Walking around corfu

[vivian]

HI

Those who are going to Arillas spring time will see this plant

Poppy Anemone

Anemone coronaria
Other names are windflower, Spanish marigold, Is a is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native to the Mediterranean region.
Anemone coronaria is a herbaceous perennial tuberous plant growing to 20–40 cm tall,
spreading to 15–23 cm (0.50 to 0.75 feet), with a basal rosette of a few leaves, the leaves with three leaflets, each leaflet deeply lobed. The flowers which bloom from February to May [ approximately ] are borne singly on a tall stem with a whorl of small leaves just below the flower; the flower is 3–8 cm diameter, with 5–8 red (but may be white or blue) showy petal-like tepals and a black centre. The pollen is dry, has an unsculpted exine, is less than 40 nm in diameter, and is usually deposited within 1.5 m of its source. This central mound consists of tightly packed pistils in the centre, with a crown-like ring of stamens surrounding this, which gives the species its name. The flowers produce 200–300 seeds. The plants form hard black tubers as storage organs.
Aside from its flowers resembling poppies, the red single wild form flowers resemble the flowers of the red single wild form of Ranunculus asiaticus.

Kingdom:   Plantae
Clade:   Tracheophytes
Clade:   Angiosperms
Clade:   Eudicots
Order:   Ranunculales
Family:   Ranunculaceae
Genus:   Anemone
Species:   A. coronaria
Binomial name
Anemone coronaria

HABITAT
from Greece, Albania, southern Turkey and Syria to the Sinai Peninsula with sporadic extension east to Iran and west along the Mediterranean shores of Italy, southern France and North Africa.
Greece it inhabits mountainous habitats, either in alpine meadows or in the shade of lower woodlands and forest margins. olive groths
in damp woodland and along shaded riverbanks, hedgebanks and roadside verges. They also grow in more open ground on heathland, under bracken, on sea- and mountain cliffs and in the grykes of limestone pavement.
Anemone coronaria loves sunshine and should be situated in full sun. Light shade is fine for Anemone nemorosa and Anemone blanda.

Anemone coronaria is widely grown for its decorative flowers, and has a hardiness of USDA zones 7–10, preferring full sun to part shade. Although perennial in its native climate, A. coronaria is usually grown as an annual in cooler climates, from tubers. Planting is usually in the autumn if kept in pots in a greenhouse through the winter or in the ground in spring once the risk of frost has passed.

Modern cultivars have very large flowers, with diameters of 8–10 cm and a wide range of bright and pastel colours, in addition to two toned varieties. The centre is usually black, but may be pale green in white varieties. Stems may be as tall as 40–50 cm, and each plant may produce 13–15 blooms.

HISTORY AND MYTHOLOGY

Greek ἀνεμώνη (anemōnē) means 'daughter of the wind', from ἄνεμος (ánemos 'wind).
Greek mythology links the anemone, sometimes called the windflower, to the death of Adonis, a handsome youth, who was loved by two women, Persephone, queen of the underworld, and Aphrodite (Venus), goddess of love.
Aphrodite, upon hearing the cries of her lover, ran to his side, only to witness Adonis bleeding to death.
Red anemones sprang from the earth where the drops of Adonis's blood fell, (In another version of the story, the anemones were white before the death of Adonis, whose blood turned them to red).
Said to bring luck and protect against evil, legend has it that when the anemone closes its petals, it's a signal that rain is approaching.

Numerous cultivars have been selected and named, the most popular including the De Caen (single) and St Brigid (semi-double and double) groups of cultivars. The De Caen group are hybrids cultivated in the districts of Caen and Bayeux in France in the 18th century, and include 'Bicolor' (red with white), 'Blue Poppy' (blue), 'Mr Fokker' (purple), 'Sylphide' (deep pink) and 'The Bride' (white). Referred to as poppy anemones because they closely resemble the true poppy (Papaveroideae). St. Brigid cultivars originated in Ireland, and named after that county's saint, they include 'Lord Lieutenant' (purple blue) and 'The Governor' (red). In addition to these large groups, there are two minor groups, Rissoana which is very rustic and early blooming (November) and Grassensis with large double flowers that bloom in the spring.





It is poisonous to humans. Anemone contains an acrid constituof Poppyent, protoanemonin, which is a strong irritant to the mouth and gastrointestinal mucosa and skin. Toxic doses can lead to nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, low blood pressure, and, if high enough doses are consumed, respiratory distress. Always thought the looked like some kind of Poppy, but wasn,t shore because of the size,
THIS ONE IS IN THE SEA
Sea anemones have sting venoms to catch and immobilize small fishes and shrimps for feeding and protection. Most are not harmful for humans or only cause mild dermatitis. A few species possess highly toxic venoms and are hazardous for humans.


Gardens Parks Landscape Ointment planting


It has been reported to have several medicinal properties, including sedative and cardiovascular benefits, amongst others. Wood anemone root extracts have been used to treat a wide range of liver diseases, including chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis.
Various medicinal compounds have been found in Anemone plants, especially triterpenoid saponins, some of which have shown anti-cancer activities. Some Anemone compounds and extracts display immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities.

