Myrtle - Myrtus communis L. - Μυρτιά - Μερσινιά - Cyprus

Myrtus, with the common name myrtle, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae, described by Linnaeus in 1753.

Over 600 names have been proposed in the genus, but nearly all have either been moved to other genera or been regarded as synonyms. The Myrtus genus has two species recognised today:

Myrtus communis — Common myrtle; native to the Mediterranean region in southern Europe.
Myrtus nivellei — Saharan myrtle; native to North Africa.

Myrtus communis, the common myrtle or true myrtle, is native across the northern Mediterranean region (especially in the islands of Sardinia and Corsica, where it is locally known by the name of murta).

The plant is an evergreen shrub or small tree, growing to 5 metres (16 ft) tall. The leaf is entire, 3–5 cm long, with a fragrant essential oil.

The star-like flower has five petals and sepals, and numerous stamens. Petals usually are white. The flower is pollinated by insects.

The fruit is a round berry containing several seeds, most commonly blue-black in colour. A variety with yellow-amber berries is also present. The seeds are dispersed by birds that eat the berries.

Myrtus communis, the Common Myrtle, is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant for use as a shrub in gardens and parks. It is often used as a hedge plant, with its small leaves shearing cleanly.

When trimmed less frequently, it has numerous flowers in late summer. It requires a long hot summer to produce its flowers, and protection from winter frosts.

The species and the subspecies M. communis subsp. tarentina have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit

Myrtus communis, the Common Myrtle, is used in the islands of Sardinia and Corsica to produce an aromatic liqueur called Mirto by macerating it in alcohol. Mirto is one of the most typical drinks of Sardinia and comes in two varieties: mirto rosso (red) produced by macerating the berries, and mirto bianco (white) produced from the less common yellow berries and sometimes the leaves.

Many Mediterranean pork dishes include Myrtle berries - and roasted baby pig is often stuffed with myrtle sprigs in the belly cavity, to impart an aromatic flavour to the meat.

The berries, whole or ground, have been used as a pepper substitute. They contribute to the distinctive flavor of Mortadella sausage and the related American Bologna sausage.

In Calabria, dried figs are threaded through a Mirto branch and then baked. The figs acquire a pleasant taste from the essential oils of the herb. They are then baked and enjoyed through the winter months.

Myrtle occupies a prominent place in the writings of Hippocrates, Pliny, Dioscorides, Galen, and the Arabian writers.

In several countries, particularly in Europe and China, there has been a tradition for prescribing this substance for sinus infections. A systematic review of herbal medicines used for the treatment of rhinosinusitis concluded that the evidence that any herbal medicines are beneficial in the treatment of rhinosinusitis is limited, and that for Myrtus there is insufficient data to verify the significance of clinical results
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Rizokarpaso 10/11/2014 by George Konstantinou

Linearleaf snapdragon, Weasel's snout, Lesser snapdragon or Calf's snout - Misopates orontium (L.) Raf. - Cyprus

Misopates orontium is a herbaceous annual plant of the family Plantaginaceae. It is a native of disturbed ground in Europe. It is also naturalised as a weed in other parts of the world such as North America. The pink flowers resemble a miniature Snapdragon and are followed by a hairy green fruit which is said to resemble a weasel's snout.

Common names include linearleaf snapdragon, weasel's snout, lesser snapdragon or calf's snout.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Geri 13/3/2015 by George Konstantinou

Male peony - Paeonia mascula (L.) Mill. subsp. mascula - Παιώνια - Αλουπόχορτον, Ψατζή - Cyprus

The Balkan, Wild or Male peony (Paeonia mascula, synonym Paeonia corallina) is a species of peony. A herbaceous perennial plant 0.5–1.5 metres tall, the Wild Peony has leaves which are divided into three segments and large red flowers in late spring and early summer. Native to China, Italy, Morocco, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Lebanon and Israel this wild peony has become naturalised on two small islands in the UK.

Wild peonies are at risk in their natural environment due to the demand from private collectors and there is a significant trade in wild Peonia mascula from Turkey.

Ideal conditions are light (sandy) soils although and most peonies can grow in heavy clay soil. The Wild Peony prefers acid and neutral soils, can grow in semi-shade and tolerates drought.

The Wild Peony was introduced to the island of Steep Holm in the Bristol Channel, possibly by monks. 37 plants were taken to nearby Flat Holm island by Frank Harris, the farmer at the time, in the 1930s, many of which died during the World War II occupation and fortification of the island. One remaining plant was reintroduced by the Flat Holm Warden in 1982 and is protected by fencing near the path to the lighthouse. A few plants grown from seed also survive in the farmhouse garden.

Paeonia mascula flowers for just one week of the year normally in May or June and the seedpods (at one stage referred to as jester's hats develop during the summer before bursting open to scatter seeds in August or September. The flowers are hermaphrodite and pollinated by Insects. The plant is self-fertile.

