Pistacia Lentiscus (Mastic Tree)
At the lower altitudes of Troodos we find the Pintacia lentiscus. The Mastic tree is an evergreen, aromatic, resinous bush or small tree, up to 5 m high, with a smooth and usually grayish cortex. The leaves are arranged alternately, composite, winged, arthiostatic, 5-10 x 3-7 cm. The leaflets are carried in 2-4 pairs and are oval, elongated or elliptical, leathery, dark green, with the ridge often evidently impinged. The flowers are monogenous and the plant dioica, so the plants are either male (only male flowers) or female and produce fruit. Male flowers are staggered, while the females are carried in stumps, in the armpits of the leaves. It blooms from February to March. Its fruit is spherical and hollow, around 5 mm in diameter, red in the beginning, but gradually becomes black and glossy during maturation, from September to December.
The Mastic tree is protected by the Forestry Legislation and logging of the shrub or small tree of relatively large dimensions (diameter of the trunk at a height of 130 cm above the ground greater than 15 cm) is required by the Department of Forests. A significant part of the areas covered by the habitat types in which the species is the main or parasitic species have been included in the NATURA 2000 Network. Cyprus has the obligation to take all necessary management and other protective measures to keep them in good conservation status.
Location
Flora - Fauna
Juniperus phoenicea (Juniper Tree)
At lower altitudes one will find the Maquis forests, one of the predominant species is the Juniper tree (Juniperus phoenicea). Restricted to the area of Troodos, in regions with an altitude of 1000 to 1950 m (Prodromos, Kryos Potamos, Chionistra, Alm
Klarios Valley
The Klarios or Karkotis River, with a length of almost 25 km, stems from the Troodos Mountains and until it reaches Morphou Bay, passes through the Solea Valley. The beautiful Solea valley is located along Nicosia – Troodos road (56 km from Nicosia, 56
Olea Europaea (Wild Olive Tree)
At lower altitudes dominate the Maquis forests, with several dominant species, one of which is the Olea europaea. The Wild Olive tree is a long-living bush, essentially immortal. It has many branches, that get twisted, which, when dried, create new sec
Palia (Old) Kakopetria
The traditional architecture, on which the building of the houses is based, as well as the traditional way of land mapping Palia Kakopetria, are classified in the rare examples of folk architecture. The old district of the village, with narrow and wind