Cedar Valley, Cyprus. Short coniferous cedar Types and varieties of cedar
Cedars are called southern evergreen trees growing in North Africa - on the Mediterranean coast (Lebanese cedar) and in southern Asia (Himalayan and Atlas cedars).
Cedar of Lebanon (biblical) known from time immemorial. Its timber was highly valued in shipbuilding. It has been exported to many countries around the world. Currently, only a few Lebanese cedar trees remain in Lebanon. On the left is a photograph of the Lebanese cedar, it is about a hundred years old, and this tree grows on the Black Sea coast, in the town of Dzhankhot.
Both Lebanese and Atlas and Himalayan cedars are heat-loving plants. In Russia, they do not grow in their natural state. Separate artificially planted trees, reaching more than a hundred years of age, grow in the Crimea (Nikitsky Botanical Garden) and on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus (Batumi, Sukhumi, Sochi).
Here, in the northern regions, they will not grow - they will freeze. All these cedars - Lebanese, Himalayan, Atlas - do not give edible seeds, while our so-called Siberian cedar gives edible seeds (nuts). (M.M. Ignatenko "Siberian cedar", M., Nauka, 1988.)
Cedar (Cedrus), a genus of coniferous evergreen trees of the pine family. Monoecious tall (25-50 m high) trees with a spreading, pyramidal or umbrella-shaped (in old trees) crown. The needles are 3-4 faceted, prickly, bluish-green (gray), silver-gray, on short shoots collected in bunches (30-40 needles each), on growth ones - single.
Male spikelets and female cones are located throughout the crown. Female cones 5-10 cm long, 4-6 cm wide, ovoid or barrel-shaped, erect, ripen in the 2nd - 3rd year, after maturation they disintegrate on the tree.
Seeds (dl.12-18mm) resinous, with a large wing, inedible. The root system is superficial. In nature, it reproduces by seeds; in culture, valuable forms are propagated by grafting onto the rootstock of the main species.
Grows in the mountains at an altitude of 1300-4000 m, along with fir, spruce, pine and other species. Prefers well-drained fresh loamy soils. Cedar does not tolerate strong sea winds, often suffers from chlorosis on too dry calcareous slopes. The wood is yellowish or reddish in color, fragrant, with high physical and mechanical properties, resistant to decay and damage by insects.
There are 4 types of cedar. The first grows in the Atlas Mountains in the North-West. Africa - Atlas cedar (C. atlantica) . The second in Western Asia, in the mountains of Lebanon, Syria and Turkey - Lebanese or biblical cedar (C.libani) . The third view in Zap. Himalayas - Himalayan cedar (C. deodora) . Fourth on about. Cyprus - Cypriot cedar or short coniferous (C.brevifolia) .
The first three species within their range previously formed vast large forests, preserved in the form of relict, usually divided into islands. Cedar (Atlas, Lebanese and Himalayan) has been cultivated since the 19th century. as decorative fast-growing tree species in the Southern Crimea, on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, in the South. and Vost. Transcaucasia, Central Asia (Samarkand).
Known are hybrids of the Lebanese cedar and the Himalayan cedar, which are distinguished by heterosis. Cultivated species have a number of decorative forms according to the nature of the growth and habit of the crowns, the color of the needles, etc. The cedar is of great value for park construction. Himalayan cedar is also used to create original, molded hedges. Cedar is very resistant to pests and diseases. Since ancient times, cedar wood has been widely used in construction, for the manufacture of furniture, handicrafts, religious objects, etc.
Often cedar is also called Siberian cedar pine and Korean cedar pine, a genus of coniferous trees Libotsedrus (Libocedrus) . (Forest encyclopedia, M.: Soviet encyclopedia, v.1, 1985)
A bit of history
In the distant times of the development of Siberia, cedar forests attracted the attention of travelers and researchers for two main reasons. Firstly, this is the only habitat for sables.
The latter for a long time in ancient Rus' even replaced banknotes. Secondly, travelers were attracted by delicious healing nuts, the kernels of which are filled with valuable cedar oil. But still, historians link the development of the wild expanses of Siberia mainly with the extraction of sable furs.
Where did the name of this tree come from, although it belongs to the genus "pine"?
According to the assumption, the Siberian cedar got its name, most likely, from Russian pioneers, who in those distant times visited the Siberian lands and got acquainted with this valuable tree. Seeing the fluffy evergreen crown of the tree, feeling the aroma of its needles, appreciating the quality of the wood, they called it the Siberian cedar, because it reminded them of the sacred Lebanese cedar, which they already knew about.
Here is how the Russian scientist F. Koeppen writes about this: “It is more likely that the Cossacks who came to the Urals, fascinated by the sight of a beautiful coniferous tree, hitherto unknown to them, gave it at random the name of a glorious cedar, which they knew only by hearsay.”
During the development of the Urals and Siberia, Russian explorers immediately appreciated the cedar forests as a source of delicious high-calorie nuts, edible oil, anti-scorbutic and disinfectant needles, shoots and resin, as a habitat for valuable fur-bearing animals, especially sable, and also as watersheds for rivers rich in fish.
