Walking around corfu

Started by kevin-beverly, October 03, 2018, 09:53:43 AM

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kevin-beverly



HI

I have done this plants Amaryllis https://arillas.com/forum/index.php/topic,10517.msg150700.html#msg150700 Now this may get you confused with this plant  You can see this plant on the back road pink house Mon Amour

Amaryllis

Hippeastrum

To put it simply, the true Amaryllis is a bulb from South Africa with only one species in the genus (Amaryllis belladonna). By contrast, Hippeastrums* are from Central and South America with 90 species and over 600 cultivars in the genus – and these are the flowers commercially sold in the UK around Christmas.

Hippeastrum  is a genus of about 90 species and over 600 hybrids and cultivars of perennial herbaceous bulbous plants. They generally have large fleshy bulbs and tall broad leaves, generally evergreen, and large red or purple flowers.
Most Hippeastrum bulbs are tunicate (a protective dry outer layer and fleshy concentric inner scales or leaf bases). The bulbs are generally between 5–12 cm (2"–5") in diameter and produce two to seven long-lasting evergreen or deciduous leaves that are 30–90 cm (12"–36") long and 2.5–5 cm (1"–2") wide. The leaves are hysteranthous (develop after flowering), sessile (borne directly from the stem or peduncle), rarely persistent and subpetiolate
The flowers are arranged in umbelliform inflorescences which are pauciflor or pluriflor (2-14 flowers), supported on an erect hollow scape (flower stem) which is 20–75 cm (12"–30") tall and 2.5–5 cm (1"–2") in diameter with two free bracts forming a spathe which is bivalve with free leaflets at its base.
Depending on the species, there are two to fifteen large showy flowers, which are more or less zygomophic and hermaphrodite. Each flower is 13–20 cm (5"–8") across, and the native species are usually purple or red. They are funnelform (funnel shaped)
and declinate (curving downwards and then upwards at the tip) in shape. The perianth has six brightly colored tepals (three outer sepals and three inner petals) that may be similar in appearance or very different. The perianth segments are subequal or unequal. The tepals are united at the base to form a short tube, usually with a rudimentary scaly paraperigonium with fimbriae or a callose ridge present at the throat.
The androecium consists of six stamens with filiform (thread like) filaments, which are fasciculate (in close bundles) and declinate or ascendent. The anthers are dorsifixed or versatile. In the gynaecium, the ovary is inferior and trilocular with pluriovulate locules. The style is filiform, and the stigma trifid. The fruit forms a trivalve capsule containing seeds which are dry, flattened, obliquely winged or irregularly discoid, hardly ever turgid, and globose (spherical) or subglobose, with a brown or black phytomelanous testa.

Family:   Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily:   Amaryllidoideae
Subtribe:   Hippeastrinae
Genus:   Hippeastrum
Herb.
Type species
Hippeastrum reginae

HABITAT
Grows in hot dry forests and prefers a warm and dry winter.
Hippeastrums thrive in full sun or light shade. Ideally, place near a wall or fence so that they're protected from strong winds, but getting plenty of sunlight. They are drought-hardy, able to survive on virtually no rainfall for a year or two, although flowering may be affected.
Many new hybrid lines followed as new species were sent to Europe

HISTORY
It was brought to Europe only in the 16th century.
The name 'Amaryllis' comes from Greek mythology. The shepherdess Amaryllis pierced her heart for her unattainable love Alteo. Where the drops of blood hit the ground, a large red flower with a wide open calyx emerged. It was here that the tough shepherd Alteo and the remarkable girl Amaryllis kissed each other for the first time. The new flower was, logically, called 'Amaryllis'.
These stunning flowers are believed to mean pride, strength and determination as they stand tall above all other winter blooms. Amaryllis is also a Greek name which means 'to sparkle'. Very in keeping with the festive season when we throw glitter at literally everything.
Hippeastrum Aphrodite Named after the Greek goddess of love, Amaryllis, 'Aphrodite' (Hippeastrum) is a graceful beauty with huge, white, double flowers, up to 9 in. across (22 cm), delicately brushed with blush-pink on the petal tips and adorned with blood-red thin margins. Each flower is packed with 13-17 broad tepals and 3-10 petaloids.
Hippeastrum is Greek for horseman's star or knight's star, as the flowers have a star-like shape
Hippeastrum breeding began in 1799 when Arthur Johnson, a watchmaker in Prescot, England, crossed Hippeastrum reginae with Hippeastrum vitattum, obtaining hybrids that were later given the name Hippeastrum × 'Johnsonii' <ref name=Hippeastrum.com/> (Johnson's amaryllis, 'hardy amaryllis' or St. Joseph's lily). Johnson shared his work with the Liverpool Botanic Garden which was fortunate, since his greenhouse was destroyed in a fire. His hybrid was being cultivated in the US by the mid-nineteenth century.
Many new hybrid lines followed as new species were sent to Europe from South America, the most important of which were Reginae and Leopoldii.
The Reginae strain hybrids were produced by Jan de Graaff and his two sons in the Netherlands in the mid 19th century by crossing Hippeastrum vitatum and Hippeastrum striatum with Hippeastrum psittacinum and some of the better hybrids available in Europe at the time. Some of the most successful hybrids were Graveana and Empress of India.
Leopoldii hybrids arose from the work of the British explorer and botanist Richard Pearce, an employee of James Veitch & Sons, a plant nursery. Pearce brought back specimens of Hippeastrum leopoldii and Hippeastrum pardinum from the Andes. These two species were notable for large flowers that were wide open and relatively symmetrical. Crossing these two species with the best of the Reginae strain produced a lineage of very large open flowered specimens, with up to 4-6 flowers on each scape. The Veitch nursery dominated the commercial development of Hippeastrum leopoldii and other varieties up to the early years of the twentieth century, the best of their hybrids setting the standard for modern commercial development.
The late 19th and early 20th century saw Amaryllis breeding develop in the United States, particularly in Texas, California, and Florida in conjunction with the USDA (1910–1939). The major US contribution came from the work of Henry Nehrling and Theodore Mead, whose hybrids crossed with Dutch stock have produced some modern hybrids, although not matching the European strains.Template:Sfn
In 1946, two Dutch growers moved to South Africa and began cultivation there. Although most cultivars of Hippeastrum come from the Dutch and South African sources, bulbs are now being developed in the United States, Japan, Israel, India, Brazil and Australia. The double flowers from Japan are particularly beautiful. Nurseries may list Amaryllis bulbs as being 'Dutch', 'Israeli', 'Peruvian' etc., depending on the country of origin.







