Rare plant reappears in fire-ravaged Solea

A rare endemic plant has reappeared in an area of Solea that was ravaged by fire in June last year, the forestry department said on Friday.

A written announcement said a team from the environment department had located and counted 1,500 plants known as Crocus hartmannianus in the Rotsias area of Solea, which had been ravaged by one of the worst fires in the island’s history.

Experts were concerned that last june’s fire would have affected the rare plant. Counting will be repeated in the next two weeks because the plant’s populations did not grow simultaneously, the department said.

Crocus hartmannianus is classified as vulnerable and it is found at three to four locations with a population of more than 6,000 individuals. Quarrying activities and natural fires are the main threats to this species.

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