Greece autumn 2018

[sokol]

4 years after a plants trip i still have a small piece of thorn in my knee, i though it'll disappear but it's not the case. The doctor said if nothing is removed it can takes until 8 years before the body "absorb" the thorn!!

That sounds also strange to me. I had had a thorn of a Robinia that went under my nail and came out two weeks later at the other side of the nail.

[sokol]

First stop at the Peloponnese was south of Tripolis. Last year we have had thousands of Crocus hadriaticus and just a few Crocus melantherus. This year it was the other way round. Next possibility to get thorns, the Meadow was full of thistles.

Crocus melantherus

[sokol]

And some more of this nice Crocus.

[sokol]

We have found Crocus melantherus further to the south at every place we stopped.

Sternbergia sicula was growing in one south faced location.

[sokol]

We started the next morning at 1100m and 20°C at sunrise, not too bad for the 1^st of November.

We had some Crocus boryi around, the first of this trip but many to follow.

Last year we were rather puzzled of the plants that are growing in the eastern part of the Peloponnese. After seeing Crocus laevigatus in Attiki I am now convinced that we have just seen Crocus boryi. The flowers did never open fully, just cup shaped and they were generally bigger.

Crocus boryi, Biotope at 1100m


Crocus boryi






Crocus boryi, Biotope at 200m

[sokol]

We were driving down in the area south of Leonidi where many Crocus were flowering. Next one we have seen was Crocus niveus, often at the road banks and at the end of flowering time.
The more we went down, the better the plants were.

Crocus niveus








Landscape around Chouni with many biotopes of Crocus, Colchicum and orchids in spring.

[sokol]

We have had also many Crocus melantherus, even better than the day before.

[sokol]

We have seen just a single turtle during this trip and not so many other animals as last year. First orchids rosetts have been out.

Testudo marginata




Barlia robertiana


Ophrys spec., probably an Euophrys


Cyclamen graecum

[Yann]

I've also noticed that Barlia sprout very early compared to previous autumn, the orchids season will start soon if the winter is mild.

[sokol]

We have seen much more orchid leaves this year compared to last year. There was rain from August on in Greece and they had enough water also in September and October.

[sokol]

We continued our trip down to the sea on the one hand to find Colchicum bivonae in the lower Areas on the other hand to take a bath as we have reached nearly 30°C.

But first we discovered many bunches of Crocus boryi while passing a village.









At the other side of the road:

[sokol]

We did not find any Colchicum bivonae but other nice things.

Arbutus unedo




Allium callimischon


Colchicum cupanii


Quercus coccifera fruits

[sokol]

And then finally down to the sea.





Urginea maritima seeds


Iris oratoria

[sokol]

We have found the very last flowering Crocus hadriaticus in late afternoon.

[Karaba]

Thanks for this illustrated report. Very informative on all this lovely autumn crocus. I really don't now them very well and having several nice pictures of each with biotope is very useful.

I'm sure that all these crocus are well identified but can i suggest you Quercus coccifera (instead of Q. ilex) and Iris oratoria (instead of Mantis religiosa) ?