   


The plant is considered poisonous to humans if ingested, primarily causing stomach upset if the bulb is ingested.



Gardens, Parks, Pots, Tubs, You can also scatter them throughout the landscape in naturalized areas.
Flowers attract carpenter bees and moths which are responsible for the pollination of this plant.



One alkaloid isolated from Hippeastrum vittatum (montanine) has demonstrated antidepressant, anticonvulsant and anxiolytic properties. Hippeastrum puniceum may also have therapeutic properties as it has been used in folk medicine to treat swellings and wounds.
Depression, seizures, and anxiety.





kevin-beverly



HI

You can see this plants growing wild or grown as ornamental In the wild along Arillas stream

Lady's Thumb

Persicaria
This plant has loads of common names Spotted Smartweed, Knotweeds, just Smartweed,
Persicaria is a versatile genus of perennials with late season, brightly coloured flower spikes on hearty green plants from July through to late October.  A varied and versatile genus of around 150 species of robust and colourful perennials. Along with other members of the Polygonaceae family, they are commonly known as knotweed with the self-seeding Persicaria virginiana also known as jumpseed.

Family:   Polygonaceae
Subfamily:   Polygonoideae
Genus:   Persicaria
Mill. 1754
Species

It has a cosmopolitan distribution, with species occurring nearly worldwide. The genus was segregated from Polygonum.
The genus includes annual and perennial herbs with taproots or fibrous root systems, or with rhizomes or stolons. The stems are often erect but may be prostrate along the ground, and some species are prickly.
The stems are self-supporting or twining and climbing. The leaves are alternately arranged, deciduous, and variously shaped. The brownish or reddish ochrea may be leathery to papery. The inflorescence may be a panicle or a spikelike or headlike arrangement of fascicles of flowers. The flower is white, greenish, reddish, pink or purple, with the tepals partially fused together along the bases. The fruit is an achene which can take a number of shapes, including a disc or a sphere.

HABITAT
Persicaria are best planted in a moist soil of clay or loam within an acidic, neutral or alkaline PH balance. Low growing varieties may tolerate dryer conditions, but most prefer moist soil. They are best positioned in an area of full sun or partial shade. Can grow rocks and coastal areas
depending on on the variety for the Habitat

Persicaria size from From 20cm to 2.5m, Persicaria have a general preference for rich soil and sun, with a few exceptions, but most species are adaptable.
Flowers: Vertical, long-lasting heads of small red, white or pink flowers, on spikes or panicles. Flowering Period: Early summer to autumn.
Persicaria can be annuals, herbaceous or evergreen perennials or sub-shrubs with small pink or white bell-shaped flowers and simple leaves.


Until recently, the genus that we now know as Persicaria used to sit within a much broader genus called Polygonum. As with so many other genera, molecular studies conducted this century have blown it apart into smaller constituent genera, including Polygonum, Fallopia and Fagopyrum. By a happy accident, most of the pre-eminent horticultural species now reside in one genus, Persicaria, although this is by no means completely settled. The broader grouping contained some plants of infamously expansive vigour, including Russian vine (now Fallopia baldschuanica), and Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica). They may have damned some of their better-behaved cousins by association; however, although many of the species recommended here display a robust constitution and an agreeable self-sufficiency, they are all fairly easy to control when required. Persicaria contains a broad variety of versatile garden plants, from vibrant, flowering dynamos and statuesque landscape plants to denizens of shady corners with atmospheric foliage. Persicaria amplexicaulis can be considered among the most floriferous of cultivated plants available to gardeners in temperate regions, and breeding has spawned a wide variety of cultivars in vivid shades of a spectrum between crimson and scarlet, although for the faint of heart there are also some white and soft pink-flowered cultivars. Its late season, spanning four months of intense flowering effort from July to October, combined with its general hardiness, versatility and natural charm, has won it an important place in the plant catalogues of the New Perennial Movement as well as in more traditional gardening paradigms. The versatility of the species is highlighted by Piet Oudolf's planting at the Hauser & Wirth gallery in Somerset. Discover more about Persicaria below.
Most of the species featured here will flower from July to September or October; some species have a late flourish of blooms in September but these may be considered primarily as foliage plants.

