Taygetus is the highest mountain in the Peloponnese (2,407 m). The name came from Taygete, daughter of Atlas. The word is probably pre-Hellenic. The Byzantines (Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos) referred to it as Pentadaktylos by five struts showing the mountain on the east side.
"In the olden days, the Spartans referred to it as Taygeton and the Maniates referred to it as the Distance to the Sun", writes the satirical poet Nikita Nifakis (18th century).
The relief of Taygetos, formed by the alternation of mountains, forests, canyons and streams, giving the area of natural beauty, attracting alternative forms of tourism related to the environment, mountain sports and religious tours.
Taygetus is actually a mountain range formed by three mountain ranges, North Taygetos, the Central and Mt Taygetos Tainaro or Sangia.
Taygetos has three main climatic zones related to altitude. In low slope to 800m. The climate is typically Mediterranean with dry summers, lasting from May until mid October. The autumn begins in mid-October and ends in mid-December, a few rain falls and has many days of sunshine. The following winter is mild and lasts until March, which are mild with frequent rain and a little cold and little snow rarely falls. The spring from mid-March, has many sunny days and occasional rain.
In the mountainous area until the 1800m. Winter starts in December and lasts until March, with frequent rain and snow that usually obscures the slopes for several weeks. The Springs are cold and summer starts later, around early June. Characterized by cool summers and most sharp decrease of temperature (up to 0° C) in winter.
In sub-alpine and alpine zone, above 1800m. The climate is continental with cold and often snow from early December, covering the mountain tops until late June. Summer, which lasts two months, doing enough hot day and cool or cold evening, sometimes it rains. Lasts until mid-September, when the rains begin to fall, which thicken until November.
The lower zone from sea level to 200 feet, which can be described as flat covers an area of 64,500 ha (25,4%). The area of the 200m. until 1000. occupies an area of 151,100 ha (59.4%). From 1000 m up to 2000 are 38,000 ha (14.9%) and more than 2,000m. The area extends only to 700 ha or 0.3% rate.
Distinguish five main vegetation zones: a) the area of the Mediterranean maquis (from 0 to 700-800m.), b) the area of mountain pine (up to 1600-1700m.), c) the sub-alpine zone (up to 2000m.), d) Alpine zone (2000m. more) and e) Azoniki vegetation of gullies.
a) Area of Mediterranean maquis
In the flat part of this area see crops of olives and usually also on the east side of citrus and vines. The vegetation in the other areas covered by olive trees (Olea europaea ssp. Oleaster), oaks (Quercus coccifera), lentisks (Pistacia lentiscus), oak (Quercus ilex), heather (Erica manipuliflora, erica arborea), Koutsoupias (Cercis siliquastrum), esparto (Spartium junceum), fillykia (Phillyrea latifolia), arbutus (Arbutus unedo), maple (Acer sempervirens), chrysoxila (Cotinus coggygria), ash (Fraxinus ornus), agriokedra (Juniperus oxycedrus), Gortsos (Pyrus spinosa), carob (Ceratonia Siliqua), oak (Quercus pubescens), cypress (Cupressus sempervirens), etc.
Among scrub grow eight of the 32 local native plants of the mountain, and many wildflowers as agriotoulipes (Tulipa orphanidea), skylokremmydes (Urginea maritime), fritillaries (Fritillaria graeca), cyclamen (Cyclamen graecum), skilles (Scilla messeniaca), yolk (Crocus laevigatus), anemones (Anemone pavonina, Anemone coronaria), daisy (Anthemis chia), orchids (Orchis, Oprhys, Serapias) etc.
In earlier times it was really the scrubs were actually forests, but forestw fires, animal grazing, and pruning etc. changed the ancient Mediterranean forest area. In many areas the scrubs have disappeared and in place other plants have sprouted such, thyme, savory, sage, and others.