[kevin-beverly]

HI

You may see this lovely Bird I have seen this bird only twice North Beach and the Stream running though Arillas

Common kingfisher

Alcedo atthis

Also known as a  Eurasian kingfisher and river kingfisher, is a small kingfisher with seven subspecies recognized within its wide distribution across Eurasia and North Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but migrates from areas where rivers freeze in winter.

This bird has the typical short-tailed, large-headed kingfisher profile; it has blue upperparts, orange underparts and a long bill. It feeds mainly on fish, caught by diving, and has special visual adaptations to enable it to see prey under water. The glossy white eggs are laid in a nest at the end of a burrow in a riverbank.
The modern binomial name derives from the Latin alcedo, 'kingfisher' (from Greek ἀλκυών, halcyon), and Atthis, a beautiful young woman of Lesbos, and favourite of Sappho.

Kingdom:   Animalia
Phylum:   Chordata
Class:   Aves
Order:   Coraciiformes
Family:   Alcedinidae
Subfamily:   Alcedininae
Genus:   Alcedo
Species:   A. atthis
Binomial name
Alcedo atthis

This species has the typical short-tailed, dumpy-bodied, large-headed, and long-billed kingfisher shape. The adult male of the western European subspecies, A. a. ispida has green-blue upperparts with pale azure-blue back and rump, a rufous patch by the bill base, and a rufous ear-patch. It has a green-blue neck stripe, white neck blaze and throat, rufous underparts, and a black bill with some red at the base. The legs and feet are bright red. It is about 16 cm long with a wingspan of 25 cm (10 in), and weighs 34–46 g. The female is identical in appearance to the male except that her lower mandible is orange-red with a black tip. The juvenile is similar to the adult, but with duller and greener upperparts and paler underparts. Its bill is black, and the legs are also initially black. Feathers are moulted gradually between July and November with the main flight feathers taking 90–100 days to moult and regrow. Some that moult late may suspend their moult during cold winter weather.
The sexes are very similar, the main difference being the colour of the lower mandible: the male's bill is all black while the female's is black with red on the lower mandible.
Common kingfishers are important members of ecosystems and good indicators of freshwater community health.
As with all kingfishers, the Common kingfisher is very territorial, mainly because each day it has to eat about 60% of its body weight. They even defend their territory against their mates and offspring. Individuals are solitary for most of the year, roosting in heavy cover beside their favorite hunting spot. When another kingfisher comes into its territory, the birds will both sit on a perch at some distance from one another and perform territorial displays, usually the display of beaks and plumage. Fights occasionally occur, one bird grabbing the other one's beak and trying to hold their opponent under the water. Their flight is very fast, causing their wings to seem like a blue haze. These birds communicate vocally and are well known for a long, trilling call like a repetition of the sound "chee". During mating, the male whistles loudly to a female and will chase her through and above the trees. When diving for prey, their eyes are covered by a membrane and they rely on touch alone to know when they should snap their jaws shut.

HABITAT
It is active all year round near rivers, canals and wetlands, Woodland,
this kingfisher inhabits clear, slow-flowing streams and rivers, and lakes with well-vegetated banks. It frequents scrubs and bushes with overhanging branches close to shallow open water in which it hunts. In winter it is more coastal, often feeding in estuaries or harbours and along rocky seashores.

The family contains 116 species and is divided into three subfamilies and 19 genera. All kingfishers have large heads, long, sharp, pointed bills, short legs, ...

Kingfishers have very keen eyesight. The kingfisher has monocular vision (in which each eye is used separately) in the air and binocular vision (in which both eyes are used together) in water. The underwater vision is not as a sharp as in the air, however, the ability to judge the distance of moving prey is more important than the sharpness of the image.

This species is resident in areas where the climate is mild year-round, but must migrate after breeding from regions with prolonged freezing conditions in winter. Most birds winter within the southern parts of the breeding range, but smaller numbers cross the Mediterranean into Africa or travel over the mountains of Malaysia into Southeast Asia. Kingfishers migrate mainly at night, and some Siberian breeders must travel at least 3,000 km (1,900 mi) between the breeding sites and the wintering areas.

CONTINENTS
Asia, Europe, Africa, Oceania

SUBCONTINENTS
South Asia, North Africa, Western Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, Central Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa

COUNTRIES
Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan, Viet Nam, Afghanistan SHOW LESS

BIOGEOGRAPHICAL REALMS
Palearctic, Indomalayan, Australasian, Afrotropical

WWF BIOMES
Desert and Xeric Shrublands, Mangrove, Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub, Temperate broadleaf and mixed forest, Temperate grasslands, Tropical moist forests








                                                                                 

[kevin-beverly]

HI

You my see this plant near the stream running throuh Arillas or in woodland shade

LAND CRESS

Barbarea verna 

Also known as  American cress, bank cress, black wood cress, Belle Isle cress, Bermuda cress, early yellowrocket, early wintercress, scurvy cress, creasy greens, and upland cress.
It is native to southern Europe and western Asia, and naturalized elsewhere It has been cultivated as a leaf vegetable in England since the 17th century. As it requires less water than watercress, it is easier to cultivate.
Land cress is a native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.
Regions that are covered exclusively in the temperate zone include the continental U.S., most of Canada and Europe, Central Asia, southern South America, and southern Australia. Temperate regions are found between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn.
In temperate climates it can be grown almost all year round – except in the really cold winters. Here in the subtropics, it's a winter only green. It will bolt to seed quickly as soon as it warms up – but then I can eat the flowers and collect the seeds.

