Ononis spinosa

301_3359 [Ononis spinosa]

 

Ononis spinosa (known as ‘Spiny Rest-harrow’ in English)

is a widespread, perennial, flowering plant

found mainly in southern temperate areas of Europe.

It is an erect shrub that hardly ever reaches 60 cm in height.

 

What attracted my attention to this plant in the field

was the shape of the flower

and its long woody spines (see red arrow above)

which can easily prick or scratch you if you touch them.

 

Contrary to its frightening spikes,

the flower is a delight to look at from close.

It consists of a large, upright, rounded petal

and two, small, lateral ones (Similar to flowers of pea-family plants).

The latter ones enclose a tiny, boat-like, structure

containing the plant’s reproductive organs.

The species is hermaphrodite: it has both male and female organs

and is pollinated usually by bees.

 

 

301_3360 [Ononis spinosa]

 In Greece,

this shrub is found in dry bushy places,

such as roadsides, rocky grounds and waste places.

It produces flowers that vary in color from pink to violet.

They are 1-2 cm long, and bloom in summer at heights up to 1900 meters.

 

The picture was taken on Mt. Hortiatis.

 

 

Papaver rhoeas

IMG_7529 [Papaver rhoeas]

Every spring, the bright red flowers of Papaver rhoeas,

or “The common poppy” as it is widely known,

bring color to fields, roadsides, and open ground across much of Europe.

It is one of the continent's most widespread wildflowers.

In Greece,

its vivid flowers are a familiar sight especially at low elevations.

Although the common poppy still thrives in many places,

it has become less abundant in cultivated fields

because it is often treated as a weed

and controlled with herbicides.

Even so,

its brilliant flowers continue to be

one of the most memorable signs of spring and early summer.

 

 

 

801_9353 [Papaver rhoeas]

 

This annual plant grows up to 60 cm tall,

blooms from March to June

and produces a vibrant poppy flower of 50–60 mm across.

 

 

 

301_9533 [Papaver rhoeas]

Despite its predominant red color,

the poppy bloom may appear in various shades of red.

 

 

 

IMG_0085 [Papaver rhoeas]

 

Each bloom has four silky red petals

which often have a black patch at the base.

 

 

 

IMG_7550 [Papaver rhoeas]

 The black patch is sometimes edged with white. 

 

 

801_4362 [Papaver rhoeas]

After flowering,

the blossom develops a spherical seed capsule

with eight to thirteen stigmatic rays.

 

 

 

Pancratium maritimum

IMG_8675 [Pancratium maritimum]

 

Pancratium maritimum,

commonly known as the Sand Lily or Sand Daffodil,

is one of the most attractive flowering plants of the Mediterranean region.

It thrives in coastal sand dunes along the Mediterranean coastline

and blooms from July to October.

 

 

 

IMG_8707 [Pancratium maritimum]

 

These plants usually grow in clumps

and can reach a height of about 50 cm.

Unlike most flowering plants,

their leaves are green during winter

but wither and dry up as the flowers begin to appear.

 

303_6801 [Pancratium maritimum]

The flowers are large, pure white, trumpet-shaped,

and remarkably beautiful;

a fact that maks them one of the most striking sights

on Mediterranean beaches.

 

 

IMG_8706 [Pancratium maritimum]

 

The plant produces three-sided fruit capsules

that release large, lightweight black seeds.

If carried into the nearby seawater,

the seeds float and are dispersed by sea currents,

allowing the species to colonize other sandy coastal habitats.

 

 

A monumental gate

FBHB 5640 [Monumental gate]

This monumental gate marks the entrance to the Roman Agora in Athens.

 

It was built in 11 BC through donations

from the Roman leaders Julius Caesar and Augustus,

whose names are inscribed on the stone block above the columns.

 

The entire structure was constructed from gray marble,

the same type of marble used to build the Parthenon.

 

Remarkably,

the gate has remained in exceptionally good condition

for more than 2,000 years,

despite being built without any connecting materials

between the marble blocks.

 

This is the view from the west.

 

 

 

803_9129 [Monumental gate]

 The same gate viewed from the east at sunset.