Along with this, the Siberian cedar has always been an object of admiration, and in the past even reverence due to the majesty of its mighty trunk, lush dense crown, and the mysterious twilight of its groves.
A contemporary of A. S. Pushkin, a connoisseur of Siberian forests, local historian and naturalist V. Dmitriev, back in 1818, in his article “Siberian Cedar”, wrote with admiration about this Russian amazing tree.
He admired: “Be glorified, places beloved by the sun, be proud, Lebanese heights, of your cedars: not seeing you in my fatherland on mother earth belonging to Russia, I don’t even dare to magnify you, but in my eyes the shady cedar of rich Siberia will not yield to you in its beauties and you will replace me. What majesty is in the posture of this tree, what a sacred shadow in the density of its forests.
The first culture of Siberian cedar in the European part of Russia, about which there is documentary evidence, dates back to the second half of the 16th century, when the Tolgoskaya cedar grove was established near Yaroslavl, 8 km from the city. This grove is located on the left bank of the Volga, 300 meters from its bank, on the territory of the former Tolga Monastery, which was built in 1314.
Cultivation of cedar in the Moscow region began a long time ago. This type of tree attracted attention as early as the 17th century. in Moscow and its environs. These trees were planted in many princely estates. Particularly noteworthy is the estate of Nikolo-Uryupino (Krasnogorsk district), which belonged to the princes Odoevsky back in the 17th century. Of great interest are the Siberian cedars in the Abramtsevo park (Sergiev Posad district).
There are cedars in the Tarusovo estate of the Taldom district, in the Morozovka estate (Solnechnogorsk district), in the Leninsky district (in the Valtsevo estate, in Gorki Leninskie), in the Mytishchi district (Vinogradovo, the Marfino sanatorium), in the Ruzsky district (Nikolskoye-Gagarino, in Khimki district (Vasilyevskoye-Skurygino), in the Podolsky district (Vorontsovo estate, Ostafyevo), in the Serpukhov district (Pushchino-Vyazemskoye, Turov) and other places.
Also, cedar groves and individual trees are found in St. Petersburg and its environs, in the Vologda region (Chargino village, Gryazovetsky district), in Karelia (Sortavala), on Valaam Island, in the Arkhangelsk region (Koryazhma village, Kotlassky district), on Solovetsky Islands, in the Murmansk Arctic (Polar forestry of the Murmansk region, Apatity), in the Novgorod region (Vybiti estate of the Solovetsky district, Valdai, in Chudsky, Old Russian, Lyubytinsky, Pestovsky, Khvoyninsky, Okulovsky, Krestetsky and other areas ), in the Pskov region, in Kalinin, in Smolensk, in Kaluga, in Vladimir, in Ivanovo regions, in Belarus, in Vitebsk region, in Mogilev, in Gorky, in Kirov and in many other villages, cities, regions and regions of Russia.
The Siberian cedar is the beauty and national pride of Russia, it is the wealth of our country, it is a symbol of strength, health and power, it is a symbol of sustainability and longevity.
Monday, after dense breakfast (otherwise I would have been severely sick) we went to the mountains, look at the Cedar Valley (Cedar Valley). It is interesting that in Russian and Greek the name of the tree sounds almost the same - cedar / cedar).
The Cedar Valley, or the Tripylos Nature Reserve in the Paphos forest, was chosen as its home by the short-coniferous Cypriot cedar (lat. Cedrus brevifolia), which grows only in Cyprus, and I was interested to see how it differs from the Siberian beauties. This valley is located at an altitude of 900-1400 m above sea level, about 70 km from Paphos and 45 km from Polis. The road is very winding, which is why I needed a hearty breakfast and sandwiches to go). We got there for a long time - about 2 hours with stops, as soon as my stomach hinted at it).
Here it is the road, pay attention to the sign, such signs are found every 50 meters.
View of the Cedar Valley itself.
After enjoying the fragrant air of the Cedar Valley, we went hunting for mouflons).
A little help: "Archaeological excavations indicate that mouflons have lived in Cyprus since the Neolithic period (5800-3000 BC). Their herds were numerous, especially in the mountainous regions of the Troodos. Mosaics and texts that have survived to this day from the time of the Greek -Roman period, they tell about the hunting of mouflon, which was a favorite pastime of the nobility. It was believed that the low-fat meat of the mouflon is very useful, and with the development of a network of forest roads and the introduction of hunting rifles, this species of animals gradually began to disappear. mouflon became a favorite pastime of the British aristocrats, and the locals did not lag behind them.
Even natural caution did not save the mouflon from almost total extermination in the first half of the 20th century. By 1938, about 15 mouflons remained on the island. At the last moment, emergency measures were taken to save the almost extinct species.
The government passed a law prohibiting the hunting of mouflons. The forest in the Paphos region was declared a protected area, and mountain goats (rivals of the mouflon) and shepherds (potential hunters) were relocated to other parts of Cyprus, which made it possible to stop their extinction. At the moment, there are approximately 100 to 200 mouflons.
