Trip to Ikaria Greece

[arillady]

I am heading to London, then next day a flight to Samos and then a ferry to Ikaria from 6th September with two of my daughters. Can someone please give me a link to the plants of Ikaria - bulbs?? would they be in seed by now and is there rare ones that are on the prohibited list?

[Maggi Young]

Pat, I found a large pdf of the flora of Ikaria, but I think it would clog your download limit so here are the bulbs and orchids that you might see : Amalyllidaceae

Galanthus ikariae subsp. ikariae: Gbulb, Endem.;  -Rivulets,among rocks.

Narcissus tazetta subsp. tazetta:Gbulb, St. Med.; -Rocky places,scree.

 Pancratium maritimum: Gbulb, St.Med.;  -Sandy beaches.

Sternbergia lutea: Gbulb, Eu. Med.;-Cultivated areas.

S. sicula Tineo: Gbulb, E. Med.; -Rocky places.

Araceae

Arisarum vulgare subsp. vulgare:Grhiz, St. Med.; -Streams, rocky hillsides.

Arum nickelii: Grhiz, E. Med.

Colocasia esculenta: Spontaneous;-Streams.

 Dracunculus vulgaris: Grhiz, E. Med.;

Iridaceae

Crocus biflorus subsp. nubigena:Gbulb, E. Med.;  -Garigue.

 Gladiolus anatolicus: Gbulb, E. Med.;-Meadows.

G. italicus: Gbulb, Eu. Med.; -Valleys.

 Gynandriris sisyrinchium: Gbulb, St.Med.; -Garigue.

 Iris pseudacorus: Grhiz, Paleotemp.;-Streamsides.

Liliaceae

Allium ampeloprasum: Gbulb, Eu.Med.;  -Rocks.

A. bourgeaui subsp. cycladicum:Gbulb, E. Med.;

A. commutatum: Gbulb, St. Med.

A. cupani subsp. hirtovaginatum:Gbulb, Eu. Med.;  -Cliffs.

A. guttatum subsp. guttatum: Gbulb E. Med.;  -Garigue, sandyshores.

A. neapolitanum: Gbulb, St. Med.; -Phrygana, cliffs, rivulet valleys.

 A. paniculatum: Gbulb, Eu. med.; -Rivulet valleys.

A. sphaerocephalon subsp. trachypus Gbulb, E. Med.;  -Rocks.

A. subhirsutum: Gbulb, St. Med.; -Scrubs.

Asparagus acutifolius: NPh, St. Med.;

 A. aphyllus subsp. orientalis: NPh, E.Med.;  -Streamsides.

Asphodeline liburnica: Grhiz, E. Med.;-Cliffs.

Asphodelus aestivus: Grhiz, St. Med.;-Fields, phrygana.

Colchicum variegatum: Gbulb, E.Med.;  -Rocky slopes.

Gagea bohemica: Gbulb, Eu. Med.; -Garigue.

G. graeca: Gbulb, E. Med.; -Phrygana, rocky places.

G. peduncularis: Gbulb, St. Med.

Muscari comosum: Gbulb, Eu. Med.; -Phrygana, roadsides,fields.

M. macrocarpum: Gbulb, E. Med.

M. neglectum: Gbulb, Eu. Med.

M. weissii: Gbulb, E. Med.; -Phrygana.

Ornithogalum arabicum: Gbulb, St.Med.

O. nutans: Gbulb, E. Med.; -Streamsides.

 O. umbellatum: Gbulb, Eu. Med.; -Rivulets, fields.

Scilla autumnalis: Gbulb, Eu. Med.; -Rocks, open woods.

S. bifolia: Gbulb, Eu. Med.; -Phrygana.

Urginea maritima: Gbulb, St. Med -Phrygana, olive groves.

Orchidaceae

Anacamptis pyramidalis: Gbulb, Eu.Med.; -Phrygana, cliffs.

Barlia robertiana: Gbulb, St. Med.-Pastures.

Cephalanthera longifolia: Grhiz,Euras.;  -Maquis, Quercus forest.

Limodorum abortivum: Grhiz, Eu.Med.; -Garigue, scrub.

Neotinea maculata: Gbulb, St. Med.

Ophrys ferrum-equinum: Gbulb, E.Med.;  -Garigue.

O. fuciflora subsp. fuciflora (O. holosericea):Gbulb, Eu. Med.; -Garigue.

O. fusca subsp. fusca: Gbulb, St. Med.

O. icariensis HIRTH & SPAETH: Gbulb,Endem.;  -Phrygana.

O. tricolor: Gbulb, E. Med.; O. lutea subsp. lutea: Gbulb, St. Med.; -Garigue.

O. lutea subsp. minor: Gbulb, St. Med.; (BAUMANN 1990: 733).

O. mammosa: Gbulb, E. Med.; -Garigue.

O. oestrifera subsp. oestrifera: Gbulb, E. Med.

 O. oestrifera subsp. bremifera: Gbulb,E. Med.?

O. spruneri: Gbulb, Greek

O. tenthredinifera subsp. villosa: Gbulb, St. Med.

Orchis anatolica: Gbulb, E. Med.-Phrygana.

O. coriophora subsp. coriophora: Gbulb, Eu. Med.; -Garigue.

O. italica: Gbulb, St. Med.

O. laxiflora: Gbulb, Eu. Med.; -Marshes.

O. morio: Gbulb, Eu. Med.; -Garigue.

O. sancta: Gbulb, E. Med.; -Phrygana.

O. sezikiana (pro hybr. )  Gbulb, E. Med.; Serapias bergonii E.G. CAMUS {S.vomeracea subsp. laxiflora): Gbulb,E. Med.;  -Olive groves.

