Walking around corfu

[kevin-beverly]

HI

A diagram of a plant growth habits

[kevin-beverly]

HI

You will see this plant around Arillas and Corfu

Ballota Known as horehound, false dittany,False Divinity  is a genus of flowering evergreen perennial plants and subshrubs in the mint family Lamiaceae. native to temperate regions. The Mediterranean region
Ballota acetabulosa the Greek horehound, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae, native to Southeast Greece, Crete, and West Turkey. It is a compact, evergreen subshrub growing to 0.5 metres (20 in). Upright woolly grey shoots turn to rounded grey-green leaves, bearing whorls of small pink flowers with funnel-shaped green calyces in late summer and autumn. It is tolerant of poor soil and drought, and often used in cultivation as groundcover.
At first  it looks like a Sting Nettle  Very drought resistant once established and is even suitable for coastal planting tolerating salty winds.
The flower is nothing to look at





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[kevin-beverly]

HI

Laurus nobilis Known as bay tree bay laurel, sweet bay, true laurel, Grecian laurel, or simply laurel.
 Is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with green, glabrous smooth leaves,  It is native to the Mediterranean region and is used as bay leaf for seasoning in cooking. The bay laurel is dioecious (unisexual), with male and female flowers on separate plants
Each flower is pale yellow-green, about (0.39 in) diameter, and they are borne in pairs beside a leaf. The leaves are glabrous, (2.4–4.7 in) long and (0.79–1.57 in) broad, with an entire (untoothed) margin. On some leaves the margin undulates. The fruit is a small, shiny black berry-like drupe about (0.39 in) long that contains one seed.




More about this plant just scroll down
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[kevin-beverly]

HI

Begonia Tuberous begonias are frequently used as container plants. Although most Begonia species are tropical or subtropical in origin,
The name Begonia is a girl's name meaning "Begon's flower". One flower name that doesn't smell or sound sweet enough for baby name use. Named for French administrator Michel Bιgon.
Begonia is a genus of perennial flowering plants in the family Begoniaceae. The genus contains more than 1,800 different plant species. The Begonias are native to moist subtropical and tropical climates. Some species are commonly grown indoors as ornamental houseplants in cooler climates. In cooler climates some species are cultivated outside in summertime for their bright colourful flowers, which have sepals but no petals.
 Terrestrial species in the wild are commonly upright-stemmed, rhizomatous, or tuberous. The plants are monoecious, with unisexual male and female flowers occurring separately on the same plant; the male contains numerous stamens, and the female has a large inferior ovary and two to four branched or twisted stigmas. In most species, the fruit is a winged capsule containing numerous minute seeds, although baccate fruits are also known. The leaves, which are often large and variously marked or variegated, are usually asymmetric (unequal-sided).
The leaves of a tuberous begonia are oval and green and grow about eight inches long. They are in a compact habit like a little bonsai shrub and grow from swollen soft stems. The leaves are glossy and will die back when temperature drops or the season changes
Yes, there is a wild begonia, and yes, the underside of the leaves can be of a different color than the top.





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[kevin-beverly]

HI

You will see this plant growing wild around Arillas soon


Bellis perennis We known the plant as common daisy, lawn daisy or English daisy. is a common European species of daisy, of the family Asteraceae,  Bellis perennis is native to western, central and northern Europe, but widely naturalised in most temperate regions
It is a perennial herbaceous plant with short creeping rhizomes and rosettes of small rounded or spoon-shaped leaves that are from 3/4 to 2 inches  long and grow flat to the ground. The species habitually colonises lawns, and is difficult to eradicate by mowing – hence the term 'lawn daisy'. Wherever it appears it is often considered an invasive weed.

The flowerheads are composite, in the form of a pseudanthium, consisting of many sessile flowers about 3/4 to 1-1/4 in, in diameter, with white ray florets (often tipped red) and yellow disc florets. Each inflorescence is borne on single leafless stems 3/4 – 4 in, rarely 6 in tall. The capitulum, or disc of florets, is surrounded by two rows of green bracts known as "phyllaries". The achenes are without pappus.




