Included here is a zone along the southern part of the Black Sea most of which is in Turkey but extends west along the Black Sea shores of Bulgaria as far as the Gulf of Burgas. This part has been described as the Euxinic zone. In the east it includes the western Caucasus in western Georgia and the coastal zone as far north as Tuapse. This is the so-called Colchic zone.

Euxine-Colchic Maquis

This association is prevalent on coastal limestone up to an altitude of about 200 m, and can be found, for example, in the Euxine territories of Asükü, Denizbükü, Gemiciler, Manastir, Yakaören, Köklüce and Canlar. Characteristic species include Laurus nobilis, Phillyrea latifolia and Pinus brutia. It also includes trees such as Arbutus unedo, Carpinus betulus, Cornus sanguinea, while additional common shrubs are Cistus creticus and Spartium junceum. However, it differs from more typical Mediterranean “marquis” by the presence of a number of Euxine species. These include several endemic or near endemic taxa such as Asperula pestalozzae (Rubiaceae), Daphne pontica (Thymelaeaceae), Dorycnium graecum (Fabaceae), Lonicera caucasica subsp. orientalis (Caprifoliaceae) and Salvia forskahlei (Lamiaceae). The presence of maquis in this zone has been used as evidence to suggest that it is a relict area of the Mediterranean but because of its combination of Mediterranean and Euxine elements it is sometimes referred to as pseudomaquis.

References

Box, E. O., Fujiwara, K., Nakhutsrishvili, G., Zazanashvili, N., Liebermann, R. J. & Miyakwaki, A. 2000. Vegetation and landscape of Georgia (Caucasus), as a basis for landscape restorations. Bulletin of the Institute of Environment, Science and Technology. Yokohama National University. 26: 69-102.

Browicz, K. 1987. Chorology of the Euxinian and Hyrcanian elements in the woody flora of Asia. Plant Systematics and Evolution, 162: 305-314.

Kikvidze, Z. & Ohsawa, M. 2001. Richness of Colchic vegetation: comparison between refugia of south-western and East Asia. BioMed Central Ecology, 1: 1-10.

Zazanashvili, N. 1999. On the Colkhic vegetation. In: Recent shifts in vegetation boundaries of deciduous forest, especially due to general global warming, pp. 181-197.  Eds. F. Klötzli & G. R. Walther. Birkhäuser Verlag Basel.

Zohary, M. 1971. The Phytogeographical Foundations of the Middle East. In: Plant Life of South-West Asia. Eds. P. H. Davies, P. C. Harper & I. C. Hedge. The Botanical Society of Edinburgh.

Zohary, M., Heyn, C. C. & Heller, D. 1980. Conspectus Florae Orientalis. The Israel Academy of Science and Humanities. Jerusalem.