The islands are the only known place in the UK where the Wild Peony has naturalised. The likely reason for this is that the islands provide a habitat which is similar to the Mediterranean islands where the plants originate from and the relative isolation allows them some protection.

The roots of Wild Peony were ground to a powder and used to treat colds and sore throats

The peony is named after Paeon, a physician to the gods who obtained the plant on Mount Olympus from the mother of Apollo. According to the legend, the peony needed to be left alone and punished those who try to move it by not flowering again for several years. Once established, however, it blooms each year for decades
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Kyperounta 9/5/2011 by George Konstantinou

Chamomile - Matricaria chamomilla L. - Cyprus

Matricaria chamomilla (synonym: Matricaria recutita), commonly known as chamomile (also spelled camomile), Italian camomilla, German chamomile, Hungarian chamomile (kamilla), wild chamomile or scented mayweed, is an annual plant of the composite family Asteraceae. M. chamomilla is the most popular source of the herbal product chamomile, although other species are also used as chamomile

The word chamomile comes from the Greek χαμαίμηλον (chamaimēlon) meaning "earth-apple", which is derived from χαμαί (chamai) meaning "on the ground" and μήλον (mēlon) meaning "apple". It is so called because of the apple-like scent of the plant.

Chamomile blue refers to chamazulene, the purified, deep-blue essential oil derived using steam distillation, rather than the plant itself.

M. chamomilla has a branched, erect and smooth stem, which grows to a height of 15–60 cm (6-24inches). The long and narrow leaves are bipinnate or tripinnate.

The flowers are borne in paniculate flower heads (capitula). The white ray florets are furnished with a ligule, while the disc florets are yellow. The hollow receptacle is swollen and lacks scales. This property distinguishes German chamomile from corn chamomile (Anthemis arvensis), which has a receptacle with scales. The flowers bloom in early to midsummer, and have a strong, aromatic smell.

M. chamomilla can be found near populated areas all over Europe and temperate Asia, and it has been widely introduced in temperate North America and Australia. It often grows near roads, around landfills, and in cultivated fields as a weed, because the seeds require open soil to survive.

German chamomile is used in herbal medicine for a sore stomach, irritable bowel syndrome, and as a gentle sleep aid. It is also used as a mild laxative and is anti-inflammatory and bactericidal. It can be taken as an herbal tea, two teaspoons of dried flower per cup of tea, which should be steeped for 10 to 15 minutes while covered to avoid evaporation of the volatile oils. The marc should be pressed because of the formation of a new active principle inside the cells, which can then be released by rupturing the cell walls, though this substance only forms very close to boiling point. For a sore stomach, some recommend taking a cup every morning without food for two to three months. It has been studied as a mouthwash against oral mucositisand may have acaricidal properties against certain mites, such as Psoroptes cuniculi.[citation needed]

One of the active ingredients of its essential oil is the terpene bisabolol. Other active ingredients include farnesene, chamazulene, flavonoids (including apigenin, quercetin, patuletin and luteolin) and coumarin.

Dried chamomile has a reputation (among herbalists) for being incorrectly prepared because it is dried at a temperature above the boiling point of the volatile components of the plant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Geri 7/4/2015 by George Konstantinou

Narrowleaf trefoil, narrow-leaved bird's-foot-trefoil, slender trefoil, creeping trefoil, or prostrate trefoil - Lotus tenuis Willd. - Cyprus

Lotus tenuis is a flowering plant of the pea family Fabaceae, native to western and southern Europe and southwest Asia. Some botanists treat it as a subspecies of Lotus corniculatus, as L. corniculatus subsp. tenuifolius.

Its tolerance of salt and poor soil make this plant useful for marginal conditions. It has become naturalised in many other locations, including the Pampas of Argentina, and parts of the United States.

Common names include narrowleaf trefoil, narrow-leaved bird's-foot-trefoil, slender trefoil, creeping trefoil, or prostrate trefoil.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Fasouri 22/4/2015 by George Konstantinou

Etruscan honeysuckle - Lonicera etrusca Santi - Αιγιόκλημα - Cyprus

Lonicera etrusca is a species of honeysuckle known by the common name Etruscan honeysuckle.It is native to Europe and it is known elsewhere, including the Pacific Northwest of North America, as an introduced species where it has escaped cultivation. It is kept in gardens as an ornamental plant. This is a deciduous perennial climber which can reach lengths of 6 meters. It is lined with oval leaves several centimeters long and bears dense spikes of flowers with pairs of fused leaves at the bases. Each flower has an elongated tubular corolla up to 5 centimeters long divided partway into two lips. The flower is light yellow to pale reddish-pink. The stamens and style protrude from the flower's mouth. The fruit is a bright red rounded berry.