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[kevin-beverly]

HI

If you are out in Arillas in April or May you will see this plant look in the olive groves or along the road side very bright yellow

Oxalis pes-caprae  We know the plant as well a few names Bermuda buttercup, African wood-sorrel, Bermuda sorrel, buttercup oxalis, Cape sorrel, English weed, goat's-foot, sourgrass, soursob and soursop;
Oxalis pes-caprae is a small perennial herb in the Oxalidaceae (Oxalis family), native to the Cape Region of South Africa. ... pes-caprae are bright yellow and are arranged in umbel-like inflorescences. These inflorescences generally have fewer than 20 flowers each, with peduncles shorter than 30 cm in height
Introduced to the Mediterranean around 200 years ago it is an extremely invasive weed that is taking over large tracts of cultivated land. Its bulbs and many small bulbils spread when the soil is ploughed or tilled and it is resistant to herbicides. Oxalis pes-caprae is fast taking over and threatening native flowers. It is particularly common in olive and citrus groves and along road sides.
It flowers between January and May
The Oxalis pes-caprae flower is actinomorphic, with a calyx composed of five free or slightly fused sepals, a sympetalous corolla composed of five fused petals, an apoandrous androecium composed of ten free stamens in two ranks, and a compound pistil. Native populations in South Africa are heterostylous, flowers of long-styled plants have a stigma held above the two ranks of stamens, mid-styled plants have the stigma inbetween the two ranks of stamens and short-styled plants have a stigma below both ranks of stamen. In the non-native range the plants largely reproduce vegetatively and many populations have only one style length and the plants never produce seed. Like most African Oxalis species, it produces adventitious subterranean propagules. These take the form of true bulbs in botanical terms, which is unusual among dicotyledons. In fact, Oxalis pes-caprae produces small bulbs copiously, whereas most other African species produce fewer, larger bulbs. New world Oxalis, such as Oxalis corniculata, apparently do not generally produce bulbs.
low growing perennial broadleaf plant with shamrock like leaves 2.5cm




The Shamrock, Sorrel or Oxalis plant has a very bitter taste, which often deters dogs and cats from consuming large quantities. ... However, when ingested in large enough quantities in small animals, it can result in poisoning in dogs, cats, and even humans

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[kevin-beverly]

Hi

I have been explaining about the plants you will see in Arillas and Corfu so it gives some idea what you are looking at
do you still want me to carry on or are you all bored with this topic

kev

[JohnTheRef&Dot]

To be honest
😴😴😴 Bored 😴😴😴

[TerryW]

It can't be boring Kev, with 135,670 views, and it is always here as a reference should anyone want to find out about a certain plant in Corfu. Plus, more photographs than Wikipedia.

[Truth]

To be honest
😴😴😴 Bored 😴😴😴

You got out of bed the wrong side today Ref? 😁

[JohnTheRef&Dot]

[quote)You got out of bed the wrong side today Ref? 😁
[/quote]

No Karl just answering a question

[Eggy]

Even used by me.
The exploding "gooseberry" plant. - (Poisonous had them in our garden.not for the composter)
Bay leaves - interesting. Do you know we put layers of the leaves in between our dug up spuds? - Keeps the bugs away and they last longer.

This posting/topic is like a giant meal. You can't eat all of it so you tuck into the best bits first.
John - Didn't you ever think, when you were "reffing", and stood on that big neatly cut football pitch that.............
"I could put a few rows of spuds over there! - " plant some nice trees there" - " maybe a selection of peppers where the goals are"

Kevin - still waiting for a post on Artichokes , unless i missed that one. - Tried em here and full of creepies.
Cheers
Negg

[kevin-beverly]

Hi

Thank you for your surpport for reading my threads on Arillas Fauna and Wild life.
Though some of you might find the subjects boring you nevertheless taken time to read them.

Thank you

Kev

[kevin-beverly]

HI

This plant is by request and you can see this plant around Arillas and Neils garden [eggy]