In Sangia, which is the culmination of the mountain south of Mani, the vegetation is sparse and poor in relation to the rest of the mountain. Here are dominated by the prickly brushwood, hidden, aspalathrous, thistle, Gortsos, agriocharoupies etc. Few grow olives, figs, and rare native plants such as crocus (Crocus niveus) and fritillaria (Fritillaria davisii).
b) Area of upland conifers
In this growing area of mountain forests, formed mainly from the Black Pine (Pinus nigra) and the Greek fir (Abies cephalonica). The vegetation includes deciduous trees such as chestnut (Castanea sativa), oak (Quercus pubescens), oak (Quercus frainetto), plane (Platanus orientalis) and in small groups or individually, cedars (Juniperus oxycedrus), agriokoromilia (Prunus cocomilia) cypresses, willows , poplars, etc.
A natural treasure of Taygetos are the ancient pines scattered in mountain refuge in the forest of Vassiliki. These trees aged 300-500 years, with trunk diameters often exceed the 1m. and remnants of ancient forests were destroyed by a major forest fire in the early 20th century. These valuable monuments of nature, must finally be protected and declared Taygetos National Park.
In the mountainous area 13 locally grown native plants, of which 7 have been found in sub-alpine and alpine zone. In clearings and parties have been denuded by fire, as of 1998 which burned 2,200 ha in central and northern Taygetos, we see many plants as agriogaryfala (Dianthus), mountain anemone (Anemone blanda), agrioneragkoules (Ranunculus sp.), Peonies (Paeonia mascula ssp. Hellenica), Amarantos (Sedum sp.), roses (Rosa canina), geranium (Geranium sp.), agriomenexedes (Viola odorata), cyclamen (Cyclamen repandum ssp. Peloponnesiacum, Cyclamen hederifolium), Primoula Primula vulgaris) , onosma (Onosma sp.), agriothymaria (thymus sp.), bells (Campanula sp.), red lilies (Lilioum chalcedonicum), orchids (Dactylorhiza, Limodorum, Listera, Orchis, Cephanthera) etc.
c) Sub-alpine zone
At a height of 1600-1700m the forest and subalpine grassland starts and rock formations, which grow only small plants, usually annuals. Occasionally we see a small fir or pines has dwarfish or deformed shape due to the many snowfalls.
Only resistant plants manage to survive such as mountain nettle (Urtica dioica), the Astragalus taygeteus, the Onosma leptanthum, tea (Sideritis Clandestina ssp. Clandestina) etc.
It is true that many of these plants go unnoticed and offer thrills only to the initiated in botany will bother to look for and recognize them. But there are some flowers that despite their small size make their presence felt and touched by the fragility in the wild and rugged landscape of peaks.
d) Alpine zone
In the alpine zone, the combination of low temperature, dry air, strong winds, low growth of land and short growing season does not permit the establishment of forest vegetation.
The plants found here are usually long and have developed specific adaptive capacities to cope with the difficult these conditions. Some take a solid form as small pads and have small shoots and leaves. Even in seemingly barren screes are plants with thin stems and roots to creep between the stones in search of a little soil and moisture is below them.
The scarce and sparse vegetation of the Alpine area will find the most rare and endemic plants of the region, most linked to the presence and spread with unusual rock formations formed by the peaks of Mt. These are Aethionema carlsbergii, Campanula papillosa, Jurinea taygetea, Crocus sieberi - subsp. Nivalis, Viola sfikasiana etc.
e) Azoniki vegetation of gullies
The ravines and canyons that descend from the Taygetos in Laconia and Messinia sometimes have water all year round and sometimes drie up in summer. The climate is cooler, the soil has more moisture and sunlight is less than the surrounding slopes. These conditions favor the development of a peculiar vegetation not affected by both the altitude difference. The dominant species is the plane tree (Platanus orientalis), and occasionally appear Laurel (nobilis), the myrtle (Myrtus communis), wild pomegranate (Punica granatum), ivy (Hedera helix) and lower the oleander (Nerium leander) and chaste (Vitex agnus-castus).
In the gullies grow six endemic mountain: Ta Athamanta arachnoidea Laggada in the Galanthus reginae olgae ssp. reginae olgae, the Inula candida - subsp. Limonella, the Lithodora zahnii in Sangia, Silene goulimyi, Stachys candida and other native Greece as Cyclamen hederifolium, the Lunaria annua ssp. Pachyrhiza etc.
Finally, it should be noted that so far there has been no comprehensive scientific study on the Taygetos, a study carried out if it has, we believe, impressive results.
