Lilium (Lilium chalcedonicum)

Katarraktis, Tzoumerka 23-7-12

Lilium chalcedonicum belongs to the Liliaceae family (λίλιουμ, κόκκινο κρινάκι, κρινάκι, τουρκοπούλα). It is native to Greece and Albania. It can grow up to 1,5m high and bears 1-7 flowers that smell strongly. The leaves grow like fish flakes around the stem.

Katarraktis, Tzoumerka 23-7-12

Katarraktis, Tzoumerka 23-7-12

Dragon Arum (Dracunculus vulgaris)

Enipeas valley 04-06-12

Enipeas valley 04-06-12

   Dracunculus vulgaris (Araceae family) is known under many common names some of them referring to its shape: Dragon Arum, Black Arum, Voodoo Lily, Snake Lily, Black Dragon, Black Lily, Dragonwort, Ragons (Δρακοντιά, Φιδόχορτο) while other to the specific smell it has Stinky Lily. The name itself refers to the resemblance between the spadex (dragon) hiding in the spathe. The plant it is native to the Balkans and to parts of Anatolia. The plant can be up to 2m high with the inflorescence being up to 1,35m long.

   The flower extracts the unpleasant smell of a rotting carcass to attract its pollinators. Many believe that it is flesh eating but in reality it attracts only pollinators. It has two sets of flowers with the female ones being at the bottom and the male ones at the top and this all at the bottom of the spadex, so it needs the flies to carry the pollen... Another interesting fact about the smell is that it seems to cease when it has attracted a few flies.

   The plant is toxic and animals do not eat it, but the root after being processed can be made into arrow flour and used instead of wheat flour in periods of famine. 

Fritillaria (Fritillaria messanensis)

Profitis Ilias, Lefkada

 Fritillaria messanensis (fritillaria, φριτιλλάρια) belongs to the Liliaceae family and is closely related to the tulips. The name of the genus means dice box in Latin and refers to the pattern the petals have. The flower can be easily distinguished by its narrow leaves and broadly ovate nectaries. The flower has 6 petals each of them having a green stripe in the center of the petal. It likes sunny places and usually blossoms from March to April.

Profitis Ilias, Lefkada

Profitis Ilias, Lefkada

Profitis Ilias, Lefkada

Yellow bee orchid (Ophrys sicula)

 

Profitis Ilias, Lefkada

The weather has not been very nice the past few weeks and my job kept me busy, but last weekend I went camping and I have my computer full with new flowers!! So now I will need to find time to post them.

So I will get starting with this lovely Ophrys sicula belonging to the Orchidaceae family. Its common name is yellow bee orchid or yellow orchid (κίτρινη μελισσούλα) and it allocates to the shape it has that resembles a bee. I found an interesting video on the net that you can see by clicking here.

The name of the genus is Ophrys is derived from greek and means eyebrow and it refers to the hairy edge of the flower. The can be easily confused with the other orchids belonging in the lutea group (O. lutea and O. phryganae) but those two are a bit bigger than O. sicula. Moreover O. sicula has sparce lip hair and a more horizontal lip when compared to O. phryganae. It likes sunny positions and it can be found in stony and rocky places but also in grassland.

Profitis Ilias, Lefkada

Profitis Ilias, Lefkada

Profitis Ilias, Lefkada

Dovesfoot Cranesbill (Geranium molle)

Menidi, Aitoloakarnania

Menidi, Aitoloakarnania

Geranium molle or commonly known as Dovesfoot Cranesbill or Dovesfoot Geranium (γεράνι ή καλόγερος) belongs to the Geraniaceae family. It is native to the Mediterranean and sub-Mediterranean areas but it has naturalised in other parts of Europe. It is an annual plant with small pink-purplish flowers. It is a highly branched plant quite hairy and it can be up to 40cm high.

Menidi, Aitoloakarnania

Yellow star of Bethlehem (Gagea peduncularis)

Arta, Epirus

Gagea penducularis (Liliaceae family) belongs to the group of flowers that are commonly known as yellow star of Bethlehem. The genus was named after the English naturalist Gage. G. penducularis can be found insouthern Europe. It usually grows in dry and rocky places and can bloom from January to April.

Arta, Epirus

Arta, Epirus

Primrose (Primula vulgaris)

Enipeas valley, Olympus

Enipeas valley, Olympus

 Primula vulgaris or commonly known as primrose, common primrose or english primrose (πρίμουλα) belongs to the Primulaceae family. It is native to Europe, northern Africa and western Asia. The name comes from Medieval Latin prima rosa meaning first rose. One interesting fact about this flower is that male and female organs are on separate flowers. It is one of the first flowers to come out in spring and it can be often seen in gardens.

Enipeas valley, Olympus

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