#greekflora

[espritmetropol]

Flora

[elefteriamantzorou]

Saltwort (called "almyra" in Greek) growing wild on the beach. Read more below about the fascinating history of that plant! Learn more about our online courses on herbal medicine & aromatherapy in jointheflow.net Discover my books on bodywork and more: amzn.to/3xhaNey Young leaves and stems can be eaten raw or cooked. The leaves can be used as a spinach substitute or added in small quantities to salads. The seed is edible too. It can be ground into a meal and used as a gruel, thickener in soups etc., or added to cereal flours when making bread. However, the seed is small and hard to collect any quantity. The ashes of the burnt plant are used for making glass and soap. At one time large quantities of the ashes were imported into Britain for this purpose, but nowadays a chemical process using salt is employed. The ashes can also be used as a cleaner for fabrics.  #salsola #saltwort #glasswort #greekbeaches #wildmedicine #wildgourmet #greekflora #greekherbs #herbnerd #wildherbs #botany #botanicalmedicine #medicinalherbs #myherbalstudies #healingherbs #foraging #herbalistsofinstagram #herbalremedies #primitiveskills #survivalskills #urbanherbalist #herbalremedies #apothecary #ethnobotany #ethnobotanist Text credit: Wikipedia & pfaf. (at Μεσσηνία) https://www.instagram.com/p/CiEy0BdIOMg/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[elefteriamantzorou]

Xanthoria parietina and Physcia lichens, growing on mulberry bark. Read more below! Learn more about our online courses on herbal medicine & aromatherapy in jointheflow.net Discover my books on bodywork and more: amzn.to/3xhaNey Xanthoria and Physcia lichens grow in similar environments, and therefore they can be often seen together.  A lichen is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.  Lichens have properties different from those of their component organisms. They come in many colors, sizes, and forms and are sometimes plant-like, but are not plants. They may have tiny, leafless branches (fruticose); flat leaf-like structures (foliose); crust-like, adhering tightly to a surface (substrate) like a thick coat of paint (crustose); a powder-like appearance (leprose); or other growth forms. Photo taken by me, all rights reserved. Text credit: Wikipedia. #herbaleducation #xanthoria #deepecology #lichenology #ecology #lichen #lichens  #greekforest #hikinggreece #medicinalplants #eatweeds #wildfoodlove #wildfood #myherbalstudies #botany #greekflora #greekfood #wildherbs #foragingforfood #herbalistsofinstagram #herbalremedies #foraging #plantallies (at Αττικό Άλσος) https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce8JkXqr-ED/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[elefteriamantzorou]

Xanthoria parietina lichen, growing on pine bark. Read more below! Learn more about our online courses on herbal medicine & aromatherapy in jointheflow.net Discover my books on bodywork and more: amzn.to/3xhaNey Xanthoria parietina prefers growing on bark and wood; it is found more rarely on rock. The upper surface is some shade of yellow, orange, or greenish yellow, almost green when growing in shady situations, while the lower surface is white, with a cortex, and with sparse pale rhizines or hapters. The outer "skin" of the lichen, the cortex, is composed of closely packed fungal hyphae and serves to protect the thallus from water loss due to evaporation as well as harmful effects of high levels of irradiation. In Xanthoria parietina, the thickness of the thalli is known to vary depending on the habitat in which it grows. Thalli are much thinner in shady locations than in those exposed to full sunshine; this has the effect of protecting the algae that cannot tolerate high light intensities. The lichen pigment parietin gives this species a deep yellow or orange-red color. The water extract of X. parietina has good antiviral activity in vitro, inhibiting the replication of human parainfluenza virus type 2. In the past it was used as a remedy for jaundice because of its yellow color. Photo taken by me, all rights reserved. Text credit: Wikipedia. #herbaleducation #xanthoria #deepecology #lichenology #ecology #lichen #lichens  #greekforest #hikinggreece #medicinalplants #eatweeds #wildfoodlove #wildfood #myherbalstudies #botany #greekflora #greekfood #wildherbs #foragingforfood #herbalistsofinstagram #herbalremedies #foraging #plantallies (at Athens, Greece) https://www.instagram.com/p/CajV-JrMvXd/?utm_medium=tumblr

[elefteriamantzorou]

