In search of lost time...and lost leadworts.

Chrysoscalitissa

 We'll get around to the leadworts eventually, but first I want to reminisce, if you'll forgive me? I first came to this amazing spot when I was 13 years old (a long time ago! 1963: you can do the math). My favorite aunt's husband was born and grew up in a village not far from here (Kouneni) and she invited me and my mom to join them at a "paniyiri" -- the nominally religious festivals that were an excuse for hundreds if not thousands of Greeks to camp together--in this case around this monastery--with all manner of noise late at night, singing, dancing and great jubilation and fun (for some: my mother hated it and we didn't linger). Going back 52 years later with my cousins, son and Jan was altogether different. No festival for one thing and not many tourists (Greek or otherwise).

Chrysoscalitissa

 The monastery didn't have too much in the way of interest for me (only from the 17th Century after all!)...but nearby there were some plants of GREAT interest to me...

Eryngium maritimum

 I have actually grown this in Denver! Not very well, alas! Although I think it would thrive in my current garden  (which is atop 80 feet of  pure sand). It's amazing how fantastic a garden plant that Crambe maritima has become for us--another seashore plant--albeit mostly more northerly in distribution. We have even grown Mertensia maritima pretty well for a while. But let's not even THINK about trying Pancratium maritimum which we also found on this trip far to the north. Pancratium illyricum--that's a different matter!

Eryngium maritimum

 There's something very gratifying to find a plant you know about but haven't seen before...and finding lots of it. There must have been ripe seed...but I don't think I collected any.

Limoniastrum monopetalum

 Not far from the beach Eryngo I spied a strange little critter on a road cut. Only a single flower persisted--but it was obviously plumbaginaceous (i.e.--a leadwort). I have a great affection for this plant Family--the best known genus of which (Limonium) grows on beaches around the world in various species. Alas, the coastal limoniums aren't very hardy, but there are many found on high, dry steppes (probably stranded there by the shrinking of Tethys--to speculate wildly) and then shot up in elevation by the Himalayan orogeny where they gradually adapted to much colder Continental conditions This Central Asian leadworts--notably Acantholimon, Goniolimon and Bukiniczia--have become valuable garden plants in Western xeriscapes--at least in mine anyway... But what in the heck was this little  munchkin?

Limoniastrum monopetalum

A closeup reveals it's definitely a lealdwort....and in the process of researching some plants I photographed earlier on the same trip I discovered an amazing Greek website "Flora of Greece Web" that has photographs, generalized maps and thumbnail sketches of every plant known in Greece (and there are a LOT of these!). I browsed the Plumbaginaceae and found it. My picture and the one on that website weren't very impressive (obviously) but when I Googled Limoniastrum I was shocked at how spectacular they can be. Alas, I have great doubts about their hardiness.

It looks absurdly like Stachys inflata with the flowers of an Acantholimon,

There is something a bit odd about this whole thing: you see, I took the last pictures on August 3, 2015 and hadn't looked or thought about them since that time. A long series of coincidences this evening got me researching Greek plants, when I stumbled on the Greek website and skimming my ancient photoalbum happened on this strange leadwort which inspired this blog...

And memories of a raucous evening long ago with my indignant mother, a rather strange festival and a church on a rock.