Semidesert Conifers 7

Sagalassos Expedition 2010

Hodi Toth, Jozsef (HTJ) is one of the „Semidesert Fathers”, who are saving and breeding endangered plants. Not long ago I started a series of „Semidesert Conifers” on the Gardenweb threads. The discoveries of a late October one man expedition up to the Toros Mts. in SW Turkey is following here in some volumes. HTJ enriched the conifer literature not only with more than 30 new cultivars, but he managed to find and collect the majestic silvery grey lebanon cedars around the Irmasan Gecidi Pass (1526 meters), and on 1800 meters of Sagalassos near to an area, where ancient ruins are ruleing the Toros Mts. I give an outlook to mediterrain evergreen oaks too.

The editing and publishing of this expedition comes from me, photos and plant desciptions are made and written by HTJ.

Volume 1

First Day, Headquarters in Antalya

The Antalya Bay

Antalya

Oak trunks in the temple garden of Pasha Murat, built in the 16th century

Quercus aucheri

Antalya, Falez Garden

Quercus coccifera

Quercus aucheri

Yucca aloifolia

Quercus aucheri, a young prostrate form

Quercus aucheri

Quercus suber and Quercus aucheri

Quercus suber

Antalya, Ataturk Park

Pinus brutia ’Big Lettuce’ WB

Flowering Asphodeline

Antalya city

Antalya Int. Forest. Memorial Garden

Cupressus sempervirens Prayer

Cupressus sempervirens Direk

Cupressus sempervirens Agiz

Cupressus sempervirens Dua in the middle

Cupressus sempervirens Minaret to the right

Cupressus sempervirens Belli far middle

Cupressus sempervirens Durmus

Cupressus sempervirens Emin and Kemal

Cupressus sempervirens Mehmet

Édesvízi réteges mészkő

Pinus nigra Snakeskin

P. nigra f. seneceriana Storknest

Pinus nigra Pagoda

Pinus nigra Turkish Delight

Juniperus chinensis ’Kroko’

Pinus nigra ’Lovely’

Volume 2

Second Day in Korkuteli

On the way to Korkuteli

Cupressus glabra Kork

Cedrus libani Dér

Cedrus libani Mousevest

Cemetery of Korkuteli

Cupressus glabra Looming Mountain

Korkuteli suburbs – where the nature meets a growing city. Some survive, but many not.

Pinus brutia Runaway

Quercus coccifera

Juniperus excelsa Relictum

Quercus coccifera

Juniperus oxycedrus Orphan Girl

Juniperus navicularis Enigma

Korkuteli – new built in area

Cupressus lusitanica Blue Veil

Cupressus glabra Cropinblue

Temple’s Garden of Korkuteli

Cupressus benthami Dzsámi

Pinus nigra Ataturk

Back to Antalya from Korkuteli

Pinus brutia forests

Pinus brutia on the rockwalls

Pinus brutia in impossible places

Volume 3

Third Day

Antalya Bay in the morning

Antalya Bus Station Oak Park

Quercus infectoria var. boissieri

High up to the Toros Mts.

The way up to 1500 meters

Pinus brutia seedlings are growing on the rockside

Pinus brutia

The road starts from Akseki to Irmasan Gecidi Pass

Pinus brutia forests

The first Juniperus excelsas on the rocks

Pinus brutia forest closes over 400 meters

Pinus brutia forests at 800 meters

900 meters with mixed forest

1300 meters, the first Cedrus libani

1100-1200 meters, Quercus coccifera forest

1300-1400 meters, Mixed populations of Juniperus drupacea, Juniperus excelsa and Abies cilicica

1400 meters, Abies cilicica, Juniperus excelsa, Juniperus drupacea

1400-1500 meters, Abies cilicica overall, some Cedrus libani

1400-1500 meters, Juniperus drupacea

Over 1400 Abies cilicica, Juniperus excelsa, Juniperus drupacea

Over 1500, the Lebanon cedar of the Lebanon flag

A majestic cedar with Abies cilicica friends

Cedrus libanis sorrounded by dwarf Juniperus excelsas

A tectonic study with cedar forest

Over 1500 meters, cedars close their own forest

Cedrus libani with some visitors: Abies cilicica

Cedrus libani with guests, as before

Here Abies cilicica is ruling his forest

And finally firs (Abies cilicica) found a nice valley for themselves…

Irmasan Gecidi Pass 1526 meters. Life in the rockfield.

Cedrus libani forest

Giants on the road

Great finds around the Irmasan Gecidi Pass

Cedrus libani Aksakal, a silver giant standing in the rock. A Z4-5 cedar.

Cedrus libani Aksakal

Cedrus libani Tree to Heaven as towering over the Abies cilicica forest’s peace. A Z4-5 cedar.

Cedrus libani Tree to Heaven

Juniperus polycarpos Hontalan, a homeless juniper among the cedars.

Juniperus polycarpos Hontalan

Cedrus libani Blue Mast

Life on the Irmasan Gecidi

Cedrus libani

Juniperus drupacea Good Girl

Abies cilicica trunk

Cedrus libani

Juniperus polycarpos Hontalan on the hilltop – since about 1000 years

Juniperus polycarpos Hontalan

Juniperus drupacea Good Girl

Juniperus foetidissima Buksi

Juniperus foetidissima Hegylako

Juniperus drupacea Bad Boy

Juniperus drupacea

Cedrus libani, triple trunked

Cedrus libani, double trunked

Cedrus libani, a hopeful grey youngster

Farewell to Irmasan Gecidi

Volume 4

Fourth Day

The way up to Sagalassos

Alaca Dag from Hasiyurt (Dag means Mountain in turkish)

Alaca Dag

Olympos National Park

Up to Alaca Dag

Between Aglasun and Sagalassos, the way to Akdag Mt.

Akdag

The Akdag

Akdag and Aglasun Valley

Oaks in the valley

Papaver

The ancient ruines of Sagalassos

Sagalassos, Lower agora

Ruines

Sagalassos, Lower agora

A house with Cedrus libanis in the valley

Cedrus libani on the hillside

Young Phlomis fruticosa, 1650 m

Quecus coccifera, far behind Cerus libani

Quercus coccifera, 1650 m

Acantholimon

Quercus calliprinos

Ruines, Phlomis and Cedrus libani far behind

Quercus calliprinos

A planted Cedrus libani looks around the valley

Beside the turkish flag

Sagalassos map from bird’s eye

Juiperus excelsa on the Akdag, 1650-1900 m

Sagalassos ruines with Quecus coccifera in the foreground

Cedrus libani forest over 1700 meters

Cedrus libani Sagalassos 2nd group 1750 m

Cedrus libani

Sagalassos 1800 m

Aglasun Valley

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