THIS PLANT CAN LIVE IN WATER
Persicaria amphibia
water smartweed is a native perennial that inhabits still or slow moving water of lakes, rivers, marshes and swamps, and is variable in habit, growing underwater, floating or emergent. The inflorescence is a dense cluster of many five-lobed pink flowers. Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), lacustrine (in lakes or ponds), marshes, riverine (in rivers or streams), shores of rivers or lakes, swamps, wetland margins (edges of wetlands)

Persicaria affinis 'Donald Lowndes
Tough little ground-cover plant that is suitable for growing on a dry bank, an old wall or for softening the edges of paving. Short spikes of pale-pink flowers turning dark red in summer over glossy green leaves with good autumn colour. H 20cm, S 100cm.



SO MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF LEAVES





No toxic effects reported.


Persicaria maculosa contains persicarin and tannins. The young leaves may be eaten as a leaf vegetable. It is often seen as a weed and rarely cultivated. A yellow dye can be produced from this plant with alum used as a mordant. Can be planted in pots tubs in boarders
Persicaria 'Superba' is known for attracting bees, beneficial insects, butterflies​/​moths and other pollinators. It has nectar/pollen rich flowers.


The leaves are astringent, diuretic, rubefacient and vermifuge infusion has been used as a treatment for gravel and stomach pains. A decoction of the plant, mixed with flour, has been used as a poultice to help relieve pain
Anthraquinones, steroids, tannins, carbohydrates, vitamin C, organic acids (acetic, gallic, petroleum), mucus, essential oil which contains flavonoids such as quercetin, melittin, isoquercetin, hyperin, kaempherol.
plant has been used as a foot and leg soak in the treatment of rheumatism. The crushed leaves have been rubbed on poison ivy rash


















kevin-beverly



HI

You can see this plant in fields and at krevatsoula near Dassia

Beeblossoms

Gaura lindheimeri

Oenothera lindheimeri, formerly Gaura lindheimeri,

And commonly known as Lindheimer's beeblossom, white gaura, pink gaura, Lindheimer's clockweed, and Indian feather, is a species of Oenothera.
An upright to widely spreading, soft-hairy, 2-5 ft. perennial with delicate white flowers in elongated terminal and axillary clusters. The flowers are four-petaled, in one row on the upward side, and turn pink with age. Stamens are conspicuously long. Stems are solitary to several and much-branched in the upper portion. A large and showy gaura often forming extensive colonies. Flowers open in early morning. Flower "fragrance" has sometimes been compared to cat urine. The leaves are finely hairy, lanceolate, 1–9 cm long and 1–13 mm broad, with a coarsely toothed margin.
The perennial plant is native to southern Louisiana and Texas.
Oenothera lindheimeri is commonly grown as an ornamental plant. It is used in either garden beds or pots for accent colour and a delicate texture. It grows best in full sun and can survive lengthy periods of drought.
Several cultivars have been selected for varying flower color, from nearly pure white in 'Whirling Butterflies' to darker pink in 'Cherry Brandy' and 'Siskiyou Pink'. In some, the petals are white at dawn then turning pink before falling off at dusk.
Although a perennial rated USDA Zone 5(6)-9 for hardiness it may not overwinter reliably, and is often treated as an annual outside its native areas. In colder climates a heavy winter mulch is necessary.
This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit



Family:   Onagraceae
Genus:   Oenothera
Species:   O. lindheimeri
Binomial name
Oenothera lindheimeri

HABITAT
large open area of grassland, lindheimeri is another species of fully hardy and extremely floriferous plants from the prairies and plains
drought tolerant
Sun , Part Shade
Variable. Sandy, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam Clay Loam, Clay, Acid-based, Calcareous.
Cold Tolerant: yes
Bloom Time: Apr , May , Jun , Jul
Can be grown across Europe

Gaura: Derived from Greek, meaning 'superb'. Named in reference to the stature and floral display of some species in this genus.
Gaura
They are annual, biennial or perennial herbaceous plants; most are perennials with sturdy rhizomes, often forming dense thickets, crowding or shading out other plant species. They have a basal rosette of leaves, with erect or spreading flowering stems up to 2 m (rarely more) tall, leafy on the lower stem, branched and leafless on the upper stem. The flowers have four (rarely three) petals; they are zygomorphic, with all the petals directed somewhat upwards. The fruit is an indehiscent nut-like body containing reddish-brown seeds. It reproduces via seeds and also by rhizome growth

Several species of Gaura are regarded as noxious weeds, especially in disturbed or overgrazed areas where it easily takes hold. They can become a nuisance in situations involving disturbed habitat, such as trampled rangeland and clearings. Efforts to control Gaura focus mainly on prevention of misuse of land. There is no biological control method for plants of genus Gaura, and removing existing infestations is difficult, due in large part to the plants' ability to reproduce from bits of rhizome left in the ground.

