A Mid-Winter's Travelogue

Abies cephalonica

Abies cephalonica 'Meyer's Dwarf'

Abies cephalonica 'Meyer's Dwarf'

Regular Flora Wonder Blog readers know that I'm an aficionado of word and phrase origins, or etymology, especially when it concerns plant names and their descriptions. And really, everything else too. For example, my daughter had a doctor's appointment with a new provider whose name is Dr. Kefalos. I asked my wife if K. was Greek, and Haruko responded that indeed she was from Greece, and...and how in the world would I ever guess that. It's because of my addiction to taxonomy, for I know that, first of all, Kefalos sounds Greek, just as I immediately know that Kyoto, Tokyo, Hiroshima and Nagamine – my wife's maiden name – all sound Japanese. Of course the doctor is Greek, and I know because I have grown Abies cephalonica and some of its cultivars such as 'Meyer's Dwarf' and 'Variegata'.

Abies cephalonica, then, is known as the “Greek fir,” and according to the International Dendrology Society, “its habitat is from mountains up to 2100 meters (6889 ft) on rocky, well-drained, calcareous soils, associating with Fagus orientalis and Quercus ssp. at lower elevations, usually forming pure forests or associating with Juniperus oxycedrus at higher elevations.”

Kefalonia* (or Cephalonia) is the largest of the Ionian Islands and the 6^th largest island of Greece after Crete, Euboea, Lesbos, Rhodes and Chios. The island supports a rich biodiversity with many endemic and rare species. The Ainos mountain range has been declared a national park, and is covered with Abies cephalonica and Pinus nigra (“black pine”). I have been to Greece, though never Kefalonia, but sign me up (!) because it provides an abundance of fish, wine, raisins and olive oil, and I could live forever with that. Oh, and maybe a little goat cheese too, please.

Cephalus

*Accounts vary as to the origin of the name. One mythological version has it named for the first King Kefalos. Another theory claims the name originated from Cephalus, son of Deioneos. C was exiled from Athens for committing murder, then settled on the island. Also, Cephalus means “head,” as in the head of a family.

Abies cilicica

Abies cilicica is a particularly attractive “true-fir” species that I first saw at the Otto Solburger arboretum near North Plains, Oregon, and I eagerly collected scions to add it to my Flora Wonder Arboretum. It didn't sell, no matter how beautiful I found it to be, so I was content to keep just one tree in my Blue Forest section. After a particularly wet winter/spring, my 30' specimen croaked, and I never re-acquired it since. In that regard its demise reminded me of some of my friends, who I perhaps took for granted, that they would always be in my life...but who checked out early, too early. All nurserymen and gardeners suffer their individual plant heartaches, don't they?

Abies cilicica

Abies cilicica

Early on I assumed that Abies cilicica was native to Sicily – rong – but later I learned that the specific epithet refers to the southern region of Asia Minor, and that it's native to the Taurus Mountains in Turkey, northwestern Syria and northern Lebanon. Other than refusing to survive my epic spring deluge, the large-growing species is hardy to USDA zone 5 (-20 F).

Abies nebrodensis

There is, however, a “true-fir” species native to Sicily, Abies nebrodensis, and its location is in northern Sicily's Madonie and Nebrodi mountains. It is extremely rare with only about 25 mature trees surviving, but that situation gives purpose to northern-Euro botanical institutions with replanting efforts. Unfortunately, though, local ranchers care more about their grazing livestock than the island's damn pine trees. But, the Nebrodi National Park is now a protected natural area where the visitor can find woods, ponds and waterfalls, but sadly in the past the rich fauna fell victim to poaching. A species of deer became extinct, for example; the name Nebrodi is derived from Greek Nebros which means “fawn.” Another Sicilian destination that appeals to me is the Bosco della Tassita which is a 124-acre green woods, famous for ancient Taxus baccata, hence the Tassita name.

Quercus macrolepis 'Hemelrijk Silver'

My etymological research is not always successful, i.e. I do not always discover the origin of a word, at least to my complete satisfaction. Such was the case recently with the specific epithet for the “Valonia oak,” Quercus ithaburensis. The reason I care is because I collected a specimen of Quercus macrolepis 'Hemelrijk Silver', and I was attempting to learn more about the species so I could propagate with a suitable rootstock. The silver-leaved selection arose as a discovery from Robert and Jelena de Belder (of Kalmthout Arboretum)* who collected seed on the island of Rhodes. The epithet macrolepis is easy enough, meaning “large scale, husk or shell,” but according to The Hillier Manual of Trees and Shrubs, the previous name of Q. macrolepis should now be classified as Q. ithaburensis subsp. macrolepis.

