Mt. Hymettus Orchids
Welcome to Athens and our Orchids Album! The vast majority of the inquisitive visitors to Athens are usually facing a big dilemma: Spend some time here before their island hopping to the Aegean or abandon everything and rush to their dream destination as soon as possible? Trying to make a decision one is tempted, mainly or exclusively, by the Acropolis, dominating the city skyline, and the New Acropolis museum. Few are aware that in the same city, less than two miles away, there is one of the top museums worldwide, namely the National Archaeological Museum, full to the brim with masterpieces of prehistoric and historic art of utmost importance: the Mycenaean gold jewels and artifacts are just a few of these treasures. As if these were not enough, this album comes to make things worse. Because, once on the Acropolis rock, or even in the Acropolis Museum, your view to the east is blocked by Mt. Hymettus, a mountain offering one of the richest habitats as regards its flora. To the plant enthusiast Greece in general, Attica in particular, are "dreams come true" and exploring them, camera in hand, is an absolute must. The photos in this album (and the ones to appear in this site in the near future) are meant to be just an appetizer, hoping to make Mt. Hymettus appealing to the "beauty enthusiast" as well. If you wish to take part in a photographic plant safari to Mt. Hymettus, please do contact us. We'll take you around to spots where the chances of finding orchids are best. Late winter to midsummer is when they're more frequent: different species bloom at varying periods. The captions of the photos in this album inform you about the date they were taken.
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Orchis quadripunctataFull Name: Orchis quadripunctata Cirillo ex Ten. 1812, , Fl. Napol., Prodr.: liii Common Name: Four-spotted Orchis Taxonomy: | Regnum | Plantae | | Divisio | Tracheophyta | | Subdivisio | Spermatophytina | | Class | Magnoliopsida | | Superordo | Lilianae | | Ordo | Asparagales | | Familia | Orchidaceae | | Subfamilia | Orchidoideae | | Tribus | Orchidae | | Subtribus | Orchidinae | | Alliance | Orchis | | Genus | Orchis | | Species | Orchis quadripunctata | The scientific and common names of this orchid derive from the fact that there are usually four red spots on the lip (labellum). East Mediterranean species, frequent in Greece. It can be found in mountainous and semi-mountainous regions, flowering between March and June. It forms many hybrids with Orchis anatolica, from which it can be distinguished by the smaller number of macula spots and the descending spur. The plant can grow up to 40cm (1.2ft) in height and the flowers can be either pink-purple or white. It grows most often on open woodland or chalk substrate grassland or phrygana, a type of low, soft-leaved scrubland ecoregion and plant community in the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome.
Orchis quadripunctata
Date taken: April 06, 2008 |
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Orchis quadripunctata
Date taken: April 06, 2008 |
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Orchis quadripunctata
Date taken: March 30, 2008 |
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Orchis quadripunctata
Date taken: March 30, 2008 |
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Orchis quadripunctata
Date taken: April 03, 2015 |
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Orchis quadripunctata
Date taken: April 06, 2008 |
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Orchis quadripunctata
Date taken: April 06, 2008 |
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Orchis quadripunctata
Date taken: April 03, 2015 |
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Orchis quadripunctata
Date taken: April 03, 2015 |
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Orchis quadripunctata
Date taken: April 19, 2015 |
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Orchis quadripunctata
Date taken: April 04, 2015 |
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Orchis quadripunctata
Date taken: April 04, 2015 |
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Orchis quadripunctata
Date taken: April 04, 2015 |
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Orchis quadripunctata
Date taken: April 04, 2015 |
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Orchis quadripunctata
Date taken: April 04, 2015 |
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Orchis quadripunctata
Date taken: April 04, 2015 |
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Orchis quadripunctata
Date taken: April 04, 2015 |
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Orchis quadripunctata
Date taken: April 04, 2015 |
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