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The annual clary (Salvia viridis) is an annual herb that occurs in the greater Mediterranean region to Crimea and Iran. The colourful bracts almost hide the tiny, two-lipped flowers, which are cream-coloured, with the upper lip tinged with purple or rose, reflecting the colour of the bracts. The bracts can also be red, pink, and white.

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So, this is the original species of the popular double-flowered Ranunculus in the gardening and cut flower industry. I have been curious about its wild form for years, and finally saw it in its natural habitat in western Crete.

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The London plane tree (Platanus × hispanica) is probably the most popular street tree in the world, but it is a hybrid. I'd never seen a Platanus species before, until I visited Crete earlier this year. It is so refreshing to see Platanus orientalis in its natural habitat. And, it is one of the parent species of the London plane tree, the other one is Platanus occidentalis from North America..

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What a colour! Lamium orientale in Anatolia, Turkey. This beautiful herb is traditionally used for treating diarrhea, and studies have investigated its potent anticancer, antioxidant, antibacterial, and enzyme-inhibitory activities due to its high phenolic-flavonoid content.

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One of the early spring wildflowers in the rainforest of southeastern QLD: Hovea acutifolia (purple pea bush). It is an upright, small shrub with blue to purple flowers, up to 4m high.

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More wildflowers from northern Albania (April 2025).

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Some Albanian terrestrial orchids (April 2025).

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The masked #lapwing (#Vanellus miles) is a common bird that is frequently found in open areas in Australia, including parks and sports fields in urban areas. It has one of the simplest nests in the bird world, literally just some dry grass on the ground :-)

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Flora of the US: Euphorbia albomarginata, commonly known as whitemargin sandmat, or rattlesnake weed, is a small, low-growing perennial that can be found in arid and semiarid areas of the SW US and northern Mexico. Note the white 'petals' are modified leaves called bracts.

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In the White Mountain of western Crete, the pretty Aubrieta deltoidea grows through the thorny Euphorbia acanthothamnos and forms a unique cushion plant display between the rocks. Triggered me to think it is a new species at first glance.

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Flora of Crete: Arum idaeum is endemic to the high peaks on Crete Island. The habitat is rocky slopes around 2000m, particularly likes to grow under the spiny shrub Berberis cretica.

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More wildflowers of southern Albania. (April 2025) .

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Five Incarvillea species from southwestern China. Apart from I. arguta, which occurs in low-altitude dry valleys, the other four all grow in high-elevation meadows or pine forests/shrubs.

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A group of Primula gemmifera var. amoena in northwestern Yunnan, China. 4000m above sea level.

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The most miniature bee orchid I found in Crete: the lesser yellow bee orchid (Ophrys sicula). Only several centimetres tall. Grows in a rocky grassland near Samaria Gorge.

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These four species share the same habitat — an alpine meadow in southwestern Anatolia, Turkey.

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The tufted anchusa (Anchusa cespitosa) is a dwarf, mat-forming perennial endemic to the White Mountains of Crete. It grows among rocks at around 2000m. All the literature I've read only mentions that it has blue flowers, but I saw more purple ones instead, which is strange...