Wild Flowers of Greece

The location of Greece at the meeting-point of three continents, together with the relief of its terrain which includes a multitude of high mountains and hundreds of Κilometres of coastline, has endowed it with a rich flora comprising almost 6,000 different species. This huge number, in relation to its area of only 132,000 square kilometers, places it in the first rank in Europe with respect to the density of flora. About 15% of these species are endemic and often find refuge in the safety of the gorges and mountains, where the presence of man is reduced or minimal. In particular the mountains, from Rhodopi to Pindos, Olympos, Parnassos and Taygetos as well as the three mountain chains on Crete, are home to a host of rare and unique varieties which, combined with the wonderful walking paths they offer, define Greece as the botanical paradise of Europe. In this book, around 600 varieties of the most representative of the Greek flora are presented. Little texts which focus on the botanical characteristics of the plants, on mythological references to them, and often on the etymology of their names, as well as more than 1,200 photographs showing both them in detail and their biotopes, make their recognition an easy and pleasing procedure.