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This is a cute deseret annual. WE always lough that it is so cute, but has such a long and unpleasant name. The name is dedicated to 2 of the pioneering Jewish botanists in the land of Israel, before the establishmant of Israel as a state. Anyhow, I was considered as an endemic of Israel and Jordan, but recently found also in Saudi-Arabia. Near the dead sea it is very common.
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Cephalaria syriaca was once a very common species, growing in traditionally managed agricultural fields. Due to modern agricultural practices it became rare. Here u can see its fruits.
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Here are the stems of this strange saline shrublet. The flowers and fruits are hidden in the scale clumps at the bottom.
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An east Mediterranean bulbous plant. It grows in herbaceous pastures and is considered rare and endangered locally.
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Thelymitra vulgaris is a delicate and very beautiful tuberous orchid.
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autumn foliage at Mt Othaka in Japan, the red trees were a great background for the fir trees. They were mostly Sorbus trees.
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and here are the flowers...
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We all know the common ivy (Hedera helis). I was delighted to see Hedera colchica in Tbilisi botanical gardens. It has typical rounded leaves.
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Ornithogalum cuspidatum is a Middle Eastern bulb. In Israel it is very rare and endangered.
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and an even closer look, note the wet-sticky stigma and pollinia above it.
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These r the younr femal cones.
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An annual found in fallow fields, became rare.
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Italian Sainfoin (Hedtsarum coronarium) is a short leaved perennial common in Italy and S France. It is grown also for fodder. In Sicily we found out that this is more or less the commonest plant on the island.
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Ornithogalum cuspidatum is a Middle Eastern bulb. In Israel it is very rare and endangered.
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another closeup of this marvelous orchid...
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and a closer look ...
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Cephalaria tenella is a rare annual found in fallow fields in the Middle East.
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this legume is used as a fodder plant and is also wild in Sicily. These reddish fields are so beautiful to see in April.
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Ornithogalum fuscescens is a rare bulbous plant growing in Israel and Syria. It blooms at the end of spring during Aplri to early May. Its habitat - heavy soils is becoming rare since most of it today is under modern agriculture regeame.
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We found Thespesia populnea trees on the coast of Ko Samoi and its islets. This is a wilting flowers that dropped and turned from yellow to orange.
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Abies mariesii forest was found at the altitude of 1500-1700m. The trees were not very high due to the strong winds of this slope. Nevertheless some had cones.
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Cephalaria tenella is a rare annual found in fallow fields in the Middle East.The leaf base is typically toothed in this species.
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Hedysarum spinosissimum is a common Mediterranean annual with typical prickly pods. The flowers are small and dull pink.
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Ornithogalum fuscescens is a local endangered bulb of Israel and Syria. It grows in deep soils that are now mostly used in modern agriculture.