*The Belgian's garden name Hemelrijk derives from the Flemish words for “heaven” and “kingdom.”

I wondered why the change, so I reasoned that the name origin of ithaburensis might yield a clue. Ensis refers to a place origin of course, such as sinensis means “coming from China” and chiloensis comes from Chile. But I could never get to the meaning (or origin) of ithabur. Itha could refer to Ithaca, a small island northeast of Kefalonia in the Ionian Sea and home of Homer's Odysseus. That makes sense since the Quercus species is native to that region, but my only guess for the meaning of burensis is that it refers to Bursa*, a large city in the southern Marmara region of Turkey, the country's fourth largest city. All of that guess work could be mistaken, and I await a know-it-all from the International Oak Society (IOS) to set me straight.

*Bursa – from Greek “skin” or “wine skin.”

Quercus suber

Quercus suber

Quercus suber - Sobreiro Monumental Tree

De-barked Cork oak

Old specimens of the “Cork oak,” Quercus suber, have survived many winters in Portland, Oregon, and one tree at the nursery has been in the ground for a dozen years. It is listed to USDA zone 8 (10F), and Hillier relates that it is “very frost resistant” but “it is not satisfactory in the coldest counties [of England].” I'm sure our Oregon winters are more harsh than in the counties of England, yet the evergreen species thrives on my property. While I struggled to find the meaning of ithaburensis, the suber epithet is clear and appropriate: it is related to the Greek word syphar meaning a piece of “old wrinkled skin.” Q. suber is the National tree of Portugal, and the trunks are stripped at about 30 years of age for wine corks, and about every 9-11 years thereafter for up to about 12 times per the tree's lifetime. I'm not a wine expert, but I discern no improvement with wine bottled with cork stoppers versus those (easier to open) with screw-on caps, yet the cork preference persists. The world's largest Q. suber is in Portugal and is known as the “Sobreiro Monumental tree” (planted in 1783) whose wrinkled skin has been collected at least 20 times. In 1991 the champion produced 2646 pounds of raw cork, enough for 100,000 wine bottles, and that in just one harvest!

Quercus x hispanica 'Lucombeana'

Quercus x hispanica is the natural hybrid between Q. cerris (“Turkish oak”) and Q. suber, and the cross occurs in southwestern Europe. Occasionally one will find the cultivar 'Lucombeana' in European arboreta – at Kalmthout, for example – which is of the x hispanica parentage, but to be a true “Lucombe oak” it must be a clone of the original hybrid found in William Lucombe's Exeter nursery. Lucombe first spotted the hybrid in 1762 when he noticed that one of the seedlings of the deciduous Q. cerris kept its leaves in winter. I've never grown it in Oregon, where it would probably be deciduous anyway. I find it humorous, though, that Mr. L cut down the original in 1785, but kept timber from it, stored under his bed from which his coffin was to be made. But the geezer lived to age 102, and by the time he expired the planks had decayed, so his coffin had to be constructed from later graft propagules of the hybrid.

The name of the Canary Islands is derived from the Latin name Canariae Insulae, meaning “Islands of the Dogs,” as the ancient Roman historian Pliny the Elder claimed that one island – Gran Canaria – “contained vast multitudes of dogs of very large size.” Pliny was full of hear-say, and there is no record that he ever visited the islands. One thing is certain: the islands were not named after canary birds, rather the birds were named after the islands. Geographically, the nearest island of the group is only 67 miles (108 km) from Africa, and the largest volcano, Teide Peak, rises to 12,198 feet (3,718 m) and can be seen from Africa in a clear day.

Question: How far are the Canary Islands from Spain?
Answer: Zero kilometers, because the Canary Islands are part of Spain.
However: The distance from the Canary Islands to Madrid is 1,791 kilometers.

Juniperus cedrus

The Canary Islands have long been on my to-visit list. Although I have a premonition against ever visiting Africa – as in fear that I would never return from the continent – the islands are technically part of Europe, which I always find reasonably safe and inspirational to visit. One goal is to see Juniperus cedrus in the wild. The juniper species is native to the western Canary Islands and Madeira at altitudes of 500-2400 m (1640-7874ft), and is closely related to Juniperus oxycedrus (Prickly juniper), the latter species that I mentioned earlier which occurs with Abies cephalonica at higher elevations on Kefalonia. The foliage of J. cedrus is also prickly, but less so than with J. oxycedrus, and the former is much more ornamental with gracefully drooping branchlets.

