Ophrys apifera Huds. - Cyprus

See also - LIST OF CYPRUS ORCHIDS - ΛΙΣΤΑ ΟΡΧΙΔΕΩΝ ΤΗΣ ΚΥΠΡΟΥ

Ophrys apifera is widespread across central and southern Europe, as well as North Africa and the Middle East. Its range stretches from Portugal, Ireland and Denmark east to Iran and the Caucasus. It is quite common in the Mediterranean region eastwards to the Black Sea, (Codes)  but is less common in its northern range being uncommon or local in Germany and Ireland.

In the United Kingdom, it has a distinct southeastern preference, being more common in England. Recently it has been found in the southwest of England in Butleigh near Glastonbury in Somerset and Dorchester, Dorset; whereas it is only to be found in coastal regions of Wales as well as the Hodbarrow Nature Reserve in Millom, Cumbria,[6] and some parts of Northern Ireland. It is relatively common in the northeast of England and in recent years large numbers have appeared in the grass verges surrounding the Metro Centre in Gateshead. In Scotland, it was thought to be extinct, but was rediscovered in Ayrshire in 2003. In some countries the plants have protected status. They are unusual in that in some years they appear in great numbers, then sometimes only reappear after an absence of many years.

The genus Ophrys is the most species-rich (i.e. diverse) genus of orchids in Europe and the Mediterranean with over 200 species, according to Orchids of Britain and Europe by Pierre Delforge.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 Φωτογραφίες, του Γιώργου Κωνσταντίνου Akrotiri 12/4/2023

Ophrys apifera var. bicolor E.Nelson - Cyprus

 See also - LIST OF CYPRUS ORCHIDS - ΛΙΣΤΑ ΟΡΧΙΔΕΩΝ ΤΗΣ ΚΥΠΡΟΥ

Φωτογραφίες, του Γιώργου Κωνσταντίνου Akrotiri 12/4/2023

Epipactis veratrifolia subsp. oaseana (Shifman) Kreutz - Cyprus

 Epipactis, or helleborine, is a genus of terrestrial orchids consisting of approximately 70 species. This genus is abbreviated as Epcts in horticultural trade.

 See also - LIST OF CYPRUS ORCHIDS - ΛΙΣΤΑ ΟΡΧΙΔΕΩΝ ΤΗΣ ΚΥΠΡΟΥ

Φωτογραφίες, του Γιώργου Κωνσταντίνου Episkopi British Base 12/4/2023

The very rare Tulip Tulipa akamasica C.S. Christodoulou, R. Hand & C. Charalambous (Liliaceae) found in a very small area in Akamas - Τουλίπα του Ακάμα - Endemic species to Cyprus

SEE ALSO 

ΛΊΣΤΑ ΕΝΔΗΜΙΚΏΝ ΦΥΤΏΝ ΤΗΣ ΚΎΠΡΟΥ - LIST OF ENDEMICS PLANTS OF CYPRUS

Πόσα είδη τουλιπών έχουμε, πότε ανθίζουν και που τις συναντούμε - Του Γιώργου Κωνσταντίνου - Εφημερίδα πολίτης 14/2/2019

Tulipa cypria - Κυπριακή Τουλίπα, Τουλίπα η κυπρία, τουλίπα - Endemic to Cyprus

Tulipa agenensis Redouté - Cyprus

Endemic species to Cyprus

Very rare endemic to Cyprus.  It was registered as endemic in 2014 and was characterized as “Critically endangered “in the «Red Data Book of the Flora of Cyprus»

Photos Akamas  by  George Konstantinou

Cyprus soapwort - Saponaria cypria Boiss., Fl. Orient., Suppl. 83 (1888).- Σαπωναρία η κυπρία - Endemic to Cyprus

 SEE ALSO - ΛΊΣΤΑ ΕΝΔΗΜΙΚΏΝ ΦΥΤΏΝ ΤΗΣ ΚΎΠΡΟΥ - LIST OF ENDEMICS PLANTS OF CYPRUS

Familia: Caryophyllaceae

 Photos George Konstantinou - Troodos 6/2021

Almond Trees in Blossom - 1/3/2020 - Kato Moni, Cyprus - Drone video.