Kingdom:   Plantae
Clade:   Tracheophytes
Clade:   Angiosperms
Clade:   Eudicots
Clade:   Rosids
Order:   Brassicales
Family:   Brassicaceae
Genus:   Barbarea
Species:   B. verna
Binomial name
Barbarea verna
(Mill.) Asch.

Synonyms
Barbarea australis Jord.
Barbarea brevistyla Jord.
Barbarea erysimoides Schur
Barbarea longisiliqua Jord.
Barbarea patula Fr.
Barbarea praecox (Sm.)
Campe praecox (Sm.)
Campe verna (Mill.)
Crucifera praecox
Erysimum praecox Sm.
Erysimum tenuifolium Stokes
Erysimum vernum Mill.

Barbarea verna is a biennial herb in the family Brassicaceae.  is a collection of about 22 species of flowering plants in the Brassica family. [ mustard  cabbages,  bok choy, broccoli, cauliflower,  collard greens, kale ]

The genus name 'Barbarea' is derived from the early Greek Saint Barbara, the patron saint of artillerymen and miners. This plant was used to soothe the wounds caused by explosions. 'Vulgaris' is a Latin adjective meaning common.

land cress is closer to its wilder cousins in the brassica family, it has fewer pest problems. It has natural insect resistance and Gardening Australia presenter, Jerry Coleby-Williams, tells of how his nanna used it in her "Dig for Victory" gardens in England as a valuable companion plant keeping caterpillars away from cabbages.

HABITAT
Waste and cultivated ground. Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; not Deep Shade; North Wall.  meadows and fields
growing to 0.3 m (1ft) by 0.3 m (1ft in).

Is all cress the same?
There are many varieties of cress out there, grown in many different ways! But they all tend to share the same flavor profile – a bit spicy! Watercress: Grown freely in water, this variety has the most pungent flavor and texture. Garden Cress: This variety is grown in soil and has a spicy flavor, like horse radish.





NONE

Land cress has a  peppery spinach kale like flavour. They can be cooked or eaten raw in salads. Like all brassicas, the yellow flowers are edible too.The leaves of land cress are great in salad and sandwiches. Use it like a spicy spinach and make soup, pasta sauce, add it to curries, stews and thinks like spanakopita. I like to add it to my winter pesto too.Used in soup An edible oil is obtained from the seed
Ground cover to stop weeds  an intercropping plant to protect crops. Inter-cropping helps in preventing pests and diseases to spread throughout the field. It also increases soil fertility , whereas crop rotation prevents soil depletion, increases soil fertility, and reduces soil erosion. Both these methods reduce the need for fertilizers.



Deep green land cress is a very healthy plant to eat. It has twice the vitamin A as broccoli, and three times the vitamin C found in oranges. It also contains vitamins B and E, iron and calcium.
Also used similarly to horseradish for catarrh, cold, indigestion, and flatulence. Its actions are considered mild.

[kevin-beverly]

HI

Looking around in Arillas or another part of Corfu the english country side or even your own garden see the plants of all different colour looking lovely.
Some plants in different parts of the world are a big nuisnce.

In UK   Black-grass now has a serious effect on whole farm profitability and productivity for nearly 60% of arable growers, Black-grass is a native annual grass weed that occurs throughout the UK but is found mainly in the cereal growing areas of southern and eastern England. It rarely occurs outside of cultivated land and is most abundant in winter crops.
Why is black-grass called black-grass? Alopecurus myosuroides Huds
A competitive grass-weed with distinctive dark coloured seed heads (hence its common name) and now the most important herbicide-resistant weed of arable crops in Western Europe.




In Arillas the lovely pink trees on the front of the beach the Tamarisk - salt cedar
And this plant is everywhere Oleander

But in Death Valley California
Tamarix ramosissima (salt cedar)
Tamarix aphylla (athel)
Tamarisk are trees that grow deep roots and have long slender branches covered with distinctive gray-green scale-like leaves. Pink flower clusters form at the ends of the branches and give the trees a feathery appearance.
Introduced from Asia and planted in the Furnace Creek and Cow Creek areas as a windbreak and an ornamental, these trees have spread to springs and other natural areas. They threaten wetland ecosystems, as their rapid growth (up to 12 feet in a season) can lead to their quickly outcompeting native plant species. Additionally, the large quantities of groundwater the plants consume and release into the air through their leaves threaten the existence of some water sources. This can lead to the drying of springs and seeps which are vital to other species. Dense groves of tamarisk also trap soils, which can lead to narrow channels that make flash flooding more intense.

Nerium olenader

This large evergreen shrub may grow up to 25 feet tall, and bloom with showy white, pink, or red flowers. Widely planted in the Southwest as an ornamental, it is both invasive and highly toxic, containing more than fifty toxic compounds. Use of the wood for cooking or inhaling the smoke is dangerous; eating any part of the plant can be lethal.

