Hypericum olympicum

It can be found on road sides, on open slopes, in stony and dry sunny places. We can see it across the entire altitudinal range of the mountain.

A large number of plants have been recorded on Mt. Paggaio. It is a perennial, herbaceous plant, with a woody base and several upright stems, up to 40 cm tall. Its leaves are narrowly elliptical or lanceolate, with a few black glands near their edges, and numerous glands (spots) on their surface. Its flowers are the largest among the hyacinths, reaching up to 6 cm. They are placed, every 2-8, at the edges of the stems. It flowers from June to August. It belongs to a relatively “old” plant genus, Hypericum, as indicated by fossil finds dating to the mid-Paleocene period (37–34 million years before present). The ancestors of the genus were probably tropical shrubs that migrated from Africa in the early Paleocene period, as the tropical climate spread to northern latitudes. The plants of the genus are associated with several ancient and medieval traditions, related to magical, spiritual and religious beliefs. The prevailing etymologies of the word hypericon (hyper + icon) mean something “beyond what is seen” and probably refer to the plants that were placed above the cult figures to keep away the “demonic spirits”, while other etymologies connect it with its germination site (under different types of erica sp (heather) = under + erica). The name of the species (olympicum) came from Olympus of Bithynia, near Bursa, Turkey.

Due to its relatively wide distribution on Mount Paggaio, no particular threats and pressures were observed or reported, which could lead to a significant reduction in its population.

–

It is not subjected to any national or international conservation status.