 

Please click on the images to see them in higher resolution.

Thanks.

 

If any one of you has missed my older post

of a detailed video presentation of the Roman Agora (13 min),

please click HERE.

 

 

Tulipa hageri

801_3873 [Tulipa hageri]

 

Tulipa hageri is a short (15-30 cm tall) perennial plant

found in the Balkan region.

 

 In Greece,

it thrives in damp meadows and on stony, grassy slopes of the central mainland.

It is noted for its vibrant red, cup-shaped flowers,

which are usually solitary and measure 30–50 mm across.

They typically bloom from March to May.

 

Despite being a hardy species,

Tulipa hageri is becoming increasingly rare in some areas,

while it still flourishes abundantly in others.

 

Here follow some pictures

showing Tulipa hageri at various stages of development.

 

All pictures were taken on Mt. Parnitha, in Attica.

 

 

801_3877 [Tulipa hageri]

 A hageri bud at an early stage. It will soon turn red.

[See next picture]

 

 

IMG_0056 [Tulipa hageri]

IMG_0235 [Tulipa hageri]

The flower in full bloom.

 

 

304_1749 [Tulipa hageri]

The flower retains its cup-shape, even when it is in full bloom.

It seldom opens fully.

  

 

304_1759 [Tulipa hageri]

 

 

Ictineo II

MG_4252 [Ictineo II]

 

The Ictineo II was a pioneering submarine built in 1862

by the Catalan inventor Narcís Monturiol i Estarriol (1819–1885).

 

Constructed from olive wood with oak reinforcements,

the vessel was 14 meters long, 2 meters wide, and 3 meters high,

capable of diving to depths of around 27 meters.

Remarkably,

it was the world's first submarine powered by a combustion engine.

 

The full-scale replica shown in this photo was built in 1992

and placed on public display at the Harbor of Barcelona.

 

Back in 2006,

every passing tourist seemed to raise their camera

to capture a picture of it—and I was no exception!

 

By the way,

Barcelona: Visit once, remember forever.

 

 

Paeonia mascula hellenica

301_9143 [Paeonia mascula hellenica]

 

Paeonia mascula hellenica is one of the three mascula subspecies

that grow in various parts of Greece.

It is a perennial that can reach a height of 80 cm,

grows in colonies,

and has striking white (or sometimes red) flowers that are 10–13 cm across.

It grows between 400 and 1300 meters above sea level

in rocky meadows and wooded clearings.

It is a highly rare plant

which has been used in medicine since ancient times.

Today,

it is used for ornamentation as well.

Sadly, the flowers have an overcollection problem.

 

 

301_9146 [Paeonia mascula hellenica]

 

 

301_9117 [Paeonia mascula hellenica]

 

The dominant white form of the flower …
 

 

 

301_9131 [Paeonia mascula hellenica]

 

301_9166 [Paeonia mascula hellenica]

 … and the rare, red form

 

The flowers stay in bloom for only two to three weeks

in the blooming season of late March to early May.

 

  

A petrified forest

[petrified forest 1]

 

A few days ago,

as I was mentally searching the Greek islands in the Aegean

for a summer vacation spot for my family this year,

my thoughts drifted back to a past trip to Lesvos.

Most of my memories of this island have faded;

yet, one thing remains unforgettable:

the striking petrified forest

that covers a large portion of the western part of the island

where more than 150 fossilized logs have been unearthed over the years.

My next idea was to show you some of these ancient wonders.

They were formed a staggering 17 to 20 million years ago

by a series of volcanic eruptions!!!

Take a look.

 

 

[petrified forest 2]

 

[petrified forest 3]

 

 

The people in the following images are not part of the tree logs! 😊😊😊

They were positioned there purely for scale,

allowing the viewer to better estimate the size of the tree logs.

 

 

 

[petrified forest 4]

[petrified Forest 5]

[petrified porest 6

[petrified forest 7]

This is a log of an obviously very tall tree.

Yet, I was reading in the papers that additional, even longer, tree logs have been found.

One of them is 19,5 m long

and is complete with its roots, branches and leaves!!!

 

All pictures above were reproduced from old analog copies.