Juniperus cedrus

Hillier describes Juniperus cedrus as “now rare, confined to inaccessible locations;” it was harvested to near extinction after 500 years of Spanish rule. It has been mentioned in the literature as having a narrow crown, and Hillier further notes that it is a “small tree.” My experience in the Flora Wonder Arboretum, and in other arboreta, is that it grows with a wide canopy, and I suggest that it's a vigorous medium-sized tree, not small at all. We have propagated it – which we did two weeks ago – by grafting onto Juniperus scopulorum 'Skyrocket'; our one attempt at rooting resulted in 100% failure.

Juniperus cedrus

Juniperus cedrus

Juniperus cedrus

Juniperus cedrus was first described in 1847 by Webb and Berthelot in their Histoire Naturelle des Iles Canaris, and the cedrus epithet is from ancient Greek kedros which means a “resinous” tree. Also noteworthy is that cultivated specimens of J. cedrus, seen from a moderate distance, look remarkably similar to a young Cedrus deodara. I collected the Canary Island juniper early in my career, and planted it into the garden. Two years later it died when we plummeted to 8 F. I tried it again and it perished at 14 F after the first year. I considered it impossible to survive in Oregon...until I received a more hardy clone about 15 years ago, and thus far it has withstood every winter. Third time's the charm I guess. So I agree with the experts' hardiness rating of USDA zone 9-10 (20 F- 30 F); but they should take into account that zone 7 (0 F) is also possible.

Echium pininana

Another reason to visit the Canary Islands is to witness Echium pininana, an endemic flowering plant in the Boraginaceae family. The specific epithet pininana is Latin for “small pine,” but it is not at all related to the Pinus genus, and not even remotely in appearance. The Echium genus-name comes from Greek echion, itself derived from the word echis for “viper,” as the ancient botanist Dioscorides found similarity between the shape of the nutlets and a viper's head, and it was Linnaeus who coined the generic name in his Species Plantarum in 1753. I first encountered E. pininana in the conservatory of a German arboretum and I instantly fell in love with the (rather sexy) mahogany-colored trunk.

Echium wildpretii

Echium wildpretii

Echium wildpretii

There are 29 species of Echium endemic to the Canaries, and another is E. wildpretii which is commonly called the “tower of jewels” or “Mount Teide* buglos.” The biennial honors the Swiss botanist Hermann Josef Wildpret (1834-1908) and it was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Where hardy – to -5 C (23 F) – it is esteemed by bee keepers for its high nectar content.

Teide Peak

*The summit of Pico del Teide is 3,715m (12,188 ft), making it the highest point in Spain. If measured from the ocean floor, it is the third highest ocean volcano in the world at 7,500 m (24,600 ft). The native Guanches people believed that Teide held up the sky, and they lit bonfires to scare the evil spirit Guayota who was often represented as a black dog, perhaps giving credence to Pliny's description of the “dog island.” Another historical note is that sailors could see flames coming from its top in 1492 – yep, Columbus stopped on the island before resuming his voyage to India...er, America.

Arbutus canariensis

Arbutus canariensis

Henri-Louis Duhamel du Monceau

Another horticultural presence on the C. islands is Arbutus canariensis, known in Spanish as “madrono canarie,” a shrub or small tree in the Ericaceae family. It is a prolific bloomer with small, white bell-shaped flowers in late spring, followed by yellow-orange strawberry-like fruits. As with all madrone species, the trunks can be spectacular, and Hillier gives it a brilliant account: “...pea-green bark maturing to an ox-blood-red before peeling.” Another common name for the species is “Duhamel Canary madrone,” and that designation honors Henri-Louis Duhamel du Monceau (1700-1782), a French physician, naval engineer and botanist. Sadly the Arbutus is classified as vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, as is much of the Canary Islands flora.

