Plant geography - Asia
Anatolia is represented by the following vegetations:
- The Pontian
mountains of North Anatolia with a humid altitudinal sequence (Abies
bornmuelleriana).
- The Taurus of Mediterranean South Anatolia with an arid altitudinal
sequence (Cedrus libani subsp. stenocoma).
- The Anatolian
plateau with a Xero-Acanthetum (Acantholimon).
Colchis is
represented by vegetation with evergreen plants like Hedera colchica, Ilex
colchica, Rhododendron ponticum and Prunus laurocerasus.
A
group of Picea orientalis marks the mountain flora and tall herb
vegetation of the Caucasus, and next to it one can cross the Hyrcanic forest
with its endemic woody plants.
Much space is devoted to groups of Pinus
wallichiana and Cedrus deodara from the Himalayas. The differences
between the vegetation of the western Himalayas with monsoon rain during three
months and the eastern Himalayas with four months are clearly visible. Dominant
trees in the Cashmere bush of the western side are Parrotiopsis, Prunus,
Syringa and Viburnum, while the eastern Himalayas are represented by
Rhododendron species and conifers like Abies densa, Picea spinulosa
and Tsuga dumosa.
Apart from the Central Asian mountains like
Pamir, Tien Shan with Picea schrenkiana and Altai, there are displays of
Siberia with Picea obovata and Larix gmelinii, as well as the
Amur basin with Adonis amurensis, which flowers in winter, and Lysichiton
camtschatcensis, which flowers in spring. Trees like Ginkgo biloba
and Metasequoia glyptostroboides and perennial herbs from China and
Korea complete the scene.
A rather large area is occupied by the
vegetation of Japan. Besides groups of Prunus and Magnolia,
various forest types can be recognised with Cryptomeria japonica, Sophora
japonica, Abies homolepis, Larix kaempferi, Picea bicolor, Tsuga, Acer and
Cercidiphyllum.
In this area the spring flora is particularly sightworthy. In summer the
perennial herbs make the show, and in autumn the impressive coloration of the
leaves.
[Text: Werner Schwarz]
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