Plants of Western Olympus - latest visit - July 3rd 2016

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With almodst 3 weeks delay I would like to show you the plants I saw on my visit to the Western side in mount Olympus in the same place I showed you on my June 3rd visit, a month earler on the TOPIC - <<Trip to mount Olympus - Plants to identify>>.

I will show mostly new plants which, were not yet in flower a month earlier. 

Starting from 1800 m, after parking my car and at about 1900 m:

pics 009 (1900 m) and 354 (2300 m): unidentified sp , probably silene sp. (Caryophylaceae).  About 35 cm tall and very elegant.  Flowers just about smaller than 1 cm.  Widespread below 2400 m.

pics 018 and 021: Verbascum sp.

pic 022: Linaria pelopponesiaca.  Widespead up 2600 m, occuring in some places together with Scutellaria alpina.  Here only about 20-25 cm tall.  One month earlier at 1700 m, I found it growing profusely but it was about 120 cm tall.

George

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pics 029 and 030, are somewhat intriging.  I think that they are Achillea ageratifolia but, I am not sure yet.  If indeed it is ageratifolia, it is the 1st of four species of Achillea I encountered in this trip. 

pics 043, 034 (1900 m) and 451 (2100 m): unidentified sp, widespead but only from about 1900 m to about 2300 m.  Low lying and prostate in habit.

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pic 037: Teucrium sp.  I am not sure of the species but it coulb be Teucrium chamaedrys.

pics 059, 477, 478 and 498: Anthyllis aurea.  Widespread below 2200 m.

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pics 064 and 066: Thalictrum minus ssp saxatile.  Not so widespread occuring from 2000 m - 2200 m.  About 120 cm tall.

pic 082: Asragalus (?) sp.

pic 084: Asyneuma limonifolium.  About 20 cm tall, widespread.  Occuring from about 1700 m to 2600 m.

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pics 095 and 094: Edraianthus graminifolius.  Widespread from 2200 m to 2500 m.  Occuring also in the Eastern side of the Mountain but, here, in limestone, it is thriving.

pic 108: Minuartia sp.  I searched the literature but, I cannot be sure of whate species it is.  There so many Minuartia species reported in Greece.

pic 124: Iberis sempervirens

pic 125: My first encountered with Scutellaria alpina, occuring together with Linaria peloponnesiaca at 2500 m.  At first I mistook it for a Salvia sp.  Widespread but, it occurs only above 2300 m.

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pics 127 and 130: More Scutellaria alpina.

pics 136 and 138: Senecio sp.  Again, I am not sure of the species status.  May be Senecio rupestris.  Really magnificent at 2500 m.

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pics 139 and 140: a second Achillea sp occuring at 2600 m.  Possibly Achillea ambrosiaca.

pic 144: Gentiana verna ssp balcanica

pics 154 and 156: I have to show this again.  Only few remaing in full flower at 2650 m.  Saxifraga sempervivum

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More Gentiana and Myosotis alpestris all in meadows at 2700 m

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Ranunculus fields at 2700 m.

Wild horses grazing at 2700 m.  Gone wild many years ago, they may be doing some damage to the ecosystem.

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pic 183: Veronica thessala

pics 189 and 204: Alyssum handelii.  All three from 2700 m.

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Finally for this afternoon, a gem, growing at 2800 m near St Anthony's peak (2817 m).

Cerastium theophrastii.

A mount Olympus endemic growing only at high elevations.

George Papapolymerou

[Gabriela]

George, thank you once more for the virtual trips in the Mt. Olympus, and not only.
Exquisite landscapes and an amazingly rich flora.

I think the 082 pic is also an Anthyllis. Thanks only to my interest in medicinal plants I can tell that 043, 034,451 is a Sideritis (mountain tea) - there are few species in Greece and surroundings. They are all valuable medicinals (never had the chance to taste a Sideritis tea, but maybe one day...).

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After a break, I would like to continue with the images of my trip - Only plnts not shown before:

pics: 242 and 246: Achillea abrosiaca (?) mostly in bud

pics: 263, 265 and 266: Cardamine carnosa at 2750 m

George

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pic 244: unidentified sp.  Small flowers very dense, growing as a mat and very gracefull, 2400 m

pics 273, 295 and 365: Minuartia sp.  Many species of Minuartia so species status is confusing as one has to look up details in leaves.

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pics 283 and 294: Lotus (?) sp

pics 285 and 290: Lotus (?) sp, possibly Lotus carniliculatus.  Altough growing in the same area (2350 m) they seem different (from pics 283 and 294).  I can't tell with certainty.

pic 299: more Scutellaria alpina (2400 m)