Despite the fact that the Cypriot mouflon is smaller than its European counterparts, it is the largest animal in Cyprus).
The mouflon is considered one of the symbols of the island: it is present on the coat of arms of Cyprus, and a stylized image of a mountain sheep adorns the planes of the Cypriot airline Cyprus Airways.
Males wear spirally twisted horns 55-60 cm long and weigh about 35 kg. Females are much smaller - their weight reaches 25 kg. The length of the mouflon is about 110 cm. The height at the withers is 65-75 cm. The mouflons live for 12-15 years. The color of the animals varies from dark brown to light golden. The lower part of the hooves, belly and nose are white. A characteristic feature of the mouflon - a black line starting on the head, passing through the entire back and ending on a short tail - allows it to instantly "dissolve" in the forest.
Not everyone is lucky to see mouflons in the reserve. My husband was lucky), and I was waiting for him in the car, because you had to climb up the mountain to find them. In this case, with my panting, I would scare away all living creatures in the area).
Photos of mouflons from the Internet (you will understand why later). 
See the mouflons? And they are there). (photo taken by husband: 0). 
On the way back we stopped at a small forest church - the Church of the Holy Cross. Unfortunately, I did not find information about it, but the building looks like a 16-17th century. 
Hitting this piece of iron, the priest gathered parishioners for the service. 
On this our trip in the mountains ended and we went back to the sea. 
After lunch at the restaurant, we spent the rest of the day on the beach. 
The hot days of the Cypriot summer and velvety autumn were replaced by a mild winter. When, if not now, to go for a walk in the forest and give yourself a whole day filled with intoxicating mountain air, the smell of pine needles and greenery pleasing to the eye.
The best choice for this would be a trip to the Cedar Valley, where the bright mountain sun illuminates the tops of the trees, and the fresh expanse wind walks among the evergreen resinous cedars. The Cedar Valley, or Tripylos Nature Reserve in the Paphos forest, was chosen as its home by the short-coniferous Cypriot cedar (lat. Cedrus brevifolia), which grows only in Cyprus. This valley is located at an altitude of 900-1400 m above sea level, about 70 km from Paphos. You can get there in several ways - through the village of Panagia (Panagia) or from the famous monastery of Kykkos, which is 18 km from it.
If you hide in the forest, you can see foxes, hares, partridges from the forest inhabitants in the valley; watch the mouflons - wild shy sheep, as well as admire the proud eagles.
So, we get out of the car and approach one of the majestic cedars growing here, reaching a height of up to 30 m. The giant, whimsically hanging his coniferous paws, noticeably differs from the surrounding landscape. Short branches, giving it a pyramidal shape at first, later turn into wide sweeping branches, similar to outstretched dark green wrinkled arms. The bark is either pale, or gray-brown in color, peeking out from under the thick needle needles 10-15 mm long.
September-October is the time for the flowering of Cypriot cedars, the trees are decorated with cones of different colors: pale brown flaunt on the “male” cedars, and “female” ones are decorated with reddish ones. Cylindrical "male" fruits (3-5 cm long) and barrel-shaped "female" (7-12 cm) ripen from August to September in every second flowering year. Cedar seeds are winged.
Cedar is widely distributed throughout the world. In Morocco, there is Atlas cedar (lat. Cedrus atlantica), in Lebanon - Lebanese cedar (lat. Cedrus Libani), and in the Himalayas - Himalayan cedar (lat. Cedrus deodara). These countries, along with Cyprus, are especially fond of cedar trees.
Stepping under the shadow of Cedar Valley, take a deep breath. Feel how light your head suddenly became, and strength and vigor appeared in your legs! This is how the cedars give gifts to those who visit them.
Cypriot cedar, due to its qualities, is actively used in construction. The shoots and trunk of the kdra are distinguished by their reliability and strength. In addition, the processed and dried tree trunk is incredibly solid and attractive. It also gives off an incredible special aroma. Everything that is built from this tree is environmentally friendly and durable. So not a few people choose cedar as the main tree for building a house.
Whole log cabins, due to the amazing aroma, give vigor and strengthen the immune system, so that the inhabitants of such a house will rarely get sick. Of course, a cedar house is both a comfortable and unique home. Moreover, the tree has antibacterial properties. After all, the cedar tree has antibacterial properties. The owners of cedar houses will undoubtedly acquire a rare and comfortable home.
Origin of the variety
Habitat - the island of Cyprus.
Growth Features
Usually does not survive in the lowlands. It is not at all demanding, but the main condition for its successful growth is a height of at least 400 meters above sea level.
cones
Cones up to 7 cm long and 4 cm in diameter, barrel-shaped, solitary. They are pale brown and red. Red "female" buds, pale brown "male" buds. "Female" - barrel-shaped, "male" cylindrical. The "female" buds are much larger than the "male" buds. Maturation occurs once every two years.
Leaves
The needles are rigid, tetrahedral, dark green, up to 5-10 mm long.
