Included here is Crimea of southern Ukraine and Novorossian Province (Krasnodar Region).

Crimean Steppe

Steppe vegetation used to cover some two-thirds of the Crimean Peninsula, and was very extensive in the Sudak-Feodosia region where it alternated with oak forest. The vegetation is largely characterized by tufted fescue and feather grasses with Stipa capillata often dominant as it is in steppe vegetation over much of Eurasia. However, compared with more northern steppe there tends to be fewer forbs but increased number of ephemers and ephemeroids. This mainly reflects the drier conditions and different soils. Other characteristic grasses include Melica altissima, Stipa lessingiana, S. pulcherrima and the Ukrainean endemic Stipa ucrainica (Poaceae). The many Crimean endemic or near endemic steppe species include annuals such as Lappula heteracantha (Boraginaceae), Scandix falcata (Apiaceae), biennials such as Erysimum leptostylum (Brassicaceae), Isatis taurica (Brassicaceae), perennials such as Alcea taurica (Malvaceae) Alyssum trichostachyum (Brassiaceae), Astragalus corniculatus, Astragalus pubiflorus, Astragalus reduneus, Astragalus tauricus (Fabaceae), Bellevalia sarmatica (Liliaceae), Convolvulus sericocephalus (Convolulaceae), Crambe aspera, Crambe grandiflora (Brassicaceae), Delphinium pallasii (Ranunculaceae), Dianthus pallidiflorus (Caryophyllaceae), Euphorbia leptocaula, Euphorbia stepposa (Euphorbiaceae), Galium xeroticum (Rubiaceae), Hyacintella pallasiana Crimea lily (Hyacinthaceae), Muretia lutea (Apiaceae), Onobrychis inermis (Fabaceae), Polygonum novo-ascanicum (Polygonaceae), Potentilla collieri (Rosaceae), Seseli arenarium (Poaceae), Tanacetum paczoskii (Asteraceae), Thymus dzevanovskyi (Lamiaceae) Trinia stankovii (Apiaceae), and shrubs such as Salvia grandiflora (Lamiaceae), Scutellaria taurica (Lamiaceae), Sideritis marschalliana, Sideritis taurica (Lamiaceae), Thymus callieri, Thymus eupatoriensis, Thymus callieri and Thymus eupatoriensis (Lamiaceae).

References

Maleev, V. P. 1948. Vegetation of south Crimea. Proceedings of the Nikita Botanical Garden, 25: 29-48. (In Russian).

Moisienko, I., Górski, P. & Boiko, P. 2002. Contribution to the flora of steppes of the Black Sea region (Ukraine). Roczniki Akademii Rolniczej Poznaniu, CCCXLVII: 123-134.

Rubtsov, N. I. 1956. A brief review of the Crimean flora endemics. Proceedings of the Nikita Botanical Garden, 29: 18-54. (In Russian).

Seifriz, W. 1931. Sketches of the vegetation of some southern provinces of the Soviet Russia. I. The altitudinal distribution of plants on the Crimean Mountains. Journal of Ecology, 19: 360-371.