabit mainly mountain waters. But at once there are 6 species of lizards, among which Crimean, rocky and nimble ones are more common.

Birds in the Crimea and more than 200 species. More than 60% of them nest on the peninsula, about 17 species arrive on the peninsula for wintering. Large predator birds chosen to live in mountainous regions. These are eagles, ospreys, imperial eagles, golden eagles, vultures, black vultures, sea eagles, peregrine falcons, eagle owls, saker falcons, griffon vultures. Sandpipers, larks, quails are found in the floodplains of river valleys, bustards and little bustards are found in the steppe. Pelicans can be seen on the Crimean coast. But mostly there are sea ​​birds: gulls, terns, ducks, geese, gray herons, cormorants. And on the Swan Islands you can see a huge number of species of swans.

As for mammals, there are about 60 species of them in the Crimea. They live mainly in nature reserves, sanctuaries and mountainous areas. Their predators are weasels, foxes, badgers, martens. Hares and ferrets are found in the steppes and forests. In the mountainous regions and foothills, red deer and wild boars. Fallow deer and moufflons have been introduced recently, attempts are being made to revive the population of these animals, but so far to no avail. Once upon a time, wolves also lived in the Crimea, but the last of the wolf tribe disappeared at the beginning of the last century.

There are 4 representatives of marine animals on the coast of Crimea: these are monk seals and three species of dolphins.

Climate in Crimea

The ridge of the Crimean mountains protects the peninsula from air masses coming from the continent, and therefore on the southern coast remains tropical climate With warm summer, hot sun, abundance of greenery and warm sea water.

Spring in Crimea is incredibly beautiful and varied. Heavy rains and fogs are often replaced by clear, fine days. Opening in May bathing season. Summer is not hot, as sea breezes cool the air considerably. The temperature "ceiling" is observed at the height of July, when the air warms up to +36°С +38°С.

Until mid-October, the coast reigns Warm autumn- sunny, velvety. And only at the end of December, winter sets in - not cold, often with positive temperatures, rains and very rare snowfalls. But in the mountains, winter reigns with might and main, sweeping tall snowdrifts. In the mountainous regions of Crimea, winter lasts 100-120 days.