EARLY CROCUS IN CENTRAL GREECE AND SOME COMPANION PLANTS

[papapoly]

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!!!

[papapoly]

Finally from this trip,
pics:
60, part of lake Plastira
63, area around the lake, to the West rise the Agrapha mountains

[Maggi Young]

Good to hear from you, Dr. George.  Quite a successful trip, do you agree?

[papapoly]

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

[Maggi Young]

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.

[papapoly]

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.

[ashley]

Very nice to see these George.
Here Bellevalia hyacinthoides from wild-collected seed will probably keep me waiting another year for first flowers.

[ian mcenery]

George

Nice to see these flowering now. Thanks for sharing

[papapoly]

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

[ashley]

Thanks George, these in situ observations are very helpful.
I look forward to seeing more of the plants of Thessaly.

[papapoly]

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