Table of contents
Notes ...... 8
Acknowledgements...... 9
Foreword...... 10
Greece - A Paradise of Flow ers...... 12
A few explanations as to why there is sometimes a question mark after some of the scientific species names, or the genus name only is g iven ...... 14
A Few Remarks on the Assortment of Orchids to be found on the Greek Mainland.. 17
Not only orchids can be found in Greece...... 50
Mountain Flowers of Northern G reece...... 51
1. Falakron...... 51
2. Mount Pangeon...... 53
3. The Voras Mountains (Kajmakcalan) - an easily accessible mountain with richly diverse flo ra ...... 56
4. Astraka and Vikos Gorge...... 58
The Mountains in central Greece...... 61
1. Mount Olympus...... 61
a. The Area between Lithochoro and Prionia...... 61
b. The Climb from Prionia to Refuge A...... 62
c. The Climb from Refuge A to the Peak Region...... 64
d. The Ascent to the Muses' Plateau...... 66
e. The Search for Jankaea heldreichii - Excursions into the Xerolakki and Papa Rema Ravines...... 66
2. Parnassus, Vardousia and Giona, three limestone mountains over 2,400 m with an abundance of flora...... 67
a. Mount Parnassus, home of the splendid Parnassus Peony...... 67
b. The Vardousia Massif...... 69
c. Mount Giona- an extremely worthwhile destination...... 70
Botanical Excursions in the Peloponnese...... 72
1. Chelmos...... 72 2. An excursion into the Styx Gorge - Searching for the Arnebia (Macrotomia) densiflora...... 73
3. The Taygetos Range: Mystras, Langada Gorge, Piste to the Refuge...... 75
4. Excursions on the Mani Peninsula...... 77
a. Outer Mani (from Kalamata)...... 77
b. The Interior of Mani (from Gytheio)...... 79
Excursions in the Serpentine Regions of North-western Greece...... 241
1. The Katara Pass...... 241
2. Excursions into the Vourinos District...... 242
a. The path to an old lead mine on the south-west flank of Mount Vourinos...... 242
b. The Botanically famous Messiano-Nero Valley...... 243
3. From Grevena to Konitsa - a scenic and botanically worthwhile journey...... 244
4. Mount Smolikas - looking for the Albanian Lily...... 245
Where have all the flowers gone?...... 256
A Declaration of Love for severely threatened Marsh and Water...... Plants 267
Flowers I found in passing...... 282
Flowers of Greece's Beaches...... 302
The Peloponnese In Autumn - A Must For Any Botanist...... 312
Reference literature...... 340
List of landscape photographs...... 342
Index of plant names...... 343
Biographical Notes of the Author 356