Despite the poor reputation of plants of this genus, some species are cultivated as garden plants, such as G. lindheimeri (White Gaura).

HISTORY
The species is named after Ferdinand Jacob Lindheimer (1801-1879) who is often called the Father of Texas Botany because of his work as the first permanent-resident plant collector in Texas. In 1834 Lindheimer immigrated to the United States as a political refugee. He spent from 1843-1852 collecting specimens in Texas. In 1844 he settled in New Braunfels, Texas, and was granted land on the banks of the Comal River, where he continued his plant collecting and attempted to establish a botanical garden. He shared his findings with many others who shared his interest in botany, including Ferdinand von Roemer and Adolph Scheele. Lindheimer is credited with the discovery of several hundred plant species. In addition his name is used to designate forty-eight species and subspecies of plants. He is buried in New Braunfels. His house, on Comal Street in New Braunfels, is now a museum.



Gaura lindheimeri whirling butterflies
   

The Gaura lindheimeri plants are not toxic to humans and pets.

Aromatic and showy with ornamental blooms. Looks good in the back of a perennial border or bed.
Parks Ideal container plant Good as a cut flower
No culinary properties



No medicinal properties






kevin-beverly


HI

I forgot about this plant you can see this plant all over Corfu I have one in my garden

Chusan palm,

Trachycarpus fortunei

Other common names are Chinese windmill palm, windmill palm  is a species of hardy evergreen palm tree in the family Arecaceae, native to parts of China, Japan, Myanmar and India.
The research coordinated by plant ecologist Dr. Gian-Reto Walther from Bayreuth University in Germany within the ALARM project proved that Trachycarpus fortunei palm seeds can germinate and survive in the wild as far as Scandinavia and Germany, despite some losses due to the harsher winters there.
Growing to 12–20 m (39–66 ft) tall, Trachycarpus fortunei is a single stemmed fan palm. The diameter of the trunk is up to 15–30 cm (6–12 in). Its texture is very rough, with the persistent leaf bases clasping the stem as layers of coarse fibrous material. The leaves have long petioles which are bare except for two rows of small spines, terminating in a rounded fan of numerous leaflets. Each leaf is 140–190 cm (55–75 in) long, with the petiole 60–100 cm (24–39 in) long, and the leaflets up to 90 cm (35 in) long. It is a somewhat variable plant, especially as regards its general appearance; and some specimens are to be seen with leaf segments having straight and others having drooping tips
The flowers are yellow (male) and greenish (female), about 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) across, borne in large branched panicles up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) long in spring; it is dioecious, with male and female flowers produced on separate trees. The fruit is a yellow to blue-black, reniform (kidney-shaped) drupe 10–12 mm (0.39–0.47 in) long, ripening in mid-autumn

Family:   Arecaceae
Tribe:   Trachycarpeae
Genus:   Trachycarpus
Species:   T. fortunei
Binomial name
Trachycarpus fortunei
(Hook.) H.Wendl.

This plant has been cultivated in China and Japan for thousands of years. This makes tracking its natural range difficult. It is believed to originate in central China (Hubei southwards), southern Japan (Kyushu), south to northern Myanmar and northern India, growing at altitudes of 100–2,400 m (328–7,874 ft). Windmill palm is one of the hardiest palms. It tolerates cool, moist summers as well as cold winters, as it grows at much higher altitudes than other species, up to 2,400 m (7,874 ft) in the mountains of southern China. However, it is not the northernmost naturally occurring palm in the world, as European fan palm (Chamaerops humilis) grows further north in the Mediterranean.

HABITAT
Fully Hardy  happy at most pH levels and the soil may be chalk, loam or sand. It may be placed in a sheltered or exposed location.  it has been successfully grown in much of Scotland and has been noted to survive as far north as Alaska. It is also tolerant of mild, wet winters and salty, coastal weather.

The etymological root of the binomial name Trachycarpus is derived from the Greek trachus meaning 'rough', and karpus meaning 'a fruit', due to the fruit of some species being hairy. Takil is named after the local name for this plant and the name of the mountain on which it was found.

