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.