WILDLIFE TRAVEL Armenia 2019 A gallery of photos from this visit can be seen at www.flickr.com/photos/wildlifetravel/albums/72157708854336866 Armenia, 14th to 24th May 2019: recce trip report Top: Phelypaea tournefortii and Pedicularis wilhelmsiana (Orobanchaceae) Bottom: Pulsatilla albana (Ranunculaceae) and Dictamnus albus (Rutaceae) 2 Armenia, 14th to 24th May 2019: recce trip report Top: Onobrychis cornuta and Astragalus chardinii (Fabaceae) Bottom: Phlomoides laciniata and Stachys lavendulifolia (Lamiaceae) 3 Armenia, 14th to 24th May 2019: recce trip report First seen SCIENTIFIC NAME NOTES DICOTYLEDONS Apiaceae Anthriscus cerefolium Chervil 15th Leiotulus (=Malabaila) dasyanthus 15th Apocyanaceae (includes Asclepediaceae) Vinca herbacea Low-growing Periwinkle, above Tatar 18th Asteraceae Centaurea depressa Low Cornflower 15th Gundelia aragatsi Paler pink flowers, woolly leaves, Gndasar 16th Gundelia armeniaca Deep pink flowered, near Garni 15th Tragopogon latifolium ‘chewing gum’ plant 17th Boraginaceae Alkanna orientalis Yellow alkanet, Garni gorge 15th Anchusa azurea Blue alkanet, road verges 15th Arnebia pulchra Yellow flowers with black spots, high altitude 19th Asperugo procumbens Madwort blue-flowered, Velcro-like leaves, village 15th road verges Moltkia coerulea Small blue flowered ‘borage’, near Tigranashen 15th Nonea pulla Black-flowers, eastern side of Lake Sevan 21st Onosma microcarpa Prickly/hairy goldendrop, above Khachik 16th Onosma sericea Pale yellow goldendrop, Garni gorge 15th Rindera lanata Very woolly, pink flowers 17th Solenanthus circinnatus Paler flowers, on woodland edge 17th Solenanthus stamineus Maroon flowers, on field edge 17th Symphytum caucasicum Caucasian Comfrey blue flowers 15th Brassicaceae Aethionema sp Pinky flowers, forming thyme-like dome 17th Crambe orientalis 15th Campanulaceae Campanula stevenii 17th Caryophyllaceae Dianthus subulosa Just coming into flower 17th Gypsophila aretioides Hard cushion-forming plant, near Tigranashen 15th Holosteum umbellatum Jagged Chickweed near Tigranashen 15th Silene dianthoides East side of Lake Sevan 21st Crassulaceae Sedum caucasicum Large, fleshy leaves, on the basalt, Garni gorge 15th Ericaceae Rhododendron caucasicum 22nd Euphorbiaceae Euphorbia marschalliana Low growing spurge, orangey flowers 17th Fabaceae Astragalus cf microcephalus Prickly dome-forming shrub 17th Astragalus cf onobrychis Small, purple Astragalus 15th Astragalus cf pendulus Tall, pinky-flowered, nr Tigranashen 15th Astragalus chardinii Pink, with inflated calyx. Found in Armenia and Iran 15th Astragalus kirpicznikovii White flowers, at base of leaves, at ‘Armenian 20th Stonehenge’ Astragalus robusta Pinky flowers 17th Colutea cilicica ‘Bladder Senna’, growing at the roadside 17th Hedysarum elegans Bright pink, Armenian red list, east side of Lake 21st Sevan Onobrychis cf radiata Large leaves with purple markings 15th Onobrychis cornuta Spiky dome-forming Onobrychyis with pinky-purple 15th flowers 4 Armenia, 14th to 24th May 2019: recce trip report First seen SCIENTIFIC NAME NOTES Fagaceae Quercus araxina (=Q. infectoria Large-leaved, small tree, Shikahogh 18th ssp veneris) Quercus macranthera