Trachycarpus fortunei has been cultivated in China and Japan for thousands of years, for its coarse but very strong leaf sheath fibre, used for making rope, sacks, and other coarse cloth where great strength is important. The extent of this cultivation means that the exact natural range of the species is uncertain.
Trachycarpus fortunei is cultivated as a trunking palm in gardens and parks throughout the world in warm temperate and subtropical climates. Its tolerance of cool summers and cold winters makes it highly valued by palm enthusiasts, landscape designers and gardeners. It is grown successfully in cool climates such as the UK, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, western Poland as well as southern and western Germany. In the UK it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit





NONE If you are worried about human toxicity, I would call the Poison Control Dept. or check with your local hospital.
Non-Toxic to Dogs, Non-Toxic to Cats


Parks, Gardens, In Landscape
Trachycarpus fortunei has been cultivated in China and Japan for thousands of years, for its coarse but very strong leaf sheath fibre, used for making rope, sacks, and other coarse cloth where great strength is important.
Young flower buds - cooked. Used like bamboo shoots. The fresh flowers and terminal bud are also apparently consumed


The flowers and the seed are astringent and haemostatic. The root or the fruit is decocted as a contraceptive. The ashes from the silky hairs of the plant are haemostatic. Mixed with boiling water they are used in the treatment of haemopytsis, nose bleeds, haematemesis, blood in stools, metrorrhagia, gonorrhoea and other venereal diseases






kevin-beverly



HI

Greek Snow-in-Summer,

Cerastium tomentosum




Also known as  Wooly mouse-ear chickweed , Dusty miller , Jerusalem star , Snow plant , is an herbaceous flowering plant and a member of the family Caryophyllaceae. It is generally distinguished from other species of its genus by "tomentose" or felty foliage. It is a low, spreading perennial native to alpine regions of Europe vigorous, mat-forming, evergreen perennial with linear, white-hairy, silvery grey-green leaves and, in late spring and summer, star-shaped, white flowers with notched petals.
It is an evergreen, creeping off-shoot, perennial, herbaceous plant that reaches heights of growth of 15 to 30 (rarely to 45) centimeters. It is overall densely hairy. The leaves are up to 30 millimetres long and linear to lanceolate, which are covered with silky, silvery, frizzy and entangled hairs, forming like whitish felting. The inflorescences consist of up to 15 flowers. The calyx is 5 to 7 millimetres long. The petals are white and twice as long as the calyx. The teeth of the capsule are slightly bent outwards. The flowering period is from May to July in the northern hemisphere, but may also bloom at other times of the year
World Distribution Italy & Sicily  Greece and widely naturalised elsewhere in Europe.


Family:   Caryophyllaceae
Genus:   Cerastium
Species:   C. tomentosum
Binomial name
Cerastium tomentosum

HABITAT
A spreading, mat-forming perennial herb naturalised on roadsides, railway banks, waste ground, tips, dunes and coastal shingle. Lowland stone walls meadows and fields
Full sun  happily romping in hot dry difficult places where nothing else will grow. Its silvery evergreen mats spread to form weed-resistant ground cover over dry banks  Well-drained/light, Acidic, Chalky/alkaline,

It has proven popular as a cultivated ornamental and can be found in gardens the world over. It is a horticultural plant, perennial, rocky, forming dense silver carpets. This plant is not very demanding: it likes a poor soil, rich in gravel, well drained, in a sunny place. It spreads easily by its rhizomes.

Plants should be clipped hard or mowed (to 2 inches) after blooming to maintain a tidy habit.
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NONE


Gardens parks tubs ground cover cover a unsightly wall


NONE

kevin-beverly



HI

Evening Primrose

Oenothera

Other common names are  suncups, and sundrops. Sundrops and evening primroses are common names for different species of Oenothera. Sundrops (or suncups) bloom in daylight, while the flowers of evening primroses open at dusk.
Oenothera is a genus of about 145 species of herbaceous flowering plants native to the Americas. It is the type genus of the family Onagraceae.
They are not closely related to the true primroses (genus Primula).
Species vary in size from small alpine plants 10 centimeters tall, such as O. acaulis from Chile, to vigorous lowland species growing to 3 meters, such as O. stubbei from Mexico. The leaves form a basal rosette at ground level and spiral up to the flowering stems. The blades are dentate or deeply lobed (pinnatifid). The flowers of many species open in the evening, hence the name "evening primrose". They may open in under a minute. Most species have yellow flowers, but some have white, purple, pink, or red. Most native desert species are white. Oenothera caespitosa, a species of western North America, produces white flowers that turn pink with age. One of the most distinctive features of the flower is the stigma, which has four branches in an X shape.
The genus Oenothera may have originated in Mexico and Central America, and spread farther north in North America and into South America. With the advent of international travel, species are now found in most temperate regions of the world. In Europe alone there are about 70 introduced species of Oenothera. During the Pleistocene era a succession of ice ages swept down across North America, with intervening warm periods. This occurred four times, and the genus experienced four separate waves of colonization, each hybridizing with the survivors of previous waves. This formed the present-day subsection Euoenothera. The group is genetically and morphologically diverse and the species are largely interfertile, so the species boundaries have been disputed amongst taxonomists.


Subfamily:   Onagroideae
Tribe:   Onagreae
Genus:   Oenothera
L.[1]
Species
Around 150 species,

HABITAT
Disturbed areas are favored in both natural and developed habitats, including mesic to dry black soil prairies, sand prairies, thickets, glades, lakeshore dunes, abandoned fields, roadsides and railroads, slopes of drainage ditches, vacant lots, etc. Sometimes this plant is cultivated in wildflower gardens, from which it may escape.

