Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Bulbs => Crocus => Topic started by: papapoly on February 11, 2015, 04:05:01 PM
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Hellow folks,
I took 3 recent trips in Central Greece in search for ealy Crocus species. Predominant species were Crocus crysanthus (very variable) and Crocus sieberi. Crocus veluchensis flowers later according to altitude.
First trip in 21-01-2015 in lake Plastira.
Pics: 155 and 158 Crocus sieberi usual colour, 153 white perianth segments
George Papapolymerou
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Next 5 pics:
125 showing Crocus sieberi growing in mass, elevation about 800 m
096 and 118, Crocus sieberi showing variation in colour
0106, Crocus sieberi, corm tunics
100, Crocus sieberi, one with 10-11 flower perianth segments!!!
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Finally from this trip,
pics:
60, part of lake Plastira
63, area around the lake, to the West rise the Agrapha mountains
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Good to hear from you, Dr. George. Quite a successful trip, do you agree?
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Yes Maggi,
But please, just call me George.
It was quite early in the season. I saw no other flowering plants.
My next trip in Elassona from 400-600 m taken in January 24. The whole area of lake Plastira, belonging to the Agrapha mountains, is in the foothills of these very rugget and little explored mountains rising (several tops) from 1900 m to 2350 m the highest point.
The name Agrapha means ''Unwritten'', because of the ruggedness, during the Ottoman occupation in Greece (nearly 400 years), the Ottomans could not collect taxes. So, in their books these mountains were ''Unwritten''.
George
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The name Agrapha means ''Unwritten'', because of the ruggedness, during the Ottoman occupation in Greece (nearly 400 years), the Ottomans could not collect taxes. So, in their books these mountains were ''Unwritten''.
George
Such details are most interesting - thank you.
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Next trip to close by Elassona area in 24-01-2015. Very hilly area, hills rising to almost 900 m. Nearby Mount Olympus (about 15-25 km) stands as a giant.
Pics:
91: Crocus chrysanthus, dark tube and extending somewhat into the throat and perianth segments.
57, 89: Crocus chrysanthus, uniformly yellow. The two forms occur mixed in the same spots. As you can notice in pic 91: the right hand, fallen plant has a somewhat dark tube. I did not examine any corm tunics. Flowers of medium size. These forms occur in the area and in nearby mnt Olympus. In the West facing slopes, I have seen them last year all the way up to 1700 m. Above this elevation the slopes were snow-covered.
87: Another dark tube form
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Some companion plants beggining to emerge,
pics:
41 and 51: Colchicum doerfleri, very widespread. I have more pictures of this in following trips to show you. My observations suggest that the higher the elevation the larger its flowers are. At 100 m, in N facing hills it is very small, flowering in late December - early January. In mount Kissavos (Ossa) at 1700 m it is flowering in April with much larger flowers than those shown in pics 41 and 51 (elevation here is 550 m).
0037: the widespread Romulea bulbocodium
0084: Bellevalia hyacinthoides. This plant really loves rocky, very rocky terrain. It is just begginng to flower here.
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Very nice to see these George.
Here Bellevalia hyacinthoides from wild-collected seed will probably keep me waiting another year for first flowers.
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George
Nice to see these flowering now. Thanks for sharing
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Dear Ashley,
This Bellevalia grows in very dry rocky outcrops. It really prefers South facing slopes. In the same hills its occurence in N facing slopes is very small or non-existent. You go to S facing slopes, may be just 100-200 m away, and it occurs by the thousands. Also, it never grows (at least I haven't seen it) in elevations higher than 700 m. So I guess the key to a successful cultivation is a very well drained situation (rocky soil) with as much as poossible sunshine and a good drying-baking in the summer.
I will be back next week with more images.
George
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Thanks George, these in situ observations are very helpful.
I look forward to seeing more of the plants of Thessaly.
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My next trip was to nearby Meteora and the Central Pindus mountains up to 1000 m. Above this elevation the terrain was covered with snow. Pics:
002 and 020: Crocus sieberi growing between the rocks of the monasteries, facing North, NW and NE. Elevation about 450 m.
006: Inside of flowers - close up
040: Monasteries (Monastery of St Stephanus). Between the rocks part of the city of Kalambaka and behind it the beggining of C Pindus (looking West).
George
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Next, moving in a NW direction towards the village of Kastania and crossing tributaries of the Pinios river I came across several flowers beginning to show up. Pics:
056: Romulea bulbocodium, in some places growing in very wet turf,
058: 2 Romuleas growing side by side but apparently not hybridizing: Romulea bulbocodium and Romulea temskyana,
079: Ornithogalum sp growing in massive amounts,
085 and 088: Ornithogalum sp close up of the flowers
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As I was moving towards Kastania and at an elevation of 350 m I noticed a yellow blooming Crocus sp growing along the road. I stepped out of the car and then under the quercus trees I noticed massive amounts of Crocus chrysanthus growing. I went up the road and took following pictures:
096 and 109: Crocus chrysanthus,
0104: Close up
0114, 0116 and 0119: corm tunics
0124: View of the Meteora rocks from about 15 Km away
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pics 119 and 124
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On my way to Kastania ana at about 650 m in forrested hilsides by the roada I saw this anemone, probably anemone hortensis (?)
pics:
0132: white form
0134: violet-blue form
0140: the two forms growing together in massive amounts under the partial shade (not yet with leaves) of quercus trees.
