Trip to Katara Pass and the Aspropotamos Region - Central Pindus

[papapoly]

pics 858 and 861: unidentified sp.  Tall - 1.5-1.7 m.

pics: 865, 876 and 877: Beautiful, unidentified sp.  Growing in masses in clearings and cliffs and facing South.

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pic 874: More dianthus sp.  Tall, about 60-70 cm.

pic 878: unidentified sp.  Pea family?

pics: 879, 882: Hickory sp?  Near the Pass (about 1700 m) at about 1650 m growing in the open by the road.

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On the other side of the Pass, going down towards Haliki:

pics 888, 897: Another Campanula, or related Genus, species.  Tall 1.5-1.7 m, occuring in masses by the roadside in partial shade or full sun.  Occuring as I was going up towards the Baros Pass in very large numbers but, I already had run out of battery in my camera.  It was windy in this spot, so it was not easy to photograph.

pics: 900 and 903: The 2nd Echium sp.  Echium italicum

pic 908: A Sedum sp. on pas Haliki, on my way up the Baros Pass (1950 m). 

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pics: 916 and 919.  Unidentified sp.  Quite different, have not seen it before.  Difficult to photograpf it better.

At this point my camera run out of battery.  I will describe to you some species I encountered on my way up the Pass and during my climbing from 1950 towards the peak (2177 m).  I reached close to about 2100 m but, not equipped with good climbing shoes I did not continue up the very steep slope.

Following, I will show you pictures I took earlier, June 5 (2 weeks ago), when I visited the pass with friends but, as they had no botanical interest, I did not stay long and certainly I could not photograph plants.  Only very few.

June 5, 2016: Baros Pass

pic 012: Going up towards the Baros Pass (1950 m)

pics 015 and 047: Ranunculus sp.  Baros Pass.  On this trip (June 19th) the sp. was in fruit.

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Baros Pass:

pics: 016, 018, 020, 023 and 028: Aubrieta sp.  Possibly Aubrieta thessala

Minuartia sp.  (probably Minuartia stellata) were growing everywhere in June 19th, up to 2100 m where I reached in very large numbers, having diameters up to 40 cm.

Also at the Pass another Campanula sp. was growing.  Neat, low inrosettes.  I believe it was Edraianthus sp.

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Still on Baros Pass:

pics 038 and 042: Saxifraga sp.  Saxifraga scardica?

pic 046: Baros Pass (1950 m): On the left road leads to Kalarrytes (Epirus), on the right to Matsouki (Epirus).  This ridge separates Thessaly (background) from Epirus.

Delimidi peak at 2177 m.  I am sorry but, I will show you a photo next week.  I did not downsized it yet.  The peak has limestone scree and very steep slopes.

pic 050: Going down from the Baros Pass.

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Going down the Baros Pass at about 1500 m:

pics: 053 and 055: Another, very different from 888 and 897, and dinstict Campanula, or of related Genus, species.  On June 19th it occuring in very large numbers on cliffs.

pic 061: Geranium sp., possibly Geranium macrorhizum.  On June 19th, I found it growing profusely in limestone screes, as I was climbing Delimidi peak

pics 064 and 065: Potentilla or Helianthemum sp.  I am confused about these two genuses.

This (pending the picture of Delimidi peak) concludes my trip of June 19th, with the very few supplementary pics of the Baros Pass area of my June 5th trip to the area.

I will be gratefull to have your feedback on the so many unidentified species I encountered in this trip.

George Papapolymerou 

[Gabriela]

Interesting plants again George; and how nice you're able to drive quite high in those places. Here are a few ideas for species, but you need to double check.

774-781 looks like Salvia sclarea, I don't know if grows there but a Salvia anyway
800-802 more like an Erodium than Geranium
845 - maybe a Lamium
the beautiful 865- 877 looks very much like an Astragalus to me
1024 Helianthemum

[Tristan_He]

the beautiful 865- 877 looks very much like an Astragalus to me

I wondered about Onobrychis Gabriela?

The Campanula (888 and 897) looks like C. rapunculus to me. Nice garden plant that will seed around without becoming a nuisance.

[Tristan_He]

799 - Digitalis grandiflora
811 - Lychnis, reminds me of L. coronaria but the cultivated forms have a much greyer and more hairy leaf.
919 - Looks like Digitalis lutea, or a close relative of it.
061 - Geranium cinereum by the looks of it.

[Gabriela]

Oh, yes Tristan - Onobrychis even more likely.

I suddenly remembered the 053-055 - it's an Asyneuma. Tried to grow one once and didn't work out. I wonder why now

[Yann]

888 can be Campanula patula, the flowers are facing up and the specie is abundant in the pass.