A number of perennial members of the genus are commonly cultivated and used in landscaping now
Annual evening primroses are also popular ornamental plants in gardens. Many are fairly drought-resistant.

HISTORY

Evening primroses were originally assigned to the genus Onagra, which gave the family Onagraceae its name. Onagra (meaning "(food of) onager") was first used in botany in 1587, and in English in Philip Miller's 1754 Gardeners Dictionary: Abridged. The modern name Oenothera was published by Carolus Linnaeus in his Systema Naturae. Its etymology is uncertain, but is believed to be derived from the Greek words οίνος θήρα (oinos thera), meaning "wine seeker".
Certain Oenothera plants have edible parts. The roots of O. biennis are reportedly edible in young plants.



They have large, showy four-petaled flowers in pink, Red, white, or yellow,

 



     

NONE


Can be used in landscape parks. It is noted for attracting wildlife Bees Birds Butterflies. They are mild in taste and can be eaten raw in salads, pickled in oil, fried or in soups. The flowers themselves are edible as well and have a sweet taste. They can be used as a garnish for salads but also in desserts.
Roots - cooked. Boiled and eaten like salsify. Fleshy, sweet and succulent. Wholesome and nutritious. A peppery taste. The taste somewhat resembles salsify or parsnips. Young shoots - raw or cooked. Mucilaginous, with a peppery flavour, they are best used sparingly. Another source suggests that the shoots should not be eaten. Flowers - sweet. Used in salads or as a garnish. Young seedpods - cooked. Steamed. The seed contains 28% of a drying oil. It is edible and a very good source of gamma-linolenic acid, an essential fatty acid that is not found in many plant sources and has numerous vital functions in the body. The seed, however, is very small and difficult to harvest, it has to be done by hand. Overall yields are low, making the oil very expensive to produce.




Evening primrose  is a wild plant of medicinal importance, seed oil is traditionally used for treatment of eczema, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, premenstrual and menopausal syndrome, and other inflammation-related disorders
The oil from the seed is added to skin preparations and cosmetics. It is often combined with vitamin E to prevent oxidation. A yellow dye is obtained from the flowers. A finely ground powder made from the flowering stems is used cosmetically in face-masks to counteract reddened skins.
The flowers, leaves, and stem bark have astringent and sedative properties.
treat whooping cough.
The oil is commonly taken for premenstrual problems including tension and abdominal bloating.
The oil, when applied externally can be used for eczema, other itchy skin conditions,



kevin-beverly



HI

Watching rick stein corfu Rick mentioned about the Scoop owl so i looked the bird up

Eurasian Scops Owl

Late calm night walking back from the tavern or have a drink on your balcony and you hear a car alarm well it my not be a car alarm

Eurasian Scops Owl ~ Otus scops , also known as the European scops owl or just scops owl,
The Eurasian Scops Owl is a small scops owl with cryptic plumage, relatively long wings, a short tail, and small erectile ear-tufts.

Size: Length 16-20cm. Wing length 145-168mm. Tail length 67-75mm. Weight 60-135g. Females are heavier than males.

Habits: The Eurasian Scops Owl is a nocturnal bird, most active from after sunset to midnight. Roosts by day in trees, normally close to the trunk, or in dense foliage, cavities in mature trees or rocks, holes in walls and similar places. Evening activity usually begins with a quick call, either at the roosting place, or from a nearby perch. Occasionally, some notes may be heard from the roost during the daytime. Not normally a shy bird.

Distribution: Southern Europe, locally in central, eastern and western Europe, and Africa north of the Sahara from Morocco to Tunisia, Asia Minor and eastwards to central Asia. Has been recorded breeding in southern Germany.
The Eurasian Scops Owl is generally a migratory bird. European owls normally winter in the Savannas of east and west Africa, north of the rainforest. In Autumn, the owls leave their breeding areas between August and November, returning between March and late April, depending on the breeding area they are returning too.

Scientific classificationedit
Kingdom:   Animalia
Phylum:   Chordata
Class:   Aves
Order:   Strigiformes
Family:   Strigidae
Genus:   Otus
Species:   O. scops

The facial disc is greyish-brown, finely mottled with the rim not very prominent. Eyes are yellow, and the bill is grey. Ear tufts can be difficult to see when the plumage is held loose. When afraid, this owl becomes very slim, with ear-tufts erected straight.
Upperparts are greyish-brown with blackish streaks, the pattern resembling the bark of an old tree. The crown is similar, with blackish shaft-streaks. Scapulars are white on the outer webs, with a blackish central streak and black tip. The flight feathers are barred dark and pale, as is the short tail.
Underparts are also greyish-brown but somewhat paler than the back, with blackish shaft-streaks, and some thin cross-bars and dark vermiculations. Several of the shaft-streaks are much broader than the others and have heavier horizontal vermiculations.
Tarsi are feathered to the base of the toes, which are grey. Claws are greyish-brown with darker tips.
There is also a reddish morph of this owl, but it is very rare.