With the high level of diversity of habitat available, and the long history of human use, Death Valley has a number of non-native plant species that can be found within the park. Park staff works to eradicate the invasive non-native plant species through a variety of means, depending on the species type. Some invasive plants are so difficult to find and remove that they are unlikely to be completely removed from the park.

The forest rangers at work cutting down a Tamarisk Tree






Tree of heaven Ailanthus altissima  is native to northern and central China, Taiwan and northern Korea. It was historically widely distributed,
It seeds germanate and grows very quick  deciduous tree  can reach the height of fifteen metres in fewer than twenty-five years. Its rapid growth, and the perception that it grows to the heavens, gives the tree its common name.

The behaviour of Ailanthus altissima weed and its effects on natural ecosystems Journal of Environmental Biology
Ailanthus altissima is an invasive species for the native flora of Greece and it could pose a serious threat to the biodiversity and the functioning of ecosystems. The purpose of this study was to investigate the spreading of Ailanthus altissima in urban and non urban areas of North and Central Greece and also to evaluate the effects of its spreading on species composition and floristic diversity in natural ecosystems. The spreading of Ailanthus altissima in urban areas is very intense,
The size of Greece to manage this problem is near impossible with no funds






Just a few plants what look lovely in one part of the world and is ok  BUT not in other parts of the world

[kevin-beverly]

HI

I looked at the list of plants i have posted . I have made up a list in Excel and found that this plant i have left out you can see this plant around

Tree of Heaven

Ailanthus altissima

Commonly known as tree of heaven, ailanthus, varnish tree, or in Chinese as chouchun  is a deciduous tree in the family Simaroubaceae.  It is native to northeast and central China, and Taiwan. Unlike other members of the genus Ailanthus, it is found in temperate climates rather than the tropics.
The tree grows rapidly, and is capable of reaching heights of 15 metres (49 ft) in 25 years. While the species rarely lives more than 50 years, some specimens exceed 100 years of age.
Its suckering ability allows this tree to clone itself indefinitely.  It is considered a noxious weed and vigorous invasive species,
And one of the worst invasive plant species in Europe and North America.[6] In 21st-century North America, the invasiveness of the species has been compounded by its harboring of the also destructive and invasive spotted lanternfly.
The spotted lanternfly is a planthopper indigenous to parts of China and Vietnam. It has spread invasively to Japan, South Korea, and the United States. Its preferred host is tree of heaven, but it infests economically significant plants

Kingdom:   Plantae
Clade:   Tracheophytes
Clade:   Angiosperms
Clade:   Eudicots
Clade:   Rosids
Order:   Sapindales
Family:   Simaroubaceae
Genus:   Ailanthus
Species:   A. altissima
Binomial name
Ailanthus altissima

Ailanthus derived from ailanto, an Ambonese word probably meaning "tree of the gods" or "tree of heaven"

A. altissima is a medium-sized tree that reaches heights between 17 and 27 m with a diameter at breast height of about 1 m . The bark is smooth and light grey, often becoming somewhat rougher with light tan fissures as the tree ages. The twigs are stout, smooth to lightly pubescent, and reddish or chestnut in color. They have lenticels and heart-shaped leaf scars (i.e., a scar left on the twig after a leaf falls) with many bundle scars (i.e., small marks where the veins of the leaf once connected to the tree) around the edges. The buds are finely pubescent, dome-shaped, and partially hidden behind the petiole, though they are completely visible in the dormant season at the sinuses of the leaf scars. The branches are light to dark gray in color, smooth, lustrous, and contain raised lenticels that become fissures with age. The ends of the branches become pendulous. All parts of the plant have a distinguishing strong odor that is often likened to peanuts, cashews, or rotting
The leaves are large, odd- or even-pinnately compound on the stem. They range in size from 30 to 90 centimetres (1 to 3 ft) in length and contain 10–41 leaflets organised in pairs,
The genus Ailanthus comprises about 10 species, naturally occurring in Asia and north Oceania.

HABITAT
Tree of heaven tolerates a wide variety of soil types and climatic conditions. It demands a warm climate, but is resistant to drought and air pollution2, 4, although it is sensitive to ozone 12. It is a shade intolerant species, preferring open spaces During flowering season the smell of the male flowers has quite a strong odour it stinks

Across Europe, both in rural and urban areas:
o Western Europe: UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany
o Central and South Eastern Europe along and around the Danube
river basin: Switzerland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary,
Serbia, FYROM.
o Mediterranean + Adriatic Basins +Southern Europe: Spain,
Portugal, France, Malta, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Albania,
Montenegro, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Greece.

It has been, and still is, commonly exchanged within the nursery trade since it was brought to Europe from China in the 1750s. It is, after all, a beautiful tree and was often used as a street tree in nineteenth-century Europe. Due to its horticultural popularity, Ailanthus altissima is proving to be more of an invasive weed in towns and cities; suckers can even push up through tarmac and disturb the foundations of buildings. Such traits have generated another name for the tree; tree of hell.

