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. 

 

 

Crocus cartwrightianus

804_2259 HF [Crocus cartwrightianus]

 

 This beautiful flower blooms from October to December

at heights from sea-level up to 1000 meters

usually on rocky hillslopes and low shrubbery

in Attica, Cyclades islands and Crete.

It is the wild ancestor of the cultivated Crocus sativus

from which the well-known saffron is produced.

The flower is about 5 cm across with yellow anthers

and an impressive style divided into three long, red, club-shaped branches.

 

The picture was taken on Mt. Hymittos.

 

 

801_1420 [Crocus cartwrightianus]

 Crocus cartwrightianus is predominantly purple-lilac

but it sometimes comes in white,

as in this picture shot near Cape Sounio.

 

 

Spiranthes spiralis

 

DSCN3154 [Spiranthes spiralis]

Spiranthes spiralis is a common wild orchid

that grows in Europe, North Africa and West Asia.

It bears 5-25 almost tiny white flowers in an inflorescence

that is arranged around the stem in a spiral way,

 - this being the reason why it is called “spiralis’.

It can become up to 30cm tall

and is found in a variety of habitats at altitudes up to 1300 m.

It blooms in Autumn.

 

In Greece, it is usually found in Attica.

 

The picture above was taken near Lavrio in Attica.

 

 

303_5232 [Spiranthes spiralis]

the spiral arrangement of the inflorescence

 

 

303_5232 [Spiranthes spiralis]

A cropped section of the above picture

highlighting the tiny flowers.

This picture is from Mt. Hymittos.

 

 

Cyclamen graecum

801_7980 [Cyclame graecum]

 

Cyclamen graecum is well known, widely loved and needs no introduction.

However,

I'm sure you wouldn't object to my mentioning, in short, a few basic facts:

It is a perennial flowering plant that blooms in Autumn

and grows in a wide variety of habitats at elevations up to 1,300 m

in southern mainland Greece and the Peloponnese.

Its flowers slightly vary in tint and shape

but its toothed, heart-shaped leaves make it readily distinguishable

from other Cyclamen species.

 

 

302_9548 [Cyclamen graecum]

 

 

 Both pictures were taken on Mt. Hymittos.