Voice:
The song of the male consists of long sequences of single, monosyllabic flute-like notes with a downward inflection, lasting 0.2-0.3 seconds each, and separated by 2-3 seconds - kyoot kyoot kyoot kyoot... The unpaired female has a similar but more drawn-out and higher pitched song. When paired, the female utters high-pitched and slightly hoarse notes. During courtship, the male and female duet in a way the gives the impression of a two syllable song of higher and lower pitched notes.
The contact call is a soft phew note. When alarmed, both sexes utter a loud piercing kweeoh call, similar to that of a Little Owl.

Habitat:
Semi-open or open country with scattered trees or small woods, cultivated areas with groups of trees, rocky landscapes, parks, avenues of trees along roads, gardens with mature trees, Mediterranean scrub and garrigue. In warm climates, they are also found in mountainous regions. This owl does not occur in dense forest. Winters mainly in savannas with trees.

Otus is the largest genus of owls with 58 species. BUT VERY HARD TO SEE SEE PHOTOS

The Eurasian scops owl can fly pretty fast as they swoop on their prey so fast and grab them with their talons that they don't have time to escape.

They generally feed on insects like worms, small birds, small mammals, whatever food is found near the tree they build their nest on. They catch the larger prey by swooping on them and catching hold of them with their talons, whereas the smaller animals are caught with the beak.















Erja

What a gorgeous beast! Wish I could see one but probably to drunk late a night ;)
Life is good ;)

kevin-beverly



Hi

All those who out or going out to Arillas soon can see the fireflies and hear the frogs croaking and see the lovely spring flowers enjoy all

Kev

Truth

Great time of year to visit !  Weathers a bit too hit and miss for me though.....
Wolverhampton Wanderers, pride of The Midlands......

kevin-beverly



Hi
It was our first time in Arillas may 2007 for a week it took 3 hours from the airport the driver keeled getting lost we was staying at the Kokkinos no rep to tell us about the restaurant's where to go the coach passed  the Tria so headed back to get a drink also I wanted to see West Ham
Yes we fell in love with the place wildlife as well



Truth

Kokkinos is a rarely mentioned pmace on here.... what a great guy the owner of that place is. Never stayed there but pop in if I see him for a chat and to fuss his cats and dog 🙂
Wolverhampton Wanderers, pride of The Midlands......

kevin-beverly



Hi Truth

Yes I remember him with the dog I think it was a German shepherd if not I am getting old haha very nice people they use to have a little shop on site only open a few hours I haven't see them for a while nice apartments
Yes you are right no one dose mention now called Nikos kokkinos

Kev

Truth

Thats right Kev , its a German Shepperd 🙂 . He had another little old dog but he passed a couple of years ago.
His sons got the appartment opposite now,not sure if he's renting rooms there,I think he is?
Wolverhampton Wanderers, pride of The Midlands......

kevin-beverly



Herbs

Most of us use Herbs evryday knowing and unknowing lets start what is a Herb

Herbs was around De Materia Medica of Diosorides (Latin name for the Greek work Περὶ ὕλης ἰατρικῆς, Peri hulēs iatrikēs, both meaning "On Medical Material") is a pharmacopoeia of medicinal plants and the medicines that can be obtained from them. The five-volume work was written between 50 and 70 CE by Pedanius Dioscorides, a Greek physician in the Roman army. It was widely read for more than 1,500 years until supplanted by revised herbals in the Renaissance, making it one of the longest-lasting of all natural history and pharmacology books.
The work describes many drugs known to be effective, including aconite, aloes, colocynth, colchicum, henbane, opium and squill. In all, about 600 plants are covered, along with some animals and mineral substances, and around 1000 medicines made from them.
De materia medica was circulated as illustrated manuscripts, copied by hand, in Greek, Latin and Arabic throughout the mediaeval period. From the 16th century on, Dioscorides' text was translated into Italian, German, Spanish, and French, and in 1655 into English. It formed the basis for herbals in these languages by men such as Leonhart Fuchs, Valerius Cordus, Lobelius, Rembert Dodoens, Carolus Clusius, John Gerard and William Turner. Gradually these herbals included more and more direct observations, supplementing and eventually supplanting the classical text.
Several manuscripts and early printed versions of De materia medica survive, including the illustrated Vienna Dioscurides manuscript written in the original Greek in 6th-century Constantinople; it was used there by the Byzantines as a hospital text for just over a thousand years. Sir Arthur Hill saw a monk on Mount Athos still using a copy of Dioscorides to identify plants in 1934.

In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typically distinguishes herbs from spices. Herbs generally refers to the leafy green or flowering parts of a plant (either fresh or dried), while spices are usually dried and produced from other parts of the plant, including seeds, bark, roots and fruits.
Herbs have a variety of uses including culinary, medicinal, aromatic and in some cases, spiritual. General usage of the term "herb" differs between culinary herbs and medicinal herbs; in medicinal or spiritual use, any parts of the plant might be considered as "herbs", including leaves, roots, flowers, seeds, root bark, inner bark (and cambium), resin and pericarp.
In botany, the noun "herb" refers to a "plant that does not produce a woody stem", and the adjective "herbaceous" means "herb-like", referring to parts of the plant that are green and soft in texture

  That every plant has some special virtue which in most cases is still to be discovered. However, of the herbs that are important to man for medicine, aromatic uses, and for flavouring food – i.e. those important enough to be in the commercial trade – there are about two to three thousand herbs.