Artichoke

Not to confused with the Jerusalem artichoke different plant altogether

Cynara cardunculus  var. scolymus Also known by the names French artichoke and green artichoke  is a variety of a species of thistle cultivated as a food.
The edible portion of the plant consists of the flower buds before the flowers come into bloom. The budding artichoke flower-head is a cluster of many budding small flowers (an inflorescence), together with many bracts, on an edible base. Once the buds bloom, the structure changes to a coarse, barely edible form. Another variety of the same species is the cardoon, a perennial plant native to the Mediterranean region. Both wild forms and cultivated varieties (cultivars) exist.
This vegetable grows to (4.6–6.6 ft) tall, with arching, deeply lobed, silvery, glaucous-green leaves (20–32 in) long. The flowers develop in a large head from an edible bud about (3–6 in) diameter with numerous triangular scales; the individual florets are purple. The edible portions of the buds consist primarily of the fleshy lower portions of the involucral bracts and the base, known as the "heart"; the mass of immature florets in the center of the bud is called the "choke" or beard. These are inedible in older, larger flowers.
Artichoke contains the bioactive agents apigenin and luteolin.
The total antioxidant capacity of artichoke flower heads is one of the highest reported for vegetables. Cynarine is a chemical constituent in Cynara. The majority of the cynarine found in artichoke is located in the pulp of the leaves, though dried leaves and stems of artichoke also contain it.
Family:   Asteraceae
Genus:   Cynara
Species:   C. cardunculus
Variety:   C. c. var. scolymus
Trinomial name
Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus
L.
The artichoke is mentioned as a garden plant in the 8th century BC by Homer and Hesiod. The naturally occurring variant of the artichoke, the cardoon (Cynara cardunculus), which is native to the Mediterranean area, also has records of use as a food among the ancient Greeks and Romans. Pliny the Elder mentioned growing of 'carduus' in Carthage and Cordoba. In North Africa, where it is still found in the wild state, the seeds of artichokes, probably cultivated, were found during the excavation of Roman-period Mons Claudianus in Egypt. Varieties of artichokes were cultivated in Sicily beginning in the classical period of the ancient Greeks; the Greeks calling them kaktos. In that period, the Greeks ate the leaves and flower heads, which cultivation had already improved from the wild form. The Romans called the vegetable carduus (hence the name cardoon). Further improvement in the cultivated form appears to have taken place in the medieval period in Muslim Spain and the Maghreb, although the evidence is inferential only
There are two major types of artichoke (although there are well over 1000 different cultivars, and more being produced every year): the round (or globe) and the elongated artichoke. Very similar in taste and texture, the round artichoke is the one you will see most frequently at the supermarket.

How do I keep bugs off my artichoke?
Hand crush them, spray them off with water and/or apply a narrow-range oil spray. (Look for oil sprays based on plant oils such as soy, canola or jojoba in preference to petroleum oils.) Then examine artichoke leaf undersides and young buds, and if you see the aphids, treat them there as well.





Why is the "choke" from an artichoke dangerous? The 'choke' is an almost hairy growth just on top of the heart of the artichoke. It can cause you to choke if you aren't paying attention.
Once cooked, artichokes should be eaten within 24 hours. While they do not become poisonous, as is often said, their sensory characteristics change, and they become less pleasant to eat.


Some people use artichoke for treating snakebites, preventing gallstones, lowering blood pressure, lowering blood sugar, to increase urine flow, and as a tonic or stimulant. In foods, artichoke leaves and extracts are used to flavor beverages.
Herbal tea
Liqueur
Artichoke is the primary flavor of the 33-proof (16.5% alcohol) Italian liqueur Cynar produced by the Campari Group
Loads of cooking recipes



artichoke water is a superfood beverage containing vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and electrolytes found in artichokes. The woman at the Arty water booth at the fancy food show said each bottle contains the health benefits of a baby artichoke.
Artichokes are an antioxidant rich, healthy whole food that provides you with 10.3 grams of fiber. It's particularly high in insoluble fiber. This is the type that doesn't absorb water, and bulks your stool. Think of it as a scrub brush going through your intestines
Non-starchy vegetables have fewer carbs per serving. They include everything from artichokes and asparagus to broccoli and beets. ... These vegetables are also low in calories and carbohydrates, making them some of the few foods that people with diabetes can enjoy almost with abandon.
Loaded With Nutrients. ...
 Lower 'Bad' LDL Cholesterol and Increase 'Good' HDL Cholesterol. ...
Help Regulate Blood Pressure. ...
 Improve Liver Health. ...
 Improve Digestive Health. ...
 Ease Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. ...
 Help Lower Blood Sugar. ...
 Have Anticancer Effects.
Improved Heart Health
Smooth Bowel Movements
Prevention of Birth Defects even help pregnant women have healthy, normally-formed children. The high levels of folate found in them can prevent neural tube defects from occurring in newborns.  The neural tube closure process in vitro requires a certain amount of folate to occur properly, so folic acid is an essential part of a pregnancy diet.
Increased Bone Mineral Density
Boosted Metabolism
Improved Brain Function

[Eggy]

Thanks Kevin,
We had 4 in our garden but gave up on them a while ago. - Can't stand seeing earwigs and the like when you start to peel them.
I seem to remember, many moons ago, seeing a full plot of these on the main strip into Arillas.
Cheers
Negg