Marengo
Pictures of Akamas flowers
Anemone coronaria; Pelathousa, Cyprus; 3 March 2007.
The crown anemone is found in a variety of colours, from violet through purple, white and pink to red.
Anemone coronaria; Akamas, Cyprus; 1 March 2007.
The red-flowered form of the crown anemone tends to grow apart from the other coloured forms, and is usually a more robust plant.
Alyssum akamasicum; Akamas, Cyprus; 8 March 2007.
This endemic alyssum is confined to thin soils in areas of serpentine rock in the Akamas. It is often found growing with Thymus integer.
Arum hygrophilum from Polis.
As the specific name suggests, this tuberous arum loves damp places. It is found in ditches and orange groves around Polis. The comparatively small flowers are on long stems; the spathe is mid-green, with a purplish-red margin.
Centaurea aegialophila on Latchi beach.
This pink-flowered knapweed is found both on sandy beaches, and in higher inland areas.
Centaurea cyprensis; Akamas, Cyprus; 8 March 2007.
This knapweed, formerly C. akamasicum and C. veneris, is endemic to areas of serpentine rock in Cyprus. It forms neat rosettes of grey leaves, from which long stems spread horizontally carrying the small purple-pink flowers in April and May.
Euphorbia dimorphocaulon; Akamas, Cyprus; 3 March 2007.
This spurge has a large, globular underground tuber. The leaf-stems (see photo) appear in spring and are more or less flat on the ground; in the autumn, these are replaced by upright, almost leafless, flowering-stems. The scientific name commemorates the two different forms of stem.
Gladiolus italicus; Polis, Cyprus; 13 March 2007.
The widespread wild gladiolus is a plant of disturbed ground, often flourishing in ploughed fields. The Greek name makherides means little knives, referring to the blade-like young leaves.
Gladiolus triphyllus; Agios Georgios, Cyprus; March 2001.
The rarer island endemic gladiolus is found in more rocky places than the common G. italicus.
Glaucium corniculatum; Polis, Cyprus; 13 March 2007.
The red horned-poppy is related to the more familiar yellow horned-poppy of shingle beaches, but is usually found in arable fields (as here), or on waste ground, often on non-alkaline soils.
Helianthemum obtusifolium; Polis, Cyprus; 8 March 2007.
This attractive perennial creamy-yellow-flowered rock-rose is endemic to Cyprus.
Limosella aquatica; Akamas, Cyprus; 26 February 2007.
The mudwort is a small member of the Scrophulariaceae (or, more realistically, the Plantaginaceae under APGIII). As the name suggests, it grows in muddy places, mostly (in Akamas) in short-lived vernal pools in hollows in limestone outcrops.
Mandragora officinarum; Akamas, Cyprus; 26 February 2007.
The celebrated mandrake, famed for its medicinal properties and the human-shaped root, is reasonably common in western Cyprus, often growing in waste ground or on dirt tracks. The purplish-violet flowers appear in clusters in the centre of the large leaf rosette, and are followed by yellow fruit which smell of pineapple.
Noaea mucronata; Pelathousa, Cyprus; 13 March 2007.
Not the most exciting of plants, but a shrubby, spiny member of the Chenopodiaceae found mostly on the deeper soils of the Khrysokhou valley, particularly below Pelathousa.
Onobrychis venosa; Pelathousa, Cyprus; 27 February 2007.
A sainfoin endemic to Cyprus, and found mostly on the white clay soils below Pelathousa and Drousha. The leaves have beautiful markings around the veins. The pale yellow, purplish-veined flowers appear a little later in the spring.
Ophrys alasiatica; Akamas, Cyprus; 3 March 2007.
One of the more recently described orchids of the Ophrys mammosa group, endemic to Cyprus. Usually found in more fertile garigue or phrygana.
Orchis punctulata; Akamas, Cyprus; 26 February 2007.
A rare orchid in Akamas, and Cyprus generally, though the isolated colonies can be large.
Ornithogalum pedicellare; Akamas, Cyprus; 12 March 2007.
In areas where terra rossa soils overlie kafkalla limestone, winter flooding can be followed by drifts of white star-of-Bethlehem flowers in early spring. This species is probably endemic to Cyprus.
Ranunculus asiaticus, dark yellow form; Akamas, Cyprus; 12 March 2007.
Persian crowfoot is a species with a wide range of colours over its eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern range. In Cyprus the dark yellow and pale yellow forms of Ranunculus asiaticus are commonest, and occur in low garigue and phrygana; red, white and pink forms are rarer. The two yellow forms usually remain distinct, with few intermediates. The cultivated double form of this species is known as the turban ranunculus.
Ranunculus asiaticus, pale yellow form; Akamas, Cyprus; 5 March 2007.
The difference between the yellow colour forms is more obvious in life than in the two photos above.
Romulea tempskyana; Drousha, Cyprus; 27 February 2007.
This is the brightest coloured and largest flowered of the three sand crocus species found in Cyprus. Despite the vernacular name, these crocuses are usually found in grassy or rocky situations in the Akamas.
Sedum microcarpum; Akamas, Cyprus; 1 March 2007.
Formerly Telmissa microcarpa, this annual stonecrop is unusual in being semi-aquatic, and in the Akamas is found in short-lived vernal pools in hollows in limestone outcrops
Teucrium creticum; Kritou Tera, Cyprus; 9 March 2007.
This 1-2m tall germander is, despite the scientific name, not found in Crete. It has pale lilac or mauve-pink flowers, and leaves that are remarkably similar to those of rosemary.
Thymus integer; Akamas, Cyprus; 7 March 2007.
This wild thyme is endemic to the Akamas, and to the Troödos mountains, and grows only over igneous rocks. The flower tube is longer than that of most thyme species. Look for it with Alyssum akamasicum on the Akamas.
Zannichellia palustris; Akamas, Cyprus; 1 March 2007.
This horned pondweed, named after the horned seeds, is found in the deepest vernal pools in hollows in limestone outcrops.
Lance Chilton and Marengo 2013
Marengo, 17 Bernard Crescent, Hunstanton PE36 6ER, England