EARLY CROCUS IN CENTRAL GREECE AND SOME COMPANION PLANTS

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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

[Tony Willis]

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

[Tony Willis]

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

[Maggi Young]

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