Anemone coronaria

DSCN3543 [Anemone coronaria]

Anemone coronaria,

commonly known as the Crown anemone, Poppy anemone, or windflower,

is a very common flowering plant in the Mediterranean region.

It produces flowers in shades of red, purple, white and blue.

Its sepals, usually 5-8, are arranged around a characteristic black center of stamens

that forms a crown-like ring;

a fact that lends the flower its name “coronaria”.

 

In Greece,

Anemone coronaria typically grows to a height of 20–35 cm

and blooms from January to May.

Each flower can measure 3–7 cm in diameter.

 

Its diversity of colors is eye-captivating,

so I feel I should share with you below

an assortment of colors

that I had the opportunity to photograph.

 

 

803_0889 [Anemone coronaria]

 

 

301_5506 [Anemone coronaria]

 

 

301_5513 [Anemone coronaria]

 

302_3432 [Anemone coronaria]

  

302_3698 [Anemone coronaria]

 

 

301_6950 [Anemone coronaria]

Anacridium aegyptium

DSCN1925 [Anacridium aegyptium]

 

Being tired at the end of a long day in Chalkidiki some years ago,

I was looking for a place where I could take a short rest

when I saw a bench that seemed to be unoccupied!

 

Alas! What a disappointment!

Right in the middle of the bench a huge insect remained motionless

and indifferent to my presence - and even worse … to my fatigue!

It was an Anacridium aegyptium,

also known as Egyptian grasshopper or tree grasshopper.

 

This insect is one of the largest grasshopper species in Europe.

Adult males are typically 30–55 mm long,

while females are larger, reaching 45–70 mm in length.

 

It is easily identified from its large body size

and its eyes, which have characteristic vertical black and white stripes.

 

Those striking eyes kept looking at me and said:

“Go away, the bench is mine!”

I refused to obey. I stayed, kept looking at it and remembered

that this species is common around the Mediterranean

in a variety of warm, dry habitats, including scrublands, orchards,

and gardens, where it lives on trees and shrubs.

 

It is a solitary species that feeds on leaves

and is generally considered a minor agricultural pest,

as it does not form large, destructive swarms like the migratory locust.

 

All this sounds good

but I would expect it to move to the side and make some room for a tired old man,

but it didn’t!

 

For a picture of Anacridium aegyptium nymph please click HERE.

 

 

Crocus nivalis

801_1745 [Crocus nivalis]

Crocus nivalis blooms in the heart of winter

in areas stretching from the Peloponnese to Northern Greece

at altitudes of even beyond 1300m,

where it is aften seen growing on snow-covered mountain peaks.

This is most likely the reason why it was given the name “nivalis,”

which derives from the Latin nix (nivis), meaning snow.

 

In Attica, however, it is also found as low as 400m

on all the mountains around Athens.

 

The picture was taken in Anthusa (Attica).

 

 

Merry Christmas!

 

 

wholeheartedly

from Tagton, the blogger

 

 

Ephedra foemina

804_0536 [Ephedra foemina]

 

Ephedra foemina is a perennial climbing shrub

native to the eastern Mediterranean region.

It is found at heights of up to 1000 meters

and can get up to 5 meters tall.

 

Its characteristic numerous green (or reddish) twigs are flexible

and seem to be hanging from the top of a plant towards the ground.

 

In this picture Ephedra seems to be hanging from the top of a tree!

 

 

804_2335 [Ephedra foemina] 

 This is a vertical panorama that shows Ephedra

to have covered a whole tree from top to bottom!

 

 

804_2348 [Ephedra foemina]
 

Its distinctive red fruits appear in Autumn and Winter

and seen from a little distance all together

they provide an impressive sight.

 

 

804_0527 [Ephedra foemina]

  A closeup photo of Ephedra’s fruit. It’s 6-8 mm wide.

 

May I provide two points of interest

in case you are ready for some personal research?

 

1) The plant is being tested for its potential uses in traditional medicine, and

2) It is an insect-pollinated plant that attracts pollinators

by secreting sticky drops on cones that reflect moonlight,

a strategy that helps pollinators navigate during the full moon.

 

 

Crocus cancellatus subsp. mazziaricus

301_4746 [Crocus cancellatus susp. mazziaricus]

 

A widespread crocus that flourishes in Central Greece,

as well as in the Peloponnese and the Aegean islands.

It blooms in shades of white and purple from September to November

and is found in a variety of open habitats

at heights up to 1700m.

 

Interesting to note

that no leaves are present at flowering time.

 

The picture was taken in the Peloponnese.

 

 

Nicotiana glauca

804_2325 [Nicotiana glauca]

Nicotiana glauca, commonly known as “tree tobacco”,

is a species of a small flowering tree native to South America

but it’s also widespread and naturalized globally

as an introduced species on other continents.

 

It normally grows to over 2m

and is considered a roadside weed, poisonous to humans and livestock.

 

Its yellow tubular flowers are about 5 cm long and 1 cm wide.

 

[Info derived and adapted from Wikipedia.]

 

 

 

IMG_6786 [Nicotiana glauca]

 The pictures were taken at the foot of Mt. Hymittos.

 

 

Galanthus reginae-olgae

DSCN3088 [Galanthus reginae-olgae]

 

Galanthus reginae-olgae is a rare flowering plant

that grows in Sicily and parts of the Balkans.

 

In Greece, we find it mainly on Mt. Taygetos in the Peloponnese

and since 2009 on one spot on Mt. Hymittos in Attica.

Unfortunately, my repeated visits there in the last 3 or 4 years

to take some new pictures have remained fruitless.

Obvious human intervention on the spot

for the prevention of forest fires in the area

may have led to the flower’s extinction from that spot.

Ironically, it is included in “The Red Data Book of Rare

and Endangered Plants of Greece” (published in 1995).

I hope it can manage to survive at least elsewhere.

 

Its pendant white flowers (about 15–35 mm long) appear in Autumn,

in altitudes up to 1300m. usually on wet, shady woodland environments.

On the other hand,

it is also cultivated in gardens as an ornamental plant.

 

The name “Galanthus” comes from the Greek language

and means “a flower having the color of milk”,

while the name “reginae-olgae” comes from Latin

and refers to Queen Olga, once queen of Greece.

 

 

DSCN3095 [Galanthus reginae-olgae]

The two pictures above are from Mt. Taygetos… 

 

 

 

DSCN4152 [Galanthus reginae olgae]

 

…while this one is from Mt. Hymittos.

 

Perhaps it’s needless to say, but I’ll do so, just in case,

that the leaves of this species are 5-12 mm wide.

Consequently,

the leaf present at the bottom of this picture was unintentionally included in the frame

and has nothing to do with Galanthus. Sorry.