HISTORY
In China, the tree of heaven has a long and rich history. It was mentioned in the oldest extant Chinese dictionary and listed in many Chinese medical texts for its purported curative ability. The roots, leaves, and bark are used in traditional Chinese medicine, primarily as an astringent. The tree has been grown extensively both in China and abroad as a host plant for the ailanthus silkmoth, a moth involved in silk production. Ailanthus has become a part of Western culture, as well, with the tree serving as the central metaphor and subject matter of the best-selling American novel A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith.
The tree was first brought from China to Europe in the 1740s and to the United States in 1784. It was one of the first trees brought west during a time when chinoiserie was dominating European arts and was initially hailed as a beautiful garden specimen. However, enthusiasm soon waned after gardeners became familiar with its suckering habits and its foul odor. Despite this, it was used extensively as a street tree during much of the 19th century. Outside Europe and the United States, the plant has been spread to many other areas beyond its native range, and is considered internationally as a noxious weed. In many countries, it is an invasive species due to its ability both to colonize disturbed areas quickly and to suppress competition with allelopathic chemicals. The tree also resprouts vigorously when cut, making its eradication difficult and time-consuming. This has led to the tree being called "tree of hell" among gardeners and conservationists.










The plant may be mildly toxic. The noxious odours have been associated with nausea and headaches, and with contact dermatitis reported in both humans and sheep,
leaves are toxic to domestic animals dogs and cats,   
Ailanthus leaks toxins into the ground which prevent the germination and establishment of other species in its vicinity.
   


Street trees Parks Landscape The tree has been grown extensively both in China and abroad as a host plant for the ailanthus silkmoth, a moth involved in silk production
can be used for cabinetry, turned objects, and paper (pulpwood).  There is not very much information available on the durability of the wood


The dried bark from the trunk and root are sometimes used in folk medicine. Tree of heaven is used for diarrhea, asthma, cramps, epilepsy, fast heart rate, gonorrhea, and other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses. In manufacturing, tree of heaven is used as insecticide.

[kevin-beverly]

HI


Turpentine tree

Pistacia terebinthus
Also known as Terebinth and Turpentine tree is a deciduous tree species of the genus Pistacia, native to the Mediterranean region from the western regions of Morocco and Portugal to Greece and western and southeastern Turkey. At one time terebinths growing on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea (in Syria, Lebanon and Israel) were regarded as a separate species, Pistacia palaestina, but these are now considered to be a synonym of P. terebinthus.
It is a species of flowering plant belonging to the cashew family family Anacardiaceae. It is a small deciduous tree or large shrub growing to 10 m tall. The leaves are compound, 10–20 cm long, odd pinnate with five to eleven opposite glossy oval leaflets, the leaflets 2–6 cm long and 1–3 cm broad. The flowers are reddish-purple, appearing with the new leaves in early spring. The fruit consists of small, globular drupes 5–7 mm long, red to black when ripe. All parts of the plant have a strong resinous smell.
The terebinth is a dioecious tree, i.e. it exists as male and female specimens. For a viable population both sexes must be present. The oblong leaf is bright green, leathery, with 10 cm (3.9 in) long or more with three to nine leaflets. Leaves alternate, leathery and compound paripinnate (no terminal leaflet) with three or six deep green leaflets. They are generally larger and rounder than the leaves of the mastic, reminiscent of the leaves of carob tree. The flowers range from purple to green, the fruit is the size of a pea and turns from red to brown, depending on the degree of maturation. The whole plant emits a strong smell: bitter, resinous, or medicinal. In the vegetative period they develop "galls" shaped like a goat's horn (from which the plant gets the name "cornicabra", the common name in Spanish),

Kingdom:   Plantae
Clade:   Tracheophytes
Clade:   Angiosperms
Clade:   Eudicots
Clade:   Rosids
Order:   Sapindales
Family:   Anacardiaceae
Genus:   Pistacia
Species:   P. terebinthus
Binomial name
Pistacia terebinthus
L.
Synonyms
Lentiscus vulgaris Garsault nom. inval.
Pistacia terebinthina St.-Lag. [Spelling variant]
Terebinthus communis Dum.Cours.
Pistacia palaestina Boiss.
Terebinthus vulgaris Dum.Cours.

HABITAT
It prefers relatively moist areas, up to 600 m in height. Supports Mediterranean summer drought and frost more intense than mastic. The plant is common in the garrigue and maquis. Appears in deciduous and oak.
It has a gray trunk very aromatic, may have multiple trunks or stems when grown as a shrub. Usually reached 5 m. in height, although in rare cases can reach 10 m. Pistacia terebinthus is one of the Anacardiaceae species present in Europe, it is a family of about 600 tropical species. Can be found in meso-and Thermo floors to 1,500 meters above sea level. Pistacia terebinthus is more moisture demanding than the mastic and more resistant to cold. Requires a sunny exposure and average soils, tolerating lime and some salt, often grows near the sea, deep ravines and near salt lakes and streams.
Scattered on the whole island, especially in maquis and on limestone rocks, at
forest edges, above roads, etc.