Xanthoria parietina lichen, growing on pine bark. Read more below! Learn more about our online courses on herbal medicine & aromatherapy in jointheflow.net Discover my books on bodywork and more: amzn.to/3xhaNey Xanthoria parietina prefers growing on bark and wood; it is found more rarely on rock. The upper surface is some shade of yellow, orange, or greenish yellow, almost green when growing in shady situations, while the lower surface is white, with a cortex, and with sparse pale rhizines or hapters. The outer "skin" of the lichen, the cortex, is composed of closely packed fungal hyphae and serves to protect the thallus from water loss due to evaporation as well as harmful effects of high levels of irradiation. In Xanthoria parietina, the thickness of the thalli is known to vary depending on the habitat in which it grows. Thalli are much thinner in shady locations than in those exposed to full sunshine; this has the effect of protecting the algae that cannot tolerate high light intensities. The lichen pigment parietin gives this species a deep yellow or orange-red color. The water extract of X. parietina has good antiviral activity in vitro, inhibiting the replication of human parainfluenza virus type 2. In the past it was used as a remedy for jaundice because of its yellow color. Photo taken by me, all rights reserved. Text credit: Wikipedia. #herbaleducation #xanthoria #deepecology #lichenology #ecology #lichen #lichens  #greekforest #hikinggreece #medicinalplants #eatweeds #wildfoodlove #wildfood #myherbalstudies #botany #greekflora #greekfood #wildherbs #foragingforfood #herbalistsofinstagram #herbalremedies #foraging #plantallies (at Athens, Greece) https://www.instagram.com/p/CbZoM52MUg_/?utm_medium=tumblr

[elefteriamantzorou]

Myoporum tree, growing in Kythera. It can tolerate the salt so well ! See my books at bit.ly/elefteria ...and my courses at jointheflow.net ....read more about the plant. Myoporum laetum, commonly known as ngaio /ˈnaɪ.oʊ/ or mousehole tree is a plant in the family Scrophulariaceae endemic to New Zealand, including the Chatham Islands. It is a fast growing shrub, readily distinguished from others in the genus by the transparent dots in the leaves which are visible when held to a light. The Māori would rub the leaves over their skin to repel mosquitoes and sandflies. The leaves of this tree contain the liver toxin Ngaione which can cause sickness and or death in stock such as horses, cattle, sheep and pigs. Thus the plant is suitable only for external use. Photos by Elefteria Mantzorou, all rights reserved. Text by Wikipedia and pfaf. #herbaleducation #myoporum #medicinalplants #wildfoodlove #wildfood #myherbalstudies #botany #greekflora #greekfood #wildherbs #foragingforfood #herbalistsofinstagram #herbalremedies #foraging #plantallies (at Kythera island - Νήσος Κύθηρα) https://www.instagram.com/p/CRv2RVWLYSC/?utm_medium=tumblr

[elefteriamantzorou]

Verbascum spp. showing off! See my books on Amazon here: bit.ly/elefteria and keep reading! The plant is known in Greece as "flomos". Dioscorides first recommended the plant 2000 years ago, believing it useful as a folk medicine for pulmonary diseases. Leaves were smoked to attempt to treat lung ailments, a tradition that in America was rapidly transmitted to Native American peoples. All preparations meant to be drunk have to be finely filtered to eliminate the irritating hairs. Oil from the flowers was used against catarrhs, colics, earaches, frostbite, eczema and other external conditions. The German Commission E describes uses of the plant for respiratory infections. Roman soldiers are said to have dipped the plant stalks in grease for use as torches. Other cultures use the leaves as wicks. Learn more about our online herbalism courses. Check link in bio or visit jointheflow.net Photo taken by me, all rights reserved. Text by Wikipedia. #mullein #verbascum #verbascumundulatum #botanist #herbalism #plantspiritmedicine #Scrophulariaceae #greekflora #greekherbs #myherbalstudies #herbalistsofinstagram #botanicalmedicine #wildfood #wildfoodlove #foraging #survivalskills #primitiveskills  #botany #herbaleducation #myherbalstudies #botanicalmedicine #eatweeds (at Methoni Castle) https://www.instagram.com/p/CRl8Kt3r-xD/?utm_medium=tumblr

[elefteriamantzorou]

Erodium chium growing wild on the hill above my school. It is considered edible, but it's not really something special. Rich in tannins, it could be used for poultices. Learn more about our online herbalism courses. Check link in bio or visit jointheflow.net #erodium #wildgeranium #geranium #wildherbs #greekflora #greekherbs #herbnerd #myherbalstudies #foraging #survivalskills #herbalmedicine #herbalist #herbalistsofinstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/B-gXZVFIWSN/?igshid=1flu14xd1b740