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Turkey, a Plant Paradise
 Turkey
is endowed with a rich diversity of family, genera and species
of plants. It is, in fact, the richest country in Europe
as well as among its neighbouring countries, from the point
of view of plant taxonomy. The table below presents a comparison
of Turkey and the continent of Europe in their respective
wealth in flora:
| |
Family |
Genera |
Species |
| Europe |
203 |
1541 |
12000 |
| Turkey |
163 |
1225 |
9000 |
Turkey is accepted to be the primary or the secondary genetic
center for some plant groups at the level of genus or species.
The following are among the genera whose genetic center
is considered to be in Turkey: Achillea, Allium, Astragalus,
Centaurea, Draba, Iris, Salvia, Verbascum.
Turkey exhibits a rich diversity of wooded plants as well.
Many of the tree and bush species which are endemic to and
found frequently in mild climatic zones also grow in Turkey.
These constitute single-species or mixed-form forest areas.
Animals living in such forest areas present a parallel diversity
depending on the specific features of the forests.
Quercus is an important example of a genus of tree that
grows in Turkish forests. Eighteen species of this genus
grow naturally in Turkey , two of which (Q aucheri and Q
vulcanica) are native to the area, while in all of Europe
there are 27 species.
Turkey is also noteworthy for the presence of woody Rosacaea
group. The Amygladus, Crataegus, Prunus, and Pyrus genera
of this family are well represented by various species,
some of which are native to the country. The large number
of species of fruit trees and their absolute volume when
compared to other Middle Eastern countries also suggests
that such fruits might have originally evolved in Turkey.
Turkey's wealth in plants is apparent in the fact that
3000 out of the 9000 flower plants are endemic to the area.
This exceeds the total number of endemic species found in
Europe (2500) and underline the ecological importance of
the country.
In addition to this rich diversity of flora, Turkey is
also considered to be the genetic center for certain cultivated
plants, some of which are: Amygladus=almond, Pyrus=pear,
Avena=oats, Hordeum=barley, Secale=rye, Triticum=wheat,
Ficus=fig, Vitis=grapevine, Pisuum=peas, Vicia=broadbeans,
vetch, Linum=linen, Allium=onion, garlic, leeks, Punica=pomegrenate,
Ceracus=cherry, sour cherry.
 There
are also some plants found in enclaves, such as Liquadambar
orientalis and Dorystoechas hastata, which are relic distributions
of the tertiary period. These grow in the southeastern corner
of Turkey.
With its rich Alpine, or high-mountain flora, Turkey constitutes
a link between central and southern Europe on the one hand
and the Irano-Turanian plant zone on the other.
From the point of view of its plant geography Turkey belongs
in the Holarctic zone, but with the distinction that elements
from three different groups of the flora of this zone (Irano-Turanian,
Mediterranean, and Euro-Siberian) can be found in it. For
this reason, from the point of view of plant diversity,
Turkey presents the characteristics of a continental land
mass rather than a country.
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