HISTORY
The word "Turpentine" was originally used for the exudate of terebinth trees (P. terebinthus and related species such as P. atlantica), now called Chian, Chios, or Cyprian turpentine, and it was later transferred to the crude turpentine (oleoresin) and the oil of turpentine (essential oil) of conifer trees.
Particularly well known is the ancient tree in Tel Dan near the source of the Jordan, which is about 1,000 years old and has a girth of about 20 ft. (6 m.). The species Pistacia palaestina is common in the Judean Hills and in Upper Galilee.
The word turpentine derives (via Old French and Latin) from the Greek word τερεβινθίνη (terebinthínē), the feminine form (to go with the feminine Greek word for resin) of an adjective τερεβίνθινος (terebínthinos), derived from the Greek noun τερέβινθος (terébinthos), the name for the terebinth tree.

It is used as a source for turpentine, possibly the earliest known source. The turpentine of the terebinth is now called Chian, Scio, or Cyprian turpentine.

The fruits are used in Cyprus for baking of a specialty village bread. In Crete, where the plant is called "tsikoudia", it is used to flavor the local variety of pomace brandy, also called tsikoudia. In the Northern Sporades the shoots are used as a vegetable.The plant is rich in tannin and resinous substances and was used for its aromatic and medicinal properties in classical Greece. A mild sweet scented gum can be produced from the bark, and galls often found on the plant are used for tanning leather. Recently an anti-inflammatory triterpene has been extracted from these galls. In Turkey, where it is known as "menengiç" or "bıttım", a coffee-like beverage known as "menengiç kahvesi" is made from the roasted fruit and a soap is made from the oil. Terebinth resin was used as a wine preservative in ancient Israel and the ancient Near East.









Pistachio Tree Toxic Components
Pistacia spp. contain tannic acid, gallic acid, and a metabolite of gallic acid, pyrogallol, which are oxidizing toxins. If eaten by horses, it causes hemolytic anemia and methemoglobinemia.
There is no poison associated with ANY PART of the Pistache tree (how many other trees can you say that about?). In fact, most Pistache species produce resins which have been used by man since 50 A.D. The Bible is full of references to the Pistache.



Parks, Landscape, Wildlife, Cooking,  Used in pastries, An edible oil is obtained from the seed



fruits are used in traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases including cough, eczema, asthma, diarrhoea, ulcers and arthritis
The resin obtained from incisions in the bark is antidote, antiinflammatory, antiseptic, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, cytostatic, diuretic, expectorant, febrifuge, laxative, stimulant and vulnerary
It is taken internally in the treatment of asthma and chronic bronchial infections; streptococcal, urinary and renal infections; haemorrhage, gallstones, tapeworm and rheumatism
Externally, the resin is used to treat wounds, arthritis, gout, skin conditions including leprosy, scabies and lice; sciatica
The resin has also been used in the treatment of cancer

[kevin-beverly]

HI

Has anyone seen a waterspout on Corfu as in weather not water coming out a wall haha. I was flicking though the inter net about Corfu and Arillas then i saw this intresting article about WATERSPOUTS A waterspout is a whirling column of air and water mist.
Waterspouts fall into two categories: fair weather waterspouts and tornadic waterspouts.
Tornadic waterspouts are tornadoes that form over water, or move from land to water. They have the same characteristics as a land tornado. They are associated with severe thunderstorms, and are often accompanied by high winds and seas, large hail, and frequent dangerous lightning.

Fair weather waterspouts usually form along the dark flat base of a line of developing cumulus clouds. This type of waterspout is generally not associated with thunderstorms. While tornadic waterspouts develop downward in a thunderstorm, a fair weather waterspout develops on the surface of the water and works its way upward. By the time the funnel is visible, a fair weather waterspout is near maturity. Fair weather waterspouts form in light wind conditions so they normally move very little.

If a waterspout moves onshore, the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning, as some of them can cause significant damage and injuries to people. Typically, fair weather waterspouts dissipate rapidly when they make landfall, and rarely penetrate far inland.

According to NOAA's National Weather Service, the best way to avoid a waterspout is to move at a 90-degree angle to its apparent movement. Never move closer to investigate a waterspout. Some can be just as dangerous as tornadoes.

I have been on Arillas beach and seen in the distance coming down the beach sand parasols just about anything flying up in the air twisting as it comes down the beach

[kevin-beverly]

HI

Blue rock thrush

Monticola solitarius

You can see this bird on Corfu  is a species of chat. This thrush-like Old World flycatcher was formerly placed in the family Turdidae. It breeds in southern Europe, northwest Africa, and from Central Asia to northern China and Malaysia. The blue rock thrush is the official national bird of Malta (the word for it in Maltese being Merill) and was shown on the Lm 1 coins that were part of the country's former currency.
The blue rock thrush is a starling-sized bird, 21–23 cm (8.3–9.1 in) in length with a long slim bill. The breeding male of the nominate subspecies is unmistakable, with all blue-grey plumage apart from its darker wings. Females and immatures are much less striking, with dark brown upperparts, and paler brown scaly underparts. The male of the subspecies M. s. philippensis has rufous-chestnut plumage from the mid-breast down to the undertail. Both sexes lack the reddish outer tail feathers of rock thrush.