Note: Crocus chrysanthus in this trip was of much different apperance from what I had shown in earlier pics from around Elassona district (trip on 24-01-2015): Here, larger flowers, uniform yellow and no violet tubes and perianth segments.
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After 7-8 more km I came up with more Crocus sieberi growing in the open, at the edge of quercus forrest and under quercus trees.
Pics:
158 and 159: Crocus sieberi
161 and 162: corm tunics
174: close up of the flowers
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Just around the area, I found the two species sieberi and chrysanthus growing together, apparently without hybridizing. The following pics show the two species growing together: pics 189 and 192.
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The following pics are from the village of Kastania at 950 m.
pics:
213: leaves of Cyclamen hederifolium
217: Crocus sieberi
219: Tussilago farfara
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The pics I forgot to attach
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And the last pics from this trip:
223 and 226: more Crocus sieberi
228 and 233: corm tunics of Crocus sieberi.
These corm tunics of Crocus sieberi (at 950 m) seem different from those at lower elevation (around 800 m) I showed in pics 161 and 162. Also the corm shape seems to be different. I don't know! It seems to be Crocus sieberi but then I may need to examine these tunics more carefully in future work.
George
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George
good to see the flowers and in such numbers. We will be there in ten days and were worrying it will all be covered in snow.
Was in Meteora last May,what a wonderful sight those monasteries are.
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Tony,
Right now, I am not sure now where the snowline is in Central Pindus. It is 3 oC at 70 m elevation (Larisa). Looking East (Mount Ossa or Kissavos and North, Mount Olympus) the snowline is at about 600 m. I will try to find out more on this in Central Pindus as the late storm has hit more on Eastern Thessaly. But, it will be cold. I live in Larissa, about 70 km away from Meteora. The area where I grew up is 25 Km NW of Meteora (village of Kastania). Let me know when you are coming. I will find out more about the snow cover with respect to elevation in this area.
P.S. We have a late winter this season.
George
George
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George
sorry if I have misled you,I meant we were on our way to Greece. We are visiting the Falackro and Vermion areas.Hopefully there will be plenty to see lower down. They are both areas I have been to many times but never this early. i am expecting to be back again in early May travelling up the West as far as Florina and coming back down the East via olympus
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George, again my thanks to you for sharing this trip with us.
I am learning that oaks and crocus mix rather well!
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Maggi,
Yes, you see oak trees drop their leaves. Early on and right through mid May there are no leaves so, there is a good amount of sunshine coming through the trees. Crocus in lower altitudes goes dormant in mid May. So while there is good sunshine it grows under trees and then in the hot summer months it stays cool. This is the situation below 1000 m. In high altitudes (above 1500 m) they grow out in the open but facing N and NE.
Also, I see the same thing in beech forrests. Plenty of Crocus (usually veluchensis) grows in the shade from 700 m to 1200 m. When it grows there, it gets plenty of sunshine and when dormant it stays cool because the leaves have come out and provide shade.
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On February 7th I went about 30 Km NW of where I live to observe Crocuses. But then I ended up on top of Kamvounia mnts in C Greece, about 80 km away and at 1650 m. Before I got there, I saw a lot of Crocuses (chrysanthous) along the way and at one place, at about 950 m elevation beautiful meadows of Crocus chrysanthus and Colchicum doerfleri growing together in masive amounts.
Pics (350 m):
237: ornithogalum sp
242: unknown sp
244 and 256: Romulea bulbocodium and Romulea linaresii
252: Gagea species
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In the same location (350 m):
249: species forming massive mats between scrub (veronica sp?)
272 Crocusa chrysanthus
268, 296: corm tunics
277: colchicum doerfleri
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From 350 m also:
300: more Cr crhysanthus
Moving on to 950 m facing East:
313: Colchicum doerflerii close up
pics 317, 322 and 341 refer to Colchicum doerfleri
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A correction: previously, pics 317, 322 and 341 refer to Colchicum doerfleri
In the same location (950 m):
326, 33 and 346: the two species growing together
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Moving on to Kamvounia, as it was my first time there, I missed the turn to the highest point (1650 m) and to the reguge, so I ended up on the West side of the mountains. It was getting late. Crocus chrysanthus was just beggining to flower.
363, 376: viola sp
372: Crocus chrysanthus
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In the same spot (1450 m and about 2oC):
375 and 383: more CRocus chrysanthus
389: species (Ranunculus sp?)
George Papapolymerou
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Thank you for sharing these with us. It is good to see them in their natural habitat.