Trip to Borlero (2017 m)

[papapoly]

Yesterday, April 30, I took a climbing trip to the Agrafa region and more specifically to Borlero top at 2017 m.  I saw and photographed lots of flowers both bulbous and non-bulbous.  I saw a Crocus sp af. veluchensis.  However, this one is not typical Crocus veluchensis that I see in the mnts in Eastern Greece (Olympus, Ossa, Pieria).  Two different features are immediate different (from typical veluchensis) but others may be present as well.  Since I did not have the time (I went with a large group of climbers - not botanizers - what a pity!) to dig up a corm and examine the tunics and also could not look at a cross section of a leave and other flower details.  The two features that made it different were: a) the style always white and 2) leaves on the average were thinner than typical veluchensis.

pic 20: at the base (1200 m) getting ready to start climbing
pic 056: a waterfall
pics 073: somewhat larger leaves but as large as typical veluchensis
pics 089 and 099: typical leaves and smaller leaves

George Papapolymerou

[papapoly]

pics 122 and 138: If not all the flowers, the vast majority had dark tipped flowers, a feature that I did not see in Crocus veluchensis in Olympus, Ossa and Pieria.  In pic 122 although the flower is almost at its end and the leaves well developed but rather thin.   
pic 130: two albinos next to each other
pic 144: a light form, rather common
pic 147: lake Plastira (at 800 m) as seen from 1850 m.

I have seen Crocus veluchensis also with white style style and somewhat thinner than normal leaves last year in Northern Pindus at 2100 m in Vasilitsa mountain.  Those were not dark tipped.  So maybe this is a variation in Crocus veluchensis

[papapoly]

Some more pics,

pics 186, 208 and 198: from 1800 - 1850 m
pic 200: climbing to 2017 m from 1850 - 1900 m
pic 215: view from the top towards W - SW

[papapoly]

Finally,

pic 238: going down
pic 294: at 1600 m in a narrow gorge the Crocus was still in flower as it was shielded from the heat and snow was still lingering in large patches.  From there on it was in flower above 1700 m by the receding snow.

pic 314: I found this one with very thin leaves, just past flowering, embedded in a rock facing NE at 1400 m.

George Papapolymerou

[Lesley Cox]

It's good that you are on another trip Papapoly and that we can join you here. I'm looking forward to your plants and photos.

[Janis Ruksans]

Yesterday, April 30, I took a climbing trip to the Agrafa region and more specifically to Borlero top at 2017 m.  I saw and photographed lots of flowers both bulbous and non-bulbous.  I saw a Crocus sp af. veluchensis.  However, this one is not typical Crocus veluchensis that I see in the mnts in Eastern Greece (Olympus, Ossa, Pieria).  Two different features are immediate different (from typical veluchensis) but others may be present as well.  Since I did not have the time (I went with a large group of climbers - not botanizers - what a pity!) to dig up a corm and examine the tunics and also could not look at a cross section of a leave and other flower details.  The two features that made it different were: a) the style always white and 2) leaves on the average were thinner than typical veluchensis.

pic 20: at the base (1200 m) getting ready to start climbing
pic 056: a waterfall
pics 073: somewhat larger leaves but as large as typical veluchensis
pics 089 and 099: typical leaves and smaller leaves

George Papapolymerou

I think it is still unpublished species. Got similar reports from other travellers, too.