The male blue rock thrush sings a clear, melodious call that is similar to, but louder than the call of the rock thrush

Kingdom:   Animalia
Phylum:   Chordata
Class:   Aves
Order:   Passeriformes
Family:   Muscicapidae
Genus:   Monticola
Species:   M. solitarius
Binomial name
Monticola solitarius

Blue rock thrush breeds in open mountainous areas. It nests in rock cavities and walls, and usually lays 3-5 eggs. An omnivore, the blue rock thrush eats a wide variety of insects and small reptiles in addition to berries and seeds

The adult male in summer has deep blue plumage overall, darker and browner on wings and tail.
Tail feathers are black with slate-blue edges on outer rectrices.
On the wings, the flight feathers are blackish with slate-blue edges, more or less extended.
The head is blue with blackish lores. The slender black bill is relatively long. The eyes are dark brown. Legs and feet are greyish-black to black.
The adult male in winter plumage shows duller plumage with grey to sandy-buff edged feathers. Wings and tail are darker, but with paler tips and edges.
Home

The Blue Rock Thrush is an usual inhabitant of cliffs and rocky slopes where it nests.

The adult male in summer has deep blue plumage overall, darker and browner on wings and tail.
Tail feathers are black with slate-blue edges on outer rectrices.
On the wings, the flight feathers are blackish with slate-blue edges, more or less extended.
The head is blue with blackish lores. The slender black bill is relatively long. The eyes are dark brown. Legs and feet are greyish-black to black.
The adult male in winter plumage shows duller plumage with grey to sandy-buff edged feathers. Wings and tail are darker, but with paler tips and edges.


The adult female is duller, often brownish above. The underparts are streaked buff and brown from cheeks to breast. The lower breast, belly and vent are pale buff barred with brown.
Flight feathers and tail are slightly darker in summer, and with pale buff tips in winter plumage.
The juvenile resembles female but with more spots and scales than in female

The Blue Rock Thrush has five subspecies spread in the distribution:
M.s. solitarius is the largest.
M.s. longirostris is slightly smaller. Male is duller and female is paler.
M.s. pandoo is smaller and darker than previous, with bluer male and more scaled underparts in female. 
M.s. philippensis male is blue above, with chestnut underparts except throat and upper breast which are blue. Female is darker than other females.
M.s. madoci is the smallest. Female is more tinged blue than other females.










THE CALL

[kevin-beverly]

HI

This plant is all over Corfu and Europe

Goosefoots

Chenopodium

Other common names are  lamb's quarters, melde, goosefoot, wild spinach and fat-hen, though the latter two are also applied to other species of the genus Chenopodium, for which reason it is often distinguished as white goosefoot. Chenopodium album is extensively cultivated and consumed in Northern India, Nepal, and Pakistan.  Is a genus of numerous species of perennial or annual herbaceous flowering plants which occur almost anywhere in the world. It is placed in the family Amaranthaceae in the APG II system; older classification systems, notably the widely used Cronquist system, separate it and its relatives as Chenopodiaceae, but this leaves the rest of the Amaranthaceae polyphyletic. However, among the Amaranthaceae, the genus Chenopodium is the namesake member of the subfamily Chenopodioideae.
Its native range is obscure due to extensive cultivation, but includes most of Europe,[9] from where Linnaeus described the species in 1753. Plants native in eastern Asia are included under C. album, but often differ from European specimens. It is widely naturalised elsewhere, e.g. Africa, Australasia, North America, and Oceania, and now occurs almost everywhere (except Antarctica) in soils rich in nitrogen, especially on wasteland.

Kingdom:   Plantae
Clade:   Tracheophytes
Clade:   Angiosperms
Clade:   Eudicots
Order:   Caryophyllales
Family:   Amaranthaceae
Genus:   Chenopodium
Species:   C. album
Binomial name
Chenopodium album

It tends to grow upright at first, reaching heights of 10–150 cm (rarely to 3 m), but typically becomes recumbent after flowering (due to the weight of the foliage and seeds) unless supported by other plants. The leaves are alternate and varied in appearance. The first leaves, near the base of the plant, are toothed and roughly diamond-shaped, 3–7 cm long and 3–6 cm broad. The leaves on the upper part of the flowering stems are entire and lanceolate-rhomboid, 1–5 cm long and 0.4–2 cm broad; they are waxy-coated, unwettable and mealy in appearance, with a whitish coat on the underside. The small flowers are radially symmetrical and grow in small cymes on a dense branched inflorescence 10–40 cm long. Further, the flowers are bisexual and female, with five tepals which are mealy on outer surface, and shortly united at the base. There are five stamens.[

HABITAT
waste sites, farm land, or riparian wetland habitats and is often one of the first weeds to appear on newly disturbed soils. This plant prefers full sun and moist fertile loamy soils though it tolerates partial shade and a range of soil types.
Certain species grow in large thickets, providing cover for small animals. Goosefoot foliage is used as food by the caterpillars of certain Lepidoptera. The seeds are eaten by many birds, such as the yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) of Europe or the white-winged fairy-wren (Malurus leucopterus) of Australia. Goosefoot pathogens include the positive-sense ssRNA viruses – apple stem grooving virus, sowbane mosaic virus and tobacco necrosis virus.