Where would we be without Herbs

Here is a very small list of herbs and the uses

Chamomile – Anthemis nobilis – Chamomile is said to take away weariness and pain/inflammation of the bowels. The oil from the flowers can be used against many pains and aches, including joint cramps. Chamomile is also helpful in healing migraines and regulating menstrual periods.

Cinquefoil – Potentilla reptans – Cinquefoil is used to reduce inflammation. It can also treat sore mouths and ulcers. The juice is known to aid jaundice. As well as helping hoarseness of the throat and cough, Cinquefoil can be applied to painful joints.

Columbine – Aquilegia vulgaris – Because columbine is slightly poisonous, its astringent properties are mainly exploited in lotions and used externally.

Feverfew – Chrysanthemum parthenium - Feverfew is known as an effective treatment for migraine headaches and fevers. It may also help ease diseases like arthritis.

Foxglove – Digitalis purpurea – A pure form of the plant is used to strengthen cardiac contractility and regulates heart rhythm.

Golden Rod – Solidago virgaurea – Golden rod can be used as a treatment for painful menstruation, arthritis and eczema. Externally, it can be applied to skin ulcers to stimulate healing.

Lady's Mantle – lchemilla vulgaris - This herb has been used to cure excessive menstruation. The root of lady's mantle has been recommended to stop bleeding.

Lavender – Lavandula angustifolia – Lavender prevents fainting and allays nausea. In oil form, it is often used in therapeutic baths to reduce stress. It can also lower blood pressure. A small amount makes a useful application on skin diseases like eczema and psoriasis.

Lovage – Levisticum officinale – Lovage is used as a digestive aid. It eases inward pains. This herb is also known to diminish redness of the eyes.

Pennyroyal – Mentha pulegium – Pennyroyal is said to ease headaches. It has been used as a remedy for colicky pains in the abdomen. It has also been known to ease the feverish symptoms that come with measles and whooping cough.

Poppy – Papaver rhoeas – The poppy is known to soothe coughs and induce sleep. The petals are helpful in treating asthma, bronchitis, whooping cough and angina.

Primrose – Primula vulgaris – Primrose, a sedative, induces rest and sleep by reducing tension. An infusion of the root taken in spoonful doses is effective in healing headaches. It has also been used for treating gout and rheumatism.

Rosemary - Rosmarinus officinalis – Rosemary has been used to treat headaches, epilepsy and poor circulation. It can also be used as a disinfectant in the form of mouth wash and also to treat fever. It is also reported to stop dandruff and improve memory.

Sage – Salvia officinalis – Sage is helpful for head pains, hoarseness and cough. It is one of the best known remedies for laryngitis, tonsillitis and sore throats. An infusion of the herb sweetened with honey is mildly laxative and stimulates menstrual flow.

Sorrel – Rumex acetosella or Rumex acetosa – The cooling leaves of sorrel are known to allay thirst and aid in fevers. These leaves also serve as a diuretic.

Vervain – Verbena officinalis – Vervain is known to be a good remedy for coughs and colds. It aids against the wheezing and shortness of breath that comes with fevers.

Wintergreen – Pyrola minor – Wintergreen is known for its cooling properties, flavoring everything from mouthwash to gum. Medicinally, it can be used topically on wounds and internally to aid ulcers in the kidney and bladder. The plant contains a natural antiseptic.

Woodruffe (Sweet) – Galium odoratum – Woodruff can be taken for its tranquilizing effects to treat insomnia. Used as an infusion, it can strengthen the stomach and removes obstructions from the colon.

Yarrow – Achillea millefolium – Yarrow is used topically for wounds, cuts, and abrasions. An infusion of yarrow is known to speed recovery from sever bruising. Yarrow flowers are used for various allergic mucus problems, including hay fever.



Ancient Greek philosopher Theophrastus divided the plant world into trees, shrubs, and herbs. Herbs came to be considered in three groups, namely pot herbs (e.g. onions), sweet herbs (e.g. thyme), and salad herbs (e.g. wild celery). During the seventeenth century as selective breeding changed the plants size and flavor away from the wild plant, pot herbs began to be referred to as vegetables as they were no longer considered only suitable for the pot.

Botany and the study of herbs was, in its infancy, primarily a study of the pharmacological uses of plants. During the Middle Ages, when humoral theory guided medicine, it was posited that foodstuffs, possessing their own humoral qualities, could alter the humoral temperaments of people. Parsley and sage were often used together in medieval cookery, for example in chicken broth, which had developed a reputation as a therapeutic food by the 14th century. One of the most common sauces of the age, green sauce, was made with parsley and often sage as well. In a 14th-century recipe recorded in Latin "for lords, for settling their temperament and whetting their appetite" green sauce is served with a dish of cheese and whole egg yolks boiled in watered down wine with herbs and spices.