Orchids and more.......!!!!

[biothanasis]

Hello all,

Well I saw that Jean has posted some european orchids... Here are some I photographed during last weekend near a village called Bardos, on Cholomontas mountain, just an hour ago from Thessaloniki! There are also some other photos of interesting (to me) things! Enjoy!!!

Picture: 1.Cephalanthera longifolia 2,3. Orchis morio 4. Orchis papilionacea 5. Orchis ustulata 6. Limodorum abortivum 7. Meadow with orchids (there were plenty more on the other side of the meadow) 8. Orobanche sp.(look like orchids, but they are not) 9. Rosa canina 10. Silene sp 11. (A plant that I don't know what it is) 12. (...same as 11) 13,14. Insects 15. caterpillar

 

[biothanasis]

Picture: 16. A lizzard in between orchids (some of which have started producing seeds and have dropped their flowers - I can see 5 plants)

 

[paphioboy]

Very nice to see orchis growing in the wild...! So beautiful..

 

[Rick]

Looks like a great trip. Thanks for sharing!

 

[JeanLux]

Very, very nice pictures Thanasis. When I visited Crete, I heard from a guide that there are more than 100 species growing on the island!!! Is this true for your area, too??? In Luxembourg there remain less than 20!! Jean

 

[NYEric]

In Luxembourg there remain less than 20!! Jean

A veritable treasure trove compared to NYC!
Thanx for the interesting tour Than!

 

[SlipperFan]

Thanks for the photos -- so nice to see orchids growing in the wild.

 

[biothanasis]

Hello all,
I am glad you liked it!!!

Jean: In general, you can find many species in an area known that orchids can grow, but near Thessaloniki the species that can be found are between 15-20 (1-3 genera). If you search a whole perfecture for orchids, you will realise that there are many many more, because the pattern of the ecosystems here is extremely variable (providing suitable conditions for many species)!!!!! The only thing that disappoints me is that here in Greece there are no Cypripedium species. In Flora Europaea, C. calceolus is mentioned that was spotted in northern Greece some decades ago, but it was a false alarm...
I think that you have some Cyp species over there...

Have fun...!!!!