16 ceous cover includes Dryopteris horreri, D.filix-mas,Athyrium fi- lix-femina,Matteucia struthiopteris, Polystichum lobatum, P.woro-nowii, Festuca drimeia, Polygonatum multiflorum, Paris incomple- ta, Aristolochia pontica, Actaea spicata, Ranunculus ampelophyl- lus, Cardamine pectinata, Pachyphragma macrophyllum, Sanicula europaea, Primula sibthorpii, Cyclamen adsharicum, Omphalodes ca- ppadocica, Symphytum ibericum, Trachystemon orientale, Calamintha grandiflora, Campanula lactiflora, Cicerbita pontica, and others. Most of the herbaceous species of the mixed forest, and of the entire forest belt, grow near the river-bed and its tributa- ries where they find more moisture and warmth. In the narrow gor- ges of the tributaries, rare ancient relic species remain, as for example Hymenophyllum tunbridgense, Primula megaseifolies and Cam- panula makaschwilli. To the east from the village of Chakhati the Mt.Elias-Tsikhe rises, on the southwest slope of which we shall see a plot of well-preserved beech forest. Near the edge of the beech forest are patches of Euphorbia amygdaloides. The beech forest is compo- sed of tall stately trees of Fagus orientalis, with a sparse un- derstorey of Laurocerasus officinalis. A magnificent view of the Colchis opens up from the summit of the mountain. The summit is crowned by the ruins of the an- cient military and architectural monument, the "Elias-Tsikhe"for- tress. Lilium szovitsianum, Peucedanum ruthenicum, Saxifraga co- riifolia and tens of other species grow near the fortress; these plants are quite infrequent in the adjacent forest. To the south from Chakhati, Castanea sativa can be found more and more frequently in the mixed forest. In the region of Vardzhanauli, where a medieval arched bridge has been preserved, we shall see a forest dominated by Castanea sativa and with a considerable admixture of Quercus hartwissiana, Carpinus caucasica and other tree species, and with understorey consisting of Corylus avellana and Rhododendron ponticum. At an elevation of 550 to 1120 m the chestnut form almost a pure forest that is mainly of sprout origin in the Kintrishi Gor- ge, although in some places, virgin plots have remained where individual chestnut trees reach two metres in circumference.