Autumnal Geophytes

Geophyte is one type of plant life form. It corresponds to plants with their buds protected into the soil. With other words, it refers to plants with subterranean shoots, such as the potato, the onion and the carrot. Autumnal geophytes, i.e. the geophytes that flower in autumn, are amongst the prettiest elements of Greek nature. The add unforgettable colors to the usually pale physiognomy of herbaceous layer that is just overcoming the summer dryness. Along the burned areas, in particular, the antithesis among the burned soil and the geophytic flowers is unique. Just look at the reddish Cyclamen, the yellow Sternbergia and the pale pink Colchicum.
There are plenty of data supporting the fact of fire being an agent that favors the geophitic anthesis. This phenomenon has been attributed to smoke (and in particular nitrogen oxides). Fire anthesis advancement is focused both on the individual (earlier flowering formation in burned than in the unburned patches) and the population level (highest proportion of the population forming flowers in the burned sites). (Photo: Sternbergia sicula flowering population in a burned slope of Mt Paneion).