2nd High School Of Komotini: Flora

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2nd High school of Komotini RODOPI MOUNTAIN RANGE C. EASTERN EDGE 1. MOUNTAINS OF EVROS RIVER AREA It's a submountainous hilly area with intense and diverse landscapes. A great part of River Evros watershed crosses the area. 2. DADIA FOREST The forest consists of pure and mixed Quercus spp. (Oak) as well as other broad leaved species. The site has a significant ecological value due to the presence of a great number of birds of prey; many of them are rare in Europe. The area is an important biotope for many reptiles and birds as a result of site location; it is a cross road for migrating birds as well as an ideal nesting point.

2nd High school of Komotini RODOPI MOUNTAIN RANGE B. CENTRAL PART 4. IT BELONGS TO THE RODOPI PREFECTURE, OUR AREA The geological substratum consists of acid igneous rocks (granites, granodionites, monzanites). It is a mountainous site covered by acidophilous forests consisting of Betula pendula, Pinus sylvestris and Picea abies. Birch and Scots pine are the dominant species. Other tree species are Picea abies, Fagus sp., Quercus sp., Alnus glutinosa, Corulus avellana and Populus sp. In the area, there is the unique birch forest (Betula pendula) in Greece. Western Greek Rodopi is the southern limit of horizontal distribution of Picea abies while Northern Greece is the southern limit of horizontal distribution of Pinus sylvestris and Betula pendula in Europe The main human activity is forest management. The purpose of the Management Plan is fine quality wood (timber) production and forest culture (silviculture) in order to improve the structure and function of the forest ecosystem. In many cases, the dense forest-road network breaks the continuity of the forest stand types. Hunting and grazing are referred as secondary activities with a negative influence on habitats mentioned above.

2nd High school of Komotini RODOPI MOUNTAIN RANGE C. WEST PART 1. MOUNT PAPIKIO Papikio is the highest mountain in the massif of Rodopi. The Filiouris and Komsatos Rivers flow through the region which is suitable for many activities. More specifically, you can explore the slopes of the Rodopi Mountain range or wander through its Virgin Forest and other woodlands many of which have been proclaimed protected and are included in the NATURA 2000 European network. All these vegetation zones host remarkable floral and faunal species. The villages of Iasmos and Sapes will thrill you with their local colour and lifestyle. Komotini has many sights and exudes a strong oriental aura.

Καστανιά European chestnut / Castanea sativa • Tree: large and handsome (30.5 m) tall • Leaves: tall oblong-elliptic grow to 8 in (20.3 cm) long • Flowers: showy spike like creamy yellow catkins. • Fruit: is a prickly burr enclosing 1-5 nuts each 0.5-1 in (1.3-2.5 cm) in diameter. • The tree likes full sun but once it has been established, it is tolerant of drought. It does best in sandy, well drained soils and is highly tolerant of acidic soils. If kept too dry when young, chestnut may remain as a shrub and never grow to tree size. 2nd High school of Komotini, “Woods and forests; a source of and a resource for life”

Δασική οξιά - Beech / Fagus Sylvatica • Tree: It most commonly grows as an ornamental tree in Europe.The European species yields a widely used timber, an easy-to-work utility wood. • Leaves : They are entire or sparsely toothed, from 5-15 cm long and 4-10 cm broad. • Flowers : They are small single-sex, wind-pollinated catkins, produced in spring shortly after the new leaves appear. • The fruit is a small, sharply 3angled nut 10-15 mm long, borne in pairs in soft-spined husks 1.5-2.5 cm long, known as cupules. The nuts are edible, though bitter with a high tannin content, and can be called beechmast 2nd High school of Komotini, “Woods and forests; a source of and a resource for life”

Κέδρος Prickly Cedar / Juniperus oxycedrus • Tree: It is very variable in shape, forming a spreading shrub 2-3 m tall to a small erect tree 10-15 m tall. It is distributed across the Mediterranean region growing on a variety of rocky sites from sea level up to 1600 m altitude. It is usually dioecious, with separate male and female plants. • Leaves: It has needle-like leaves in whorls of three, green and 5-20 mm long • Fruit:The seed cones are berry-like, green ripening in 18 months to orange-red with a variable pink waxy coating; they are spherical, 7-12 mm diameter.