Arbutus x 'Marina'

Arbutus x 'Marina'

Arbutus x 'Marina'

Since the Arbutus canariensis is listed as hardy to USDA zone 9 (20 F) I have never grown it, besides we would probably water it to death anyway. There is a popular hybrid in the trade – very suitable for a mild California climate – called 'Marina', which has been grown since at least 1930. I used to grow and sell it, but ultimately gave it short shrift due to the overwatering concerns. Some trees would languish in their soggy pots while others would zoom to the top of our greenhouse structure. The parentage of 'Marina' is complicated, but according to the International Dendrology Society it is currently thought to represent A. x reyorum, a three-way hybrid of A. canariensis x (A. unedo x A. andrachne).

Aristotle (left) and Theophrastus (center)

I look forward to visiting the Greek island of Lesbos (or Lesvos) one day, basically to walk in the footsteps and pay homage to the greatest of the Greeks, Aristotle and Theophrastus. Besides philosophy, both were original-thinking scientists, with Aristotle advancing the systematic study of fish and animals, and Theophrastus specializing in botany. They were contemporaries and spent time together on Lesbos, the birthplace of Theo. When they returned to Athens I'm sure that their “vacation” spent with swimming, crawling things led to a better understanding of themselves and their fellow humans. Aristotle, older than Theophrastus, died earlier and left directorship of the Lyceum to Theo, as well as his substantial library.

Women on Lesbos

When young I used to snicker at the concept of Lesbos, imagining throngs of nude women writhing on steamy beaches, and of course I would be invited to attend their debauched rituals. Probably, though, there are no more lesbians per capita on Lesbos than anywhere else in Greece. Today, the term lesbian is commonly used to refer to homosexual women. That usage is attributed to the poems of the Lesbian-native Sappho who wrote with deep emotion about other women. Naturally her birth place in Eressos is a tourist stop of the LGBT community.

Sappho

Rhododendron luteum

Rhododendron luteum

Rhododendron luteum 'Golden Comet'

Lesbos is located in the far east of the Agean Sea, just 3.4 miles from the Turkish coast. Besides the sea life the island is forested and features two peaks over 3,000 ft. It is commonly named the Emerald Island, with eleven million olive trees, fruit trees, Pinus nigra, chestnuts and oaks, including Quercus ithaburensis. The amazing azalea, Rhododendron luteum, is also found on Lesbos and I used to propagate and sell it. It flowers with a pure, clear yellow and is highly fragrant, then in autumn the deciduous leaves turn to a brilliant red color. The Lesbos flora has always been abundant, and in the past it supported beech, plane, palm and sequoias among its riches. As proof one can visit the Petrified Forest of Sigri located at the western end of the island near Sappho's hometown of Eressos. There is only one similar forest on earth which is in Arizona, but the natural monument on Lesbos is larger and of greater significance. An ancient period of high volcanic activity created a chain of chemical reactions which caused the petrification, and the site is estimated to be 20 million years old and occupies about 15,000 hectares (37,000 acres). The living plants on Lesbos number approximately 1400 taxa, almost the same number as in all of Britain. The name of Lesbos is ancient Greek for “forested, woody.”

I look forward to visiting all of the places mentioned in this blog; I feel it's my duty after all, and of course all travel is a legitimate business write-off.

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Travelogue Epilogue: Origin of various Greek island names

Crete means mighty, strong and powerful. At one time Crete had one of the largest navies on earth, and its first soldiers were named Curetes.

Icarus

Ikaria was named after the mythological figure Icarus who attempted to fly with feathers attached to his body with wax. When his wings fell off he fell into the sea and his body washed onto the shore of the island.

Milos was named after the mythological hero, Milos, who was the island's first inhabitant. He went hunting in Cyprus, and there befriended Adonis. When Adonis died Milos committed suicide under a tree.

Amphitrite and Poseidon

Paxos derives from the word for passion – “pathos” in Greek. The Greek god Poseidon fell madly in love with the nymph Amphitrite – and who wouldn't? She would only reciprocate if given her own land, so he cast his trident, breaking off a piece from the island of Corfu.

Chionodoxa forbesii

Chios was named from Greek Chioni (for “snow”), and she was the daughter of Poseidon, and according to legend she was born on the island when it was snowing. Previously the island had been a desert, but after the snowfall the land became fertile.

The Birth of Venus (Aphrodite)

Kythera means “in secret” because Aphrodite was born there in secret. According to the legend she was born from the waves near Cyprus, then put in a shell to keep her birth a secret. She was taken to Kythera and kept in hiding until she grew up. If I had known, I would have employed the same strategy with my daughters; I would have shellacked them.