Larger tree, Shikahogh 18th Gentianaceae Gentiana aquatica Small pale-flowered Gentian 22nd Gentiana pyrenaica Medium-sized, deep blue flowered Gentian 22nd Gentiana verna Spring Gentian Large, deep blue Gentian 22nd Geraniaceae Geranium tuberosum 15th Hypericaceae Hypericum scabrum 16th Hypericum hyssopifolium 16th Lamiaceae Ajuga genevensis Blue Bugle above Tatar 18th Ajuga orientalis Eastern Bugle hairy, above Tatar 18th Lallemantia iberica Tiny blue-flowered, near Herher reservoir 17th Phlomoides (=Eremostachys) Tall, woolly flower spike, yellowy flowers, dry hillsides 17th laciniata Salvia verbascifolia White flowered Salvia, east side of Lake Sevan 21st Scutellaria orientalis 16th Stachys atherocalyx Tall, white-flowered woundwort, near Garni 15th Stachys inflata Dry hillsides, near Tigranashen 15th Stachys lavandulifolia Woolly flower spike, purple flowers, above Khachik 16th Linaceae Linum nervosum Blue flax, east side of Lake Sevan 21st Orobanchaceae Bungea trifida Yellow-flowered bartsia, near Tigranashen 15th Pedicularis armena Smaller yellow lousewort, Selim Pass 20th Pedicularis condensata Creamy yellow flowers, eg above Tatar 18th Pedicularis sibthorpii Yellow lousewort, east side of Lake Sevan 21st Pedicularis wilhelmsiana Creamy flowers with brown ‘beak’, eg in ‘pear forest’ 17th Phelypaea tournefortii Bright red, flamboyant ‘broomrape’ 16th Oleaceae Chrysojasminum (=Jasminum) Yellow-flowered wild jasmine 17th fruticosum Papaveraceae Chelidonium majus Greater Celandine common in villages 15th Corydalis cf verticillaris Shikahogh, near the ‘grouse’ spot 19th Corydalis nariniana Snow-melt on Mount Aragat 23rd Corydalis seisumsiana Snow-melt areas, above Khachik 16th Glaucium corniculatum Long-horned Poppy 15th Papaver commutatum =Papaver rhoeas very common, large poppy with 15th black petal bases Papaver minum Small, four-petalled poppy 15th Papaver roseolum pink poppy, endemic to Armenia. eg Garni temple 15th Plantaginaceae (inc Globulariaceae and part of Scrophulariaceae) Globularia trichosantha above Khachik 16th Lagotis stolonifera Purple ‘prunella-like’ flower, foothills on Mount Aragat 23rd Plantago atrata above Khachik 16th Veronica gentianoides above Tatar 18th Platanaceae Platanus orientalis massive 500-year-old trees in the ‘Plane Grove’ 18th Primulaceae Androsace villosa A rock-jasmine, hillsides on east side of Lake Sevan 21st Primula algida Small pink primula, above Margahovit 22nd 5 Armenia, 14th to 24th May 2019: recce trip report First seen SCIENTIFIC NAME NOTES Primula auriculata Tall pink primula, Shikahogh 19th Primula ruprechtii Pale creamy ‘cowslips’, occasional purple flowered, 22nd above Margahovit Primula veris ssp macrocalyx Cowslips, very common at higher altitude 16th Ranunculaceae Adonis aestivalis Larger flower, eg ‘stonehenge’ 20th Adonis flammea Smaller flowered Adonis, frequent weed 15th Adonis volgensis Large yellow Adonis, east side of Lake Sevan 21st Anemonoides (=Anemone) Small blue anemone 17th caucasica Pulsatilla albana Pasque flower at Selim Pass 20th Thalictrum sultanabadense Very short, low-growing meadow rue, near 15th Tigranashen Trollius ranunculinus (= T patulus) Above Margahovit 