Trip to Katara Pass and the Aspropotamos Region - Central Pindus

[Tristan_He]

Then I came upon this Beauty: Lilium albanicum ssp carniolicum.  It occured in slopes facing North at 1800 m, under sparse Pine forest.

That is a most beautiful lily. Is it scented?

[Tristan_He]

Pics 339 and 440: Anchusa sp.

Perhaps Cynoglossum montanum?

[Lesley Cox]

The Dianthus 223 and 227 could be haematocalyx ssp. pindicola!

They are identical to what I have as that species/var, foliage, buds and flowers.

[Lesley Cox]

I wonder if the plants in your first Sedum pictures, could be a Thymus species or that other little related plant whose name I can't call to mind but something alpina. You'll know Maggi, and I think No 358  and 361 are a Cichorium species.

George, you must go back there when the Daphne is in fruit. They will be magnificent!

[papapoly]

Tristan the lily was not scented.

Lesley, I may be going back in a month.  But I will visit the area again in September.  It is full of Colchicum sp (large flowers). 

Another species, judging from the leaves, tall, about 1,5 m, maybe from the Brassica family: pics 417 and 478.  It is always difficult for me to phograph white colours.


Moving on towards Metsovo and descending I encountered this widespread sp forming large mats: pics 527 and 528.  It occurs everywhere in Thessaly in large numbers by roadsides.

523: yellow sp. unidentified, widespread.  May be an Allysum?

George

[papapoly]

An astragalus sp was very nice: pics 530 and 532

pics 546 and 686: A tall dianthus sp.  About 40 cm

[papapoly]

However, the area was full of wild rose sp.  I do not know whether they are the same species but, they occured in two colorations, pink and white.

[papapoly]

At this point, before going acroos from Metsovo to Anilion, so that I can then go across the Pass at 1670 m to Xaliki, I decided to visit the flats of Metsovo, a depression around 1350 m, in which there is a lake-reservoir.  The Aoos lake.  The area has many bogs.  I was surprised to find so many interesting plants.  I understand that these not being rocky plants may not be of interest to most gardeners. They were so many plants that some of them growing at the edge of the bogs were somewhat easier to photograph.  Of course I was wearing the proper shoes but, I got wet neverthless.   

pics 554 and 555: a small, neat white unidentified species, difficult to photograpgh well.

pics 625 and 644: partial views of the lake

[papapoly]

A tall Gladiolus species was widespread growing inside the bogs, standing well above the grasses.

[papapoly]

Pics 586 and 653: Short, no more than 10 cm, yellow unidentified sp, growing by the roadside, not in the bogs.

Pics 588 and 593: The marshes were full of this white species standing above the grasses (about 1.5 m tall)

[papapoly]

Masses of this Geranium sp occured everywhere, in the marshes and at the edge of the marshes, growing as tall as the grasses and competing with them: pics 596 and 656

Pics 600 and 601: I could not get any closer to this unidentified sp.  It grew to about 1.5-1.7 m.

[papapoly]

In the same area, growing in flowing - boggy water at the edges of marshes was this orchid species.  I do not know the genus.

In pic 623, Gladiolus sp. in the background, orchid sp. in the foreground.

In pic 624 nearby from the last three pics, another orchid species was growing with the former: Pic 624.  I have seen it growing in bogs elsewhere.  I do not remember its name.

[papapoly]

By the roadside, away from the marshes:

pics 633 and 634: a potentilla sp.  Smaller and probably different from the one I encountered in Katara pass (1750 m).

pics 639 and 649: Species belonging to the Mint family?  I do not know.  Perhaps a salvia sp.?  I encountered it again later on the road, in masses.  Not easy to photograph it because of its small size, about 7-10 cm tall.

Pic 643: daisies everywhere

[papapoly]

Still in the same area.

pic 654: Stachys germanica?

pic 660: another orchid

pics 672 and 673: two different orchids growing together

[papapoly]

Moving away from the bogs, on the main road and just before Metsovo I encounterd masses of this small yeellow bush, very beautiful as it occured in masse covering hillsides at about 1350 m.

Perhaps a Coronilla sp.?