Thanks to my son Chrysantho Konstantinou for his drone footage  1/3/2020 Cyprus

The almond  (Prunus dulcis, syn. Prunus amygdalus, Amygdalus communis, Amygdalus dulcis) is a species of tree native to the Middle East and South Asia.

"Almond" is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree. Within the genus Prunus, it is classified with the peach in the subgenus Amygdalus, distinguished from the other subgenera by the corrugated shell (endocarp) surrounding the seed.

The fruit of the almond is a drupe, consisting of an outer hull and a hard shell with the seed, which is not a true nut, inside. Shelling almonds refers to removing the shell to reveal the seed. Almonds are sold shelled or unshelled. Blanched almonds are shelled almonds that have been treated with hot water to soften the seedcoat, which is then removed to reveal the white embryo.

The almond is a deciduous tree, growing 4–10 m (13–33 ft) in height, with a trunk of up to 30 cm (12 in) in diameter. The young twigs are green at first, becoming purplish where exposed to sunlight, then grey in their second year. The leaves are 3–5 inches long, with a serrated margin and a 2.5 cm (1 in) petiole. The flowers are white to pale pink, 3–5 cm (1–2 in) diameter with five petals, produced singly or in pairs and appearing before the leaves in early spring. Almond grows best in Mediterranean climates with warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters. The optimal temperature for their growth is between 15 and 30 °C (59 and 86 °F) and the tree buds have a chilling requirement of 300 to 600 hours below 7.2 °C (45.0 °F) to break dormancy.

Almonds begin bearing an economic crop in the third year after planting. Trees reach full bearing five to six years after planting. The fruit matures in the autumn, 7–8 months after flowering.

The almond fruit measures 3.5–6 cm (1–2 in) long. In botanical terms, it is not a nut, but a drupe. The outer covering or exocarp, fleshy in other members of Prunus such as the plum and cherry, is instead a thick, leathery, grey-green coat (with a downy exterior), called the hull. Inside the hull is a reticulated, hard, woody shell (like the outside of a peach pit) called the endocarp. Inside the shell is the edible seed, commonly called a nut. Generally, one seed is present, but occasionally two occur.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ricinus communis L. - Κουρτουνιά - Ρίκινος - Cyprus

Ricinus communis, the castor bean or castor-oil-plant, is a species of perennial flowering plant in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae. It is the sole species in the monotypic genus, Ricinus, and subtribe, Ricininae. The evolution of castor and its relation to other species are currently being studied using modern genetic tools. It reproduces with a mixed pollination system which favors selfing by geitonogamy but at the same time can be an out-crosser by anemophily (wind pollination) or entomophily (insect pollination).

Its seed is the castor bean, which, despite its name, is not a true bean. Castor is indigenous to the southeastern Mediterranean Basin, Eastern Africa, and India, but is widespread throughout tropical regions (and widely grown elsewhere as an ornamental plant).

Castor seed is the source of castor oil, which has a wide variety of uses. The seeds contain between 40% and 60% oil that is rich in triglycerides, mainly ricinolein. The seed also contains ricin, a water-soluble toxin, which is also present in lower concentrations throughout the plant.
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricinus

Photos Nicosia 14/11/2014 by George Konstantinou

Ophrys hybrid - Kapouti Cyprus

 See also - LIST OF CYPRUS ORCHIDS - ΛΙΣΤΑ ΟΡΧΙΔΕΩΝ ΤΗΣ ΚΥΠΡΟΥ

The hybrid found by Sami Tamson  near Kapouti (Cyprus). Around 5-8 plants, growing in a pine-forest, close to open grounds very rich with orchids. 

Photos Kapouti 17/3/2018 by George Konstantinou
Thank you Sami Tamson for the information