COASTAL PLANTS OF RHODES BOTANICAL GARDEN

The Aquarium building is situated at the tip of the Northern peninsula of Rhodes island, on a privileged and most appropriate site. It houses the Hydrobiological Station which operates as a Museum and Aquarium and is also used as a  research centre. It is surrounded by the ocean on three sides, and it stands alone, at a distance from the city buildings as if rising from the sea.

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The park covering this space enhances this sense, since it consists of wide and flat green spaces which were originally planted only with mesymbrianthemum with nothing rising above ground level. Later intervention included planting of lawn and succulents and placement of large rocks.. This planting proved to be unsuccessful since most plants marginally survive, look dry and miserable and some, with their upright form, conflict with the flatness of the site.

This is an ideal site to create a small botanical garden of the plants that grow on the island’s coast. The plants will thrive and it will complement the function of the Aquarium and Museum of marine life. This is a very interesting group of plants, some of which are rare, some endemic of the island, and some are protected species. Because of the extended mass touristic development of the island most coastal habitats have suffered extended and irreparable damage. Very few intact coastal habitats remain on the island and this posses a threat to many of these unique plants .

IMPLEMENTATION

We must recreate the soil, exposure to the sea and humidity conditions for the plants in a design that is aesthetically pleasing and appropriate to the site.

Five distinct zones are created :The first two zones on both sides

closest to the sea are covered with sand. They accommodate plants of the sandy beaches and sand dunes with different soil requirements ( especially organic matter content) and distance from the strandline, creating two subzones.

The third zone is consisted of rocks and low shrubs. The low elevation created by this zone will facilitate the accumulation of sand that comes with the wind from the beach, stabilizing the first zone.

The fourth zone is planted with plants of the garrigue that thrive directly behind the sandy beaches.

The fifth zone is planted with plant from the estuaries of the islands torrents and streams.

1st Zone:Cakile maritimeCampanula rhodensisPancratium maritimumMathiola longipetalaPolygonum maritimumSalsola kaliNigella arvensis subsp.

BrevifoliaConsolida arenariaIpomea imperatiDianthus crinitus

3rd Zone Juniperus oxicedrus subsp

macrocarpa Juniperus foenicea, Lyceum schweinfurtii Eryngium maritimum Crithmum maritimum Glaucium flavumAtriplex portulacoidesAlkana tiktoriaPistacia lentiscusLimonium sinuatum

4th ZoneSarcopoterium spinosumHelichrysum sp.Cistus sp.Fumana thymifolliumCoridothymus capitatusSalvia officinalisGenista acanthoclada

5th ZoneVitex agnus castusJuncus bufoniusLythrum junceumNerium oleanderPhragmites australis

SPECIES PER ZONE

2nd Zone :Ononis natrixOnonis variegateOtanthus maritimusMedicago marinaEryngium maritimumCampanula rhodensisPancratium maritimumLotus peregrinesElymus elongatesCutandia maritimeElymus farctusPseudorlaya pumilaGlaucium flavumMesymbrianthemum

nodiflorumHypecoum torulosumSilene colorataConvolvulus oleifoliusNauplius aquaticusLimonium sinuatumFilago cretensis subsp

cycladumAlyssum borzaenumVe rbascum syriacumDianthus crinitus

THE PLANTS.

Juniperus oxycedrus subsp macrocarpa

Juniperus foenicea

Lycium schweinfurtii

Ononis natrix

Ononis variegate

Otanthus maritimus

Cakile maritimeMedicago marina

Eryngium maritimum

Campanula rhodensis: Endemic in Rhodes and Chalki

Pancratium maritimum

Lotus peregrines

Cutandia maritime

Elymus farctus

Mathiola longipetala

Pseudorlaya pumila

Polygonum maritimum

Crithmum maritimum

Salsola kali

Glaucium flavum

Mesymbrianthemum nodiflorum Atriplex portulacoides

Hypecoum procumbens ssp. Atropunctatum : Endemic in the eastern Aegean and Asia Minor

Hypecoum torulosumSilene colorata

Alkana tiktoria Convolvulus oleifolius

Nauplius aquaticusLimonium sinuatum

Nigella arvensis subsp. Brevifolia Endemic in Rhodes, Chalki and Crete.

Beta vulgaris subsp maritima

Ipomea imperati : Rare in Greece

Consolida arenaria : Endemic of the sand dunes of Southern Rhodes. Endangered.

Filago cretensis subsp cycladum : Rare

Verbascum syriacum Endemic in Rhodes and SE Asia Minor

Dianthus crinitus: Grows on high altitudes at the Atlas mountains (Morocco), Caucasus and other mountains of central Asia. In contrast to this distribution, it is found in Rhodes on some beaches of the east side.