250 species The genus Chenopodium is the largest in the family Chenopodiaceae and has worldwide distribution,

HISTORY
Chenopodium  have a history of culinary use dating back to 4000 BC or earlier,
The genus Chenopodium contains several plants of minor to moderate importance as food crops as leaf vegetables – used like the closely related spinach (Spinacia oleracea) and similar plants called quelite in Mexico – and pseudocereals. These include white goosefoot (C. album), kañiwa (C. pallidicaule) and quinoa (C. quinoa). On the Greek island of Crete, tender shoots and leaves of a species called krouvida (κρουβίδα) or psarovlito (ψαρόβλητο) are eaten by the locals, boiled or steamed. As studied by Bruce D. Smith, Kristen Gremillion and others, goosefoots have a history of culinary use dating back to 4000 BC or earlier, when pitseed goosefoot (C. berlandieri) was a staple crop in the Native American Eastern Agricultural Complex, and white goosefoot was apparently used by the Ertebølle culture of Europe. Members of the eastern Yamnaya culture also harvested white goosefoot as an apparent cereal substitute to round out an otherwise mostly meat and dairy diet c. 3500–2500 BC.
There is increased interest in particular in goosefoot seeds today, which are suitable as part of a gluten-free diet. Quinoa oil, extracted from the seeds of C. quinoa, has similar properties, but is superior in quality, to corn oil. Oil of chenopodium is extracted from the seeds of epazote, which is not in this genus anymore  Shagreen leather was produced in the past using the small, hard goosefoot seeds. C. album was one of the main model organisms for the molecular biological study of chlorophyllase.
Goosefoot pollen, in particular of the widespread and usually abundant C. album, is an allergen to many people and a common cause of hay fever. The same species, as well as some others, have seeds which are able to persist for years in the soil seed bank. Many goosefoot species are thus significant weeds, and some have become invasive species.
In Australia, the larger Chenopodium species are among the plants called "bluebushes". According to the 1889 book The Useful Native Plants of Australia, Chenopodium auricomum "is another of the salt-bushes, which, besides being invaluable food for stock, can be eaten by man. All plants of the Natural Order Chenopodiaceae (Salsolacese) are more or less useful in this respect." The book goes on to give the following account from the Journal de la Ferme et des Maisons de campagne

This plant is deemed unwanted organisms under the Biosecurity Act 1993 and therefore illegal to be distributed or sold in New Zealand.








Some chemicals in the plant (saponins in the seed, and oxalates, nitrates and sulfates in the leaves) are mildly toxic if eaten often or in large quantities, but they can be easily removed by cooking. The greens can also be dried or blanched and frozen and the bunches with tiny green flowers are also edible.


Oil made from this herb is used as medicine The raw greens (leaves and young stalks) can be used in salads, smoothies, and juices. They may be steamed, sautéed, curried, or added to soups, especially if consumed in large quantities.


Authorities disagree on whether chenopodium oil is the oil of fresh, flowering, and fruiting parts of the plant or seed oil. Despite serious safety concerns, people take chenopodium oil to kill roundworms and hookworms in the intestine.
Adding bathua or chenopodium album to your diet can offer plenty of benefits apart from great taste. A nutritionist says that eating even small amounts of bathua during winters can give a major boost to your vitamin A intake and improve antioxidant activity which in turn can work wonders for your immunity.
Reckeweg Chenopodium Dilution is an effective homeopathic remedy, primarily prescribed for the treatment of issues with the ear and also for severe backache. It deals with problems of the auditory nerves and aural vertigo and helps relieve rheumatic pains. It is helpful in treating partial paralysis and loss of speech.

[jackson]

Kevin you are font of information about all things, plant life, insects, birds , etc and i take my hat off to you but when i am walking around Arillas i am just looking for the next watering hole which no doubt i will be doing come 26th of Aug for 2 weeks when hopefully i will be able to meet a few of you good people and put faces to a few of the posts on here.

[Truth]

Me and Kev will be about Jackson , I leave on the 30/8 unfortunately after 12 nights there 😏

[kevin-beverly]

Hi Lads oops can I say that better be safe

Hi Gender people haha

Yes i am up for that looking for a watering hole only with Alcohol

Kev

[jackson]

Actually we will be there on the 24th of Aug not 26th [my error] seems i found the watering hole a bit to soon .

[kevin-beverly]

Hi

As of many visitors to Corfu wander around the surrounding areas and look in the local Greek gardens I never see Lettuce, Spring onions, radishes, Beetroots,
If I lived on Corfu I would grow every thing.
Can someone explain to me perhaps Mr Eggy can why don't Greeks grow more salad stuff like I have mentioned it is very easy to look after




Kev ⚒️

[Eggy]

Kev
Wegg has grown all of those goodies but the problem as a "small" gardener is the wastage.
She still grew radish and beetroot last year but this stuff grows quicker than you can eat it.
Cheers
Negg