Zababdeh Nature - January
January Flora
These flowers were growing in a bean field, and apparently cause problems for farmers. They are beautiful and smell sweet, so I took as many as I could back home in a bouquet.
I think this is Common Roman squill (Bellevalia flexuosa), a part of the lily family. It's very small.
This wheat plant is growing in what seems to be fallow ground.
The lovely, lovely hills above Zababdeh.
Lichen?
Moss!
Our not fully "wild," but beautiful valley. The patch-work pattern reminds me of cotton fields around Lubbock, Texas. It is getting truly lush with the rains here.
This is Podonosma (Podonosma syriaca), a hairy plant in the borage family. The flowers point down, and are rather small, so it is easy to miss. But a closer look reveals such beauty!
This flower was especially interesting because of the prickly leaves.
This is Mandrake (Mandragora officinalis), of aphrodisiac fame. Here it's called tuffaH majnoon (crazy apple) because the fruits it produces are poisonous, causing symptoms of insantiy (shaking, frothing, crazy behavior).
A close up of the mandrake flowers.
The hills are full of these flowers, ranging from deep purple to very white. They are Persian cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum), and seem to prefer shady spots. Several times we saw them flourishing under shrubs. My guide book says they are a protected flower.
More of the color range for Persian cyclamen.
These are almond tree flowers.There are bitter almonds and sweet almonds here; the bitter usually bloom first, I believe. Because they are heartier but not tasty, bitter almonds are often used as graft trees: buds of sweet almond are grafted onto bitter almond hosts. Thus you get sweet almonds from a hardy tree. Folks here eat almonds as most of us know them, but also the green nuts before they're mature. These fuzzy green snacks are slightly bitter but good especially with salt.
The branches of the almond tree.
Our friend says that these leaves are really delicious, and he grew up gathering them as food. I've some to hear them called loof.
Anyone hungry for loof?
I don't know, but I think these interesting leaves are parts of the thorn plants that dominate the yellowed summer landscape.
In mid-January and February, the hills are full of these beauties. I think they are Crown anemone (Anemone coronaria). They are usually red, but, as you can see below, a few turn up different colors.
They are, also as you can see, virtually irresistable for kids.
Creative flower placement!
Crown anemone can also be purple.
Crown anemone can also turn up white.
Multicolored anemone as well!
Kids love these flowers.
In mid-January, we see a few of these tall asphodels (Asphodelus microcarpus) blooming. February brings many more.
Another view of the asphodels.
Here is a cultivated bean plant near Zababdeh.
More cultivated bean plants.
In January and February, hilltop shrubs are in bloom. Unfortunately, I can't seem to identify these flowers.
More unidentified flowers.
Unidentified flowers.
Another unidentified flower.
On a walk in late January, we saw such a variety of lichen or lichen-like substance.
More lichen.
Another lichen-like substance.
Multi-colored lichen.
January Fungi
Our friends looked forward to eating this large mushroom from their yard. A few weeks later, our shepherd friend brought us a bag full of similar mushrooms from the hills where he takes his sheep.
More fungi. Again, no good knowledge about what kind. Maybe I'll ask around to see if any of these are good to eat....
I don't know if these are the same fungus, or what their names might be. Somehow they weren't in my wildflower book.
January Fauna
A disadvantage of this most excellent camera (and, I think, most digital cameras) is the fact that you cannot take quick shots. It needs time to focus itself, etc. And so you can't see this leaf with five striped fellows in a row. Only the little one stayed for the picture.
These bagworm-types were CHOWING DOWN on the plant (I think one of the thorn plants so prevalent here) under a protective webbing.
I remember when I brought home from school a lunchbox full of similar critters. Mom was not happy....
Never forget the little guy.