- 13 - From the town of Kobuleti we turn to the east, to the gorge of the Kintrishi River. The basin of the river occupies 284 km², the altitudinal range being 0-2600 m. The Kintrishi Gorge is for- med by the west spurs of the Meskhety Range is open towards the sea. The flora of the Kintrishi Basin includes 1044 species be- longing to 467 genera and 111 families; among them there are 46 species of trees, 56 of shrubs, 22 of semishrubs and 920 of her- baceous plants. Of the various floristic elements, a significant role is played by the Colchic and the Ancient Mediterranean ele- ments, including more than 220 relic species, and 93 endemic forms of the Caucasus or its different parts (including the Colchis). The vegetation is characterized by altitudinal zonation be- cause of the considerable range in elevation. There are three belts (=altitudinal zones) here: the forest belt from 0 to 2100m; the sub-alpine belt from 2100 to 2350 m; and the alpine belt from 2350 to 2600 m. The widest belt is the forest one which consists of mixed Colchic forest, chestnut forest, and beech forest sub-belts, as well as the lowest subbelt - the maritime lowlands dominated by secondary herbaceous and cultivated vegetation. We will be able to see the mixed Colchic forest and a part of the beech forest. The road from the town of Kobuleti to the village of Chakha- ti follows the maritime lowland and foothills where the natural vegetation has been greatly changed by agriculture. Of natural coenoses, there are small communities of Carex, Juncus, Spargani- um, Typha, Alisma species and other hydrophilous plants; in some places one can see small pockets of Osmunda regalis mixed with Hibiscus ponticus, Leucojum aestivum, Equisetum telmateia, Rubus hirtus and such herbs as Lythrum salicaria, Mentha aquatica, and Iris pseudacorus. The floating plants that occur in the reser- voirs are Trapa colchica, Nuphar luteum and Potamogeton crispus. The secondary vegetation of the lowland is rich in weeds; 64 species of the 432 growing in the Kintrishi lowland are adventive. Among them Paspalum dilatatum, Anthoxanthum odoratum, and Kyllin- ga gracillima form separate communities. Weeds in the fields in- clude Commelina communis, Polygonum perforiatum, P.thunbergii, Crassocephalum crepidioides, Erigeron crispus, E.bonariensis, and