Letea Forest_The Danube Delta

Among the risches of the flora of the Danube Delta, we can mention one of the oldest natural reservation from Dobrogea, dating back from 1938.We refer to Letea Forest( an impresive virgin forest with century old trees of more than 500 years of age) which covers an area of 182,4 ha, located on the homonymous fluvio-maritime bank ridge .This forest is made out of forest strips of 10-250 m in width placed between the sand hills, forming a landscape extremely interesting from the scientific point of view. These forest strips contain a mixture of several species among which noticed are oak tress of huge dimensions. From all these forest strips called " hasmac", " Hasmacul Mare " ( about 10 km in length) has the most luxurious vegetation, among which one can mention the oak tree, the brown oak tree, the white poplar, the black poplar, the white willow and the fluffy ashtree. The tropical aspect of Letea Forest is mainly due to the presence of the tropical creeper named periploca, a Mediteranean plant which finds its most northern refuge in our delta.This liana is made out of tendrils 1-25 m long, with reddish -brownish bark and simple, glossy leaves. Alongwith periploca, other climbing plats are woven on the branches of the trees, like the wild vine, the hop plant , the ivy and the bindwing.