Notable cultivars include 'Donald Waterer'[4] and 'Superba', which has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Lithrodontas 18/5/2015 by George Konstantinou

Carmel daisy - Lomelosia prolifera (L.) Greuter & Burdet - Cyprus

Lomelosia prolifera (Carmel daisy) is a flowering plant of the family Caprifoliaceae. Its flowers are creamy yellow, and when the petals are shed they leave a greenish-looking dried flower, good for arrangements.From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Kyperounta 4/4/2015 by George Konstantinou

Arâr - Juniperus phoenicea L. - Θαμνοκυπάρισσο - Αόρατος - Cyprus

Juniperus phoenicea, the Phoenicean juniper or Arâr, is a juniper found throughout the Mediterranean region, from Morocco and Portugal east to Italy, Turkey and Egypt, south on the mountains of Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, and in western Saudi Arabia near the Red Sea, and also on Madeira and the Canary Islands. It mostly grows at low altitudes close to the coast, but reaches 2,400 metres (7,900 ft) altitude in the south of its range in the Atlas Mountains.

Juniperus phoenicea is a large shrub or small tree reaching 2–12 metres (6.6–39.4 ft) tall, with a trunk up to 1 metre (3.3 ft) diameter and a rounded or irregular crown. The leaves are of two forms, juvenile needle-like leaves 8–10 mm long on seedlings, and adult scale-leaves 0.5–2 mm long on older plants; they are arranged in opposite decussate pairs or whorls of three. It is largely monoecious, but some individual plants are dioecious. The cones are berry-like, 6–14 mm in diameter, orange-brown, occasionally with a pinkish waxy bloom, and contain 3-8 seeds; they are mature in about 18 months. The male cones are 2–4 mm long, and shed their pollen in early spring.

The tree's essential oil is especially rich in the tricyclic sesquiterpene thujopsene; the heartwood contains an estimated 2.2% of this hydrocarbon. The biochemist Jarl Runeburg noted in 1960 that "Juniperus phoenicea appears to be the most convenient source of thujopsene so far encountered.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos  Rizokarpaso 17/11/2014 by George Konstantinou

 ο Αόρατος ή Άρκευθος η Φοινικική ( Juniperus Phoenicea) και ανήκει στην οικογένεια των Κυπαρισσιδών. Ο Αόρατος φυτρώνει στα ημιορεινά μέρη. Υπάρχει στην οροσειρά του Πενταδακτύλου και του Τροόδους. Επιβιώνει κάτω από αντίξοες συνθήκες. Το ύψος του φθάνει ως τα 15 μ. Παλαιότερα στην Κύπρο, οι κάτοικοι της υπαίθρου και ιδιαίτερα όσοι κατοικούσαν σε περιοχές που φυτρώνει ο Αόρατος, έδειχναν μια ιδιαίτερη προτίμηση και εκτίμηση για το δέντρο αυτό. Διότι το ξύλο του είναι σκληρό και εμποτισμένο μ’ ένα είδος ρητίνης που του δίνει μια ευχάριστη μυρωδιά και το κάνει σκληρό, ανθεκτικό , δεν σαπίζει εύκολα και δεν προσβάλλεται από έντομα.
Από ξύλο αοράτου έκαναν τα δοκάρια ( βολίτσια) της στέγης των σπιτιών, καθώς και τα « σσιάτζια » σχίδακες που έβαζαν πάνω από τα « βολίτσια » . Επίσης οι κοπέλες έκαναν τα ερμάρια τους και τα σεντούκια τους με ξύλο αοράτου. Γιατί από τη μια τα ρούχα δεν τα πείραζαν τα έντομα ( σκώρος κλπ) και από την άλλη ανοίγοντας το ερμάρι ξεχυνόταν μια ευχάριστη μυρωδιά στο σπίτι, την οποία είχαν και τα φορέματα που φυλάγονταν μέσα.
Ένας γίγαντας Αόρατος υπάρχει στο χωριό Ακανθού, στη βόρεια πλευρά του Πενταδάκτυλου , της επ. Αμμοχώστου. Σήμερα δεν ξέρουμε τι γίνεται. Ευρίσκεται 6 μίλια περίπου μακριά από το χωριό, κοντά στον δρόμο Ακανθούς –Φλαμουδιού , στο δυτικό μέρος του εξωκκλησιού του Αγίου Χαραλάμπους. Η περιφέρεια του κορμού είναι 2 μ.περίπου και το ύψος του 8 μ.

Άλλος αιωνόβιος Αόρατος υπάρχει στο Ακρωτήριο Κάβο Γκρέκο στην ελεύθερη περιοχή της επ. Αμμοχώστου και ένας άλλος στην περιοχή « Λούματα τους Ατούς » στο δάσος του Τροόδους.
Πηγή http://www.diakonima.gr

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