22nd Rhamnaceae Paliurus spina-cristi 17th Rhamnus pallasii 16th Rosaceae Malus orientalis Wild apple 19th Prunus incana Willow-leaved Cherry eg Garni gorge 15th Prunus mahaleb Mahaleb Cherry eg Garni gorge 15th Pyrus caucasica The ‘old man of Tatar’, the largest/oldest pear tree in 18th Armenia Pyrus gergeriana Tall, old tree outside Herher village: fewer than 10 17th mature trees known! Pyrus pseudosyriaca Wild pear, small tree, broad, green leaves 17th Pyrus salicifolia Wild pear, shrub, narrow greyish leaves 17th Pyrus salicifolia x pseudosyriaca 17th Rutaceae Dictamnus albus ‘burning bush’, Shikahogh 18th Santalaceae Thesium arvense a bastard-toadflax, dry grassland 17th Saxifragaceae Saxifraga cymbalaria Celandine Saxifrage yellow flowers, on the wet 15th flushes beneath the basalt pipes, Garni Scrophulariaceae Scrophularia chrysantha Yellow Figwort near the temporary lake, Selim 20th Pass Thymeleaceae Daphne glomerata Creamy flowers, above Margahovit 22nd Daphne mezereum Mezereon Pink flowers, above Margahovit 22nd Tamaricaceae Tamarix cf gracilis Armash fish ponds 15th 6 Armenia, 14th to 24th May 2019: recce trip report Top: Tulipa armena and Tulipa julia (Liliaceae) Bottom: Muscari armeniacum and Scilla siberica ssp armena (Asparagaceae) 7 Armenia, 14th to 24th May 2019: recce trip report MONOCOTYLEDONS Amaryllidaceae Allium materculae Short, pinky-flowered Allium with broad leaves 17th Asparagaceae Bellevalia pycnantha The ‘grape hyacinth’ in the pear forest 17th Leopoldia caucasica = Muscari caucasicum. cf Tassel Hyacinth, dry hillsides 15th Muscari armeniacum = M szovitsianum Selim Pass 20th Muscari cf neglectum above Tatar 18th Ornithogalum montanum dry grassy hillsides 15th Ornithogalum navashinii Dry hillside near the Iris paradoxa 18th Ornithogalum sigmoideum Selim Pass 20th Puschkinia scilloides pale blue squill, common around recent snow-melt 16th Scilla siberica ssp armena Bright blue squill, snow-melt at Selim Pass 20th Iridaceae Gladiolus atroviolaceus Dark purple Gladiolus, dry hillsides 15th Iris caucasica Small yellow iris on Mount Aragat 23rd Iris elegantissima = Iris iberica ssp elegantissima Found in southern 15th Armenia, south east Turkey and north west Iran Near Garni Iris imbricata Tall, creamy-yellow iris, near Tatev 17th Iris lineolata = Iris actutiloba ssp lineolate. The finest of irises… 19th Iris lycotis = Iris iberica ssp lycotis. Found in southern Armenia, 15th north west Iran and north east Iraq Near Tigranashen Iris paradoxa Very dark iris, near Herher & east side of Lake Sevan 17th Iris pumila Hillsides on east side of Lake Sevan 21st Ixioliriaceae (formely in Liliaceae) Ixiolirion tataricum Siberian Lily 15th Colchicaceae Colchicum szovitsii (=C bifolium) Snow melt area, eg high above Khachik & Selim Pass 16th Liliaceae Fritillaria collina Yellow fritillary above Margahovit 22nd Fritillaria kurdica small, pale-flowered fritillary, Gndasar 16th Fritillaria pinardii Tall, elegant, dark-flowered fritillary, above Khachik 16th Gagea bulbifera Snow-melt at Selim Pass: bulbs at base of leaves 20th Gagea cf confusa Yellow star-of-Bethlehem around recent snow-melt 16th areas, Gndasar Tulipa armena (=T confusa)