Trip to Katara Pass and the Aspropotamos Region - Central Pindus

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Yesteraday, June 19th, I went on a trip to Central Pindus.  I left my house at 8 am and after 380 km I mcame back at 9 pm.  I first drove through the Katara pass, bypassing the tunnels.  Last time I went there, early May and in order to photograph Fritillaria epirotica, it was very cold and hail covered my car's front window.  I did not even get out of the car and had to turn back.

This time the weather was warm, about 20-22 oC, 40 oC in the plains.  It was mostly cloudy, good weather for photographing.  However two unfortunate things marked my trip: first, the eye-lid of my Sony HX60 camera malfunctioned (from my mishandling) and did not close well most of the time, so many images are dark in the upper left or right corners and second, I did not take the charger with me.  So at 919 photos the camera went out.  I did not photograph many interesting plants above the 1700 m line after going to Haliki (Aspropotamos region), turning west and climbing at the famous Baros Pass at 1950 m which, is at the ridge of the mountains separating Epirus from Thessaly.

Starting at 800 m pics 2, 13, 20 and 25 are silene sp.  About 1-1,5 m wide bushes.

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Next two images are also from 800 m.  As I had a long trip ahead of me I did not explore for plants at low altitudes.

31: Cetaurea sp
48: pink form, the white form occurs mostly near the sea.

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Heaving reached the Katara Pass, I parked my car next to the abandoned snow plowing station.  I climbed the serpentine slopes where many years earlier I had photographed (on film) Fritillaria epirotica.  Now the season was rather late for the Fritillaria and indeed, I did not see any.

First flower pic 51: Campanula hawkinsiana, one of six Camanula species I encountered in this one day trip.

pic 64: Cerastium of Minuartia (?) sp.  This species occured widely but another one similar to it but smaller occured next to it, as I will show in other pics.

pics 65, 68 and 84: Unidentified sp (help please).  This species occured in large colonies all over the mountains in two colorations, pink and violet.

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pic 86: a view of the serpentine slopes
pic 87: dianthus leaves? 
pics 93 and 94: an identified sp.  Its occurrence is wide. 
pic 521: It was flowering at 1400 m.

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The most beautiful of all up to this time came out to be Daphne oleoides.  It was occuring in masses and was at its peak, some bushes 2 meters wide.  The air was filled with its aroma.  Enjoy the next two transmissions.

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pic 108: lookin North.

I just stood there taking pictures!!!  No wonder I run out of battery.

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Still in the same area:


pics: 110, 113, 141, 144 and 157:  Hypericum(?) or Fumana (?) sp.
 

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pic 119: View towards the South

pics 124 and 131: unidentified sp.  About 50-60 cm tall.

pic 117: Silene sp.  About 40 cm tall.

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pic 134: Campanula sp.  The second one I saw and one of the six species of Campanula I saw in flower during this trip.

pics 151 and 155: another Campanula sp.  This one, about 10-15 cm tall was multi-flowered. 

George Papapolymerou

[Gabriela]

Another great day trip George - and new species again! Pic 48 must be a Cistus.
What a treat to see D. oleoides in the wild!

[Tristan_He]

Lovely photos George, and fabulous Daphnes. A shame scent doesn't come across too well in photos..

Re: IDs, could your Silene in the first batch (and possibly the Dianthus leaves further down) be Saponaria sicula?

The red-leaved succulent looks quite like Sedum album.

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Thank you Tristan,

Yes, it looks like a Sedum.  So many genuses I am not sure about.  I rely on your feedback so, I am learning from this, building slowly knowledge about native plants growing in Thessaly.

pics 164, 169, 200, 250 and 451, I believe are Potentilla.  It is about 40-45 cm tall but, in some places it was only about 30 cm tall.

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Still in the same area

Pics 174, 183 and 428, an unidentified sp, about 30 cm tall, gracefull and occuring all over the region.

Pic 201: Hypericum of Fumana (?)

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Pics 178 and 180: cannot tell the genus.  Widespread.  Can someone help?

Pics 194 and 196: Minuartia or Cerastium sp

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Pics 204 and 208: unidentified sp.  About 50 cm tall

Pics 226, 231 pink forms and 220 white form of the species (Genus?)