Boxwood Colchis causes a certain interest of scientists. This relic plant is able to reveal the secrets of past eras. Human activities cause significant damage to the number of plants, but still there is hope that the species will survive. What kind of plant is it, how does it look, how to preserve it? Let's get it together.
What does relic mean?
"Relic" is not just a beautiful term. So called plants that have survived in certain areas of the Earth since ancient times, despite the fact that the natural conditions have changed a lot. Relics are the modest remnants of ancestral groups that have come down to us from past geological eras. In Latin, the word "relict" is translated as "remaining."
The study of relic plants gives scientists information about the nature of past eras. This is what arouses the interest of scientists in relation to the boxwood of Colchis, a modest resident of the ancient forests of Colchis.
Scientific classification
Boxwood Colchis belongs to flowering plants from the genus Boxwood. The family to which this species belongs is called Boxwood. In scientific circles, the Latin name of the species is used - Buxus colchica. Some sources claim that boxwood is synonymous with evergreen. However, not everyone agrees with this, according to other sources, these are just very close species.
Botanical Description
The plant belongs to evergreen shrubs or trees. There is a complete resemblance to boxwood evergreen. The height variation in the species is from 2 to 20 m, the base of the trunk can reach up to 30 m in diameter. The leaves are leathery, glabrous, mostly opposite. The shape of the leaf plates is oval-lanceolate, the length of the sheet is up to three centimeters.
Boxwood Colchis has a light green foliage. The crown of a bush or tree is so dense that it does not transmit light. Of all the European boxwood species, this plant has the smallest foliage. Life expectancy is up to 600 years. A characteristic feature of the plant is that boxwood evergreen (Colchis) grows very slowly. Its annual rings are small, in fact it is difficult to distinguish them on a cut. Average growth rarely exceeds 0.5 cm in diameter.
Flowering occurs in April-May. At this time, a pleasant aroma is floating around the plants. The flowers are small, light yellow. They are collected in capitate inflorescences located in the axils of the leaves. In summer, the box-fruit ripens, which sprinkles small black seeds. Distribution of seeds is possible up to three meters from the parent bush.
Where does it meet
Colchis boxwood grows in Azerbaijan, Abkhazia, Georgia, the Russian Federation and Turkey. The main places of growth are the Black Sea coast. The plant feels great at heights of up to 1800 m above sea level.
In the form of a bush it is found in some countries of Europe (France, Spain, Switzerland, Greece). There are scattered landings in China, the Himalayas and India.
What else can be said about the distribution of such a plant as Colchis boxwood? The description will continue with an important feature of the species - its high shade tolerance. Of all tree species in boxwood, this indicator is the highest. Shrubs and trees can grow in shady ravines or under the dense forest canopy. This in some way contributes to the conservation of the species.
How was boxwood used
Boxwood has now lost its economic importance, since it cannot be harvested and cut down due to the small number of plants. But earlier this type of wood was very much appreciated. The fact is that it has a beautiful color, close to the color of ivory, a homogeneous structure and high density. At the same time, wood lends itself well to processing and polishing. The local population still uses boxwood for the manufacture of souvenirs, candlesticks, cups, mortars and combs.
Due to the high value of wood, boxwood planting has been hit hard in the past. Their cutting was carried out haphazardly, and almost no care was taken to restore. So, for example, from 1840 to 1928, more than 90 tons of valuable wood was sold abroad from Russia, while a huge part of the felled trees was never taken out of the forest, and they were gradually stolen.
A small mistake with serious consequences
Human activities make adjustments to the environment. Unfortunately, these changes are not always with a “+” sign. Places where species can grow are rapidly declining. What happens to a plant like Colchis boxwood? The Red Book designates this species as being in danger. Accordingly, measures must be taken to preserve it. But here, not everything is so smooth …
In 2012, in preparation for the Olympic Games in Sochi, it was decided to land a large number of boxwood. Planting material was ordered in the nurseries of Italy, but an invasive pest, boxwood ogne, was brought along with it. As a result, a good initiative has turned into a huge problem. The pest began the mass destruction of boxwood plantations in the Sochi region. At the same time, the yew-boxwood grove, which is a monument of ancient nature (the eastern slope of Mount Akhun, Krasnodar Territory), is greatly affected. They are not yet trying to stop the threat, which means that the person once again put Colchis boxwood in danger of complete disappearance. Will it be possible to correct the situation, time will tell.