2nd High school of Komotini, “Woods and forests; a source of and a resource for life”

Κυπαρίσσι Cypress /Cupressus sempervirens

• Tree: Columnar, tall 40 to 70 feet, extremely narrow dense pyramidal • Trunk: single trunk, grey • Leaves: Needled evergreen • Flowers: Non-flowering • Fruit: small rounded cone about the size of a quarter, not ornamental • It needs full sun and medium wet soil

2nd High school of Komotini, “Woods and forests; a source of and a resource for life”

Καρυδιά Walnut / Juglans regia • Tree: It is a deciduous tree, 10 - 40 m tall • Leaves: They are pinnate with 5-25 leaflets. The shoots have chambered pith, a character shared with the wingnuts. • Walnuts are used as food plants • The Latin name Juglans derives from Jovis glans, "Jupiter's nuts", the nut fit for a god.

2nd High school of Komotini, “Woods and forests; a source of and a resource for life”

Βελανιδιά – Downy Oak / Quercus macrolepis • Tree: It is a medium-sized deciduous tree growing up to 20 m. It is long-lived up to several hundred years and eventually grow into very stout trees with trunks up to 2 m in diameter . • Leaves: They are leathery usually 410 cm long and 3-6 cm wide. The upper leaf surface is dark green and rough, the lower light green. Both leaf surfaces are covered with minute pubescence .

• Fruit:The acorns are light brown to yellow, 8-20 mm long, usually thin and pointed. The acorn cups are light grey to almost white. 2nd High school of Komotini, “Woods and forests; a source of and a resource for life”

Σημύδα-Birch / Betula pendula • Tree: It is a medium size deciduous tree, 15-25 m tall, with a slender crown of arched branches. The bark is white • Leaves: They are triangular with a broad base and pointed tip. • Flowers: They are windpollinated catkins, produced before the leaves in early spring. • It is often planted as a garden and ornamental tree, grown for its white bark and gracefully drooping shoots

2nd High school of Komotini, “Woods and forests; a source of and a resource for life”

Πεύκο – Pine / Pinus sylvestris • Tree: It is medium sized tree up to 90 feet tall often with a twisted or poorly formed trunk. Its bark is orange to orange-brown when young, later developing irregular grey or red-brown. • Leaves: They are evergreen needles • Flowers: Monoecious; males cylindrical, yellow, in large clusters along twigs; females oval, yellowgreen to purple. • Fruit: Cones are ovoid, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches long, yellow-brown in color and slightly stalked.

2nd High school of Komotini, “Woods and forests; a source of and a resource for life”

Χαρουπιά Carob-bean tree / Ceratonia siliqua A small to large tree with shiny, almost round, leathery pairs of leaflets about 2 inches in diameter. The flowers, which are without petals, occur in 2-inch racemes. The thick, flat pods, which are around 6 inches long, contain the edible flesh upon which St. John reputedly subsisted in the desert: locusts, with a supplement of honey. They also sustained the prodigal son and the Duke of Wellington's cavalry. Today the carob furnishes ingredients for popular beverages and a wide variety of food products.

2nd High school of Komotini, “Woods and forests; a source of and a resource for life”

Φλαμουριά

Lime Tree/Tilia Cordata • Tree:It grows to 20-35 m tall, with a trunk up to 1-1.5 m diameter • Leaves:The leaves are rounded to triangular-ovate, 4-8 cm long and broad, mostly hairless. • Flowers: The small yellow-green flowers are produced in early summer, have a rich, heavy scent; the trees are much visited bees. • Tilia cordata is widely grown as an ornamental tree throughout its native range in Europe. It was much planted to form avenues in 17th and early 18th century landscape planning.

2nd High school of Komotini, “Woods and forests; a source of and a resource for life”