S. cordigera: Gbulb, St. Med.

S. orientalis subsp. carica  Gbulb, E. Med.; -Phrygana, sandy shores.

S. parviflora: Gbulb, St. Med.

Spiranthes spiralis: Grhiz, Paleotemp.


As to what is protected  for seed collection and what is not, I don't know.


P.S. This is the link to the large file -
The Flora of Ikaria (Greece, E. Aegean Islands) : www.landesmuseum.at/pdf_frei.../PHY_36_1_0063-0091.pdf

[arillady]

Thanks so much Maggi. I have made a word doc out of your list and printed it out to take.

[Maggi Young]

Pat, I hope your whole trip will go very well and that you will have a great time. 

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Pat,

I have just returned from Greece and visited both Samos and Ikaria.

Send me a personal email.

Cheers, Marcus

[David Stephens]

I am heading to London, then next day a flight to Samos and then a ferry to Ikaria from 6th September with two of my daughters. Can someone please give me a link to the plants of Ikaria - bulbs?? would they be in seed by now and is there rare ones that are on the prohibited list?

Hi Pat
September is late summer in the Mediterranean. Spring flowering bulbs will have gone dormant and autumn flowering bulbs will not start into growth until later. Bulb seed from both spring and autumn genera will have dispersed by late spring/early summer. You will have to concentrate on the beach,  wine and food.
Sorry David

[Maggi Young]

You will have to concentrate on the beach,  wine and food

Crikey, what a hardship, eh? 

[krisderaeymaeker]

Colchicum variegatum flowers by the end of september (some years mid of september).Colchicums flowering before the Crocus.

But if you are very very lucky you could find an early flowering Cyclamen Pat . I think hederifoilum grows on Samos and Ikaria. No Cyclamen graecum on Samos I think .Don't know about Ikaria .

Anyway have a great time there Pat .

[arillady]

David thanks for the advice. I might have to buy something to wear in the sea - wish there were head to toes in fashion nowadays
I will try my hardest to have a good time Kris I will look out for anything in flower anyway. I may be able to buy a book there on the Flora - with luck. Books are one of my downfalls/joys.
Bit slow - just realised that crikey is not in Maggi's native tongue.

[krisderaeymaeker]

I was just thinking (wich is going very very slow with this temperatures of 34 degrees )that maybe Iris attica or suaveolens must grow there ....Both wil not flower but are such beautys when they are in flower on the sunny slopes in Greece .They stay very compact on those places....

Here in the garden it looks a bit like Samos and Ikaria 

[arillady]

Kris just thank your lucky stars that it is not 40C like we get during summer and autumn. I do grow both irises here but to see them in their natural habitat would be good.

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Folks,

If anyone's interested here are some links to some of the pictures we took on Ikaria - not many plant shots but a little window into a lovely island.

https://picasaweb.google.com/sljarick/Ikaria1?authkey=Gv1sRgCO2_zoPt66jQRg#

https://picasaweb.google.com/sljarick/Ikaria2?authkey=Gv1sRgCOqq-cGB9MrWygE#

Cheers, Marcus

[arillady]

Wow what a lovely place - I have second thoughts now about using my international licence I just bought - plus driving on the right-hand side of the road as well.

The economy back in the late 40s early 50s must have been bad that so many Greek families came to Australia. Lots of Ikarians came to Adelaide - they even have their own hall.

Thanks Marcus for the links.

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Pat and all,

Just came inside after a freezing afternoon out in the nursery - makes one want to get back to those balmy evenings on Ikaria.

I think you will love it there Pat. All the towns are on village scale and very easily negotiated. We adored Agios Kirykos because it was intimate and not over-burderned by tourism. The accomodation is of reasonably good quality and generally most things are relatively cheap. Don't be put off by the roads. Yes they are pretty rundown but there are not many people on the island and its no where near as risky to drive there as say Crete or Rodos. Also don't be put off by our pictures of traffic snarls, etc.. These were posted to a different audience so a bit of drama doesn't go astray!!

There is a balm, almost sophorific quality to the island. Its gentle and good natured and there are many interesting walks (and landscapes), especially around Christos and Ranches, further west and inland from Evdilos. There are also warm mineral springs around Agios Kirykos just thing after a scabble around a few hillsides. And you must go to the restaurant called Filoti after your soak.

Cheers, Marcus

[arillady]

I have been and come back from this wonderful trip to Ikaria. I can understand my partner so much more now - he was born there!
As Marcus said it is very easy going and not many tourists - well it was late in the season too - we met a Swedish couple who have been going there for 12 years as it doesn't have many tourists.
My daughter and I flew into Heathrow at 5.30am - met by another daughter and her husband and driven to their apartment. Then caught the tube into London for a look around. Then the next morning caught a 7am flight from Gatwick to Samos. We caught a taxi from the airport on the south coast to the northern coast to catch the evening ferry to Evdilos. Arrived in Evdilos at 11.30pm and another taxi to our accommodation. It was so good to lie down properly finally. Interesting how the cost of the taxi changed with each different driver over the same route. We had the freshest Greek salads and all meals Greek. And so cheap too. I can understand why the Ikarians live to a grand old age - it is the steep roads that they walk (their hearts get a good work out), the fresh food, the honey, the fresh air and the relaxed atmosphere.
A few to start