Israel 2008 Cyclamen & Rose ( My Own Stamp )

 
Flowers accompany our lives at every turn, from birth to old age. They are used in gardening as well as for food, decoration, ceremonies and many other purposes. Some 2,500 species of wild flowering plants grow in Israel, as well as thousands of species and varieties of cultivated plants – cut flowers, garden plants, food crops and medicinal plants, ornamental trees and more. All cultivated plants originate from wild plants. Cultivation of plants began in our area some 15,000 years ago and it continues to this day.
 

Cyclamen persicum

The Cyclamen persicum is a common wildflower in Israel, found from Mount Hermon in the north and as far south as the southern Hebron Mountains. The rare Cyclamen coum also grows wild in Israel, on Mount Meron, in the northern Golan Heights and on Mount Hermon.
 
Some 20 wild Cyclamen species exist in the world, from Somalia in Africa to Central Europe, mostly in the Middle East and southwest Asia. Cyclamen persicum is the largest of the Cyclamen species and it is the species from which the cultivated Cyclamen was derived.
 
Cyclamen persicum mainly grows among rocks, but also in other places. The plants may grow singlely or at times create dense carpets. Either way, they are breathtaking.
 
The Cyclamen’s shape – the flower is turned downward, apparently to protect its pollen from the rain, and the heart-shaped leaves have a unique color pattern for each plant – differentiate it from all the other wild flowers in Israel and grant it a very attractive appearance. Because of its beauty, the Cyclamen used to be picked in large quantities, causing the populations to dwindle. Thus, it is now among the protected wildflowers of Israel.
 
The Cyclamen has many popular uses: the leaves may be stuffed or eaten cooked in salads, the (poisonous) bulb is used as a "soap" and it was used for illegal fishing in the past as well as for medicinal purposes.
 
The Cyclamen was recently chosen as Israel’s “National Flower”.

1 Jun 2009 : Hameguagaim

 
 

Rose

The rose is the oldest cultivated flower in the world. Archeological excavations in Iran unearthed relieves depicting cultivated roses (multi-petaled) dating to the eighth century BCE, in other words, some 2,800 years ago.
 
Not only is the rose the most ancient cultivated flower in the world, it also has the largest number of cultivated varieties. Many thousands exist today and additional new varieties are constantly being developed. The rose was independently cultivated in at least two different geographical areas: the Far East (from the wild species Rosa sinensis) and the Mediterranean basin (from the wild species Rosa canina – Dog Rose, which also grows wild in Israel). Some of the cultivated varieties were developed from a single wild species, while others are hybrids. All wild species have just five petals, while most of the cultivated varieties have multiple petals.
 
Three rose species are indigenous plants of Israel – Rosa canina, R. phoenicia and R. pulverulenta. Some 150 species of wild roses exist in all, mainly in the northern hemisphere.
 
The rose is widely thought of as the “King of Flowers”. It accompanies and decorates the ceremonies and holidays of our lives from birth to death and also represents a gesture of love. Paintings of roses, rose patterns and the symbol of the rose surround us everywhere we look.

1 Jun 2009 : Hameguagaim

Israel 2006 Tulip & Columbine ( My Own Stamp )

Tulips and Columbines (Aquilegia) are ornamental flowers. The origin of the wild Tulip is in Turkey, while the Columbine is a native of Europe and North America.
 
Tulip

The Tulip (Tulipa) is a perennial plant, with a bulb set deep in the ground. Essentially it is a spring flower: the few leaves burst forth from the soil when the air warms up and from their heart grows a stalk with a single, strikingly beautiful flower.
The cultivation of Tulips started in the thirteenths century in Iran. The first Tulips reached Europe in the year 1554 from the Sultans Court in Istanbul. 80 species of Tulips were discovered since and in the hands of gardeners, bred into hundreds of cultivated forms and varieties. In 1634 trading in Tulips turned into a speculative frenzy – Tulipomania - during which the bulbs were sold at outrageous prices. Today Holland is the world’s prime center of Tulip cultivation, and exports millions of bulbs worldwide (also to Israel), though none of the species is native to Holland. Their flowers are grown as pot plants, for bedding, or cut flowers.
The five native Israeli, wild species, are protected plants.

 
Columbine

Columbines (Aquilegia in Latin) belong to the Buttercup family and are distinguished by their spectacular summer flowering.
Columbines conquered their place in gardens only during the twentieth century. They were promoted by seed merchants who encouraged the breeding of a wide range of forms; during the Middle-Ages it was part of popular herbal medicine, but nowadays it is only an ornamental and cut flower.
70 species, native to the Northern Hemisphere, grow in shady spots, forest fringes, meadows or soil pockets in the mountains. Herbaceous growth and showy flowers, carried in a small cluster above the leaves, distinguish Columbines.
The flowers are symmetric, erect or nodding. Each flower is comprised by five sepals and  ive petals with a hollow, nectar filled spur. Flower colors range from dark blue, violet to shades of yellow. Crossing of the species created varieties of outstanding flower size and colorfulness.

Israel 2003 Lily ( My Own Stamp )

 Since Israel's independence, the production of garden plants and cut flowers has grown significantly. Today, with export of more than 200 million dollars, Israel is one of the larger suppliers to the world market.

 Lilies are 100 bulbous plant species, native to the Northern Hemisphere. They flower in spring and summer on a leafy stalk that carries 5 to 7 bell-shaped or bowl-shaped, large, often fragrant, flowers in many colors. The beauty of the gradually opening up flowers made the lily a garden ornamental as far back as ancient times.

 Since 1928, breeders have created hundreds of different hybrids, making lilies one of the most common cut flowers and flowering pot plants.

The study of the methods of environmental control of flowering has today facilitated an almost industrial production of flowers from these hybrids. 

The “Asiatic” hybrid species is illustrated on the stamp. 

Many thousands of cultivated lily bulbs and flowers are exported from Israel world – wide.

1 July 2003 : My Own Stamp

24 Feb 2002 : Special Sheet

24 Feb 2002 

Israel 2003 Gerbera, Calla, Orinithogalum & Lisianthus ( My Own Stamp )

 Four beautiful cut flowers were chosen for the special sheet: Florists Calla (Zantedeschia aethiopica); Prairie Gentian or Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum), Barberton Daisy (Gerbera jamesonii) and Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum dubium). 

 

Florists Calla (Zantedeschia aethiopica) 

 Six species of Calla are native to eastern and southern Africa.  The large, white flower spate, long shelf life and exquisite form contribute in making this one of the more popular ornamentals.  While in its native home the Calla is limited to seasonal swamps, in Israel it is cultivated in different soils.

 

Prairie Gentian (Eustoma Grandiflorum) 

 Also known as Lisinthus, this is one of the relatively new cut flowers, which, in the last fifty years, has become popular in gardens and in world commerce.  Breeders in Israel and abroad transformed a not-particularly impressive herbaceous desert plant into one f the most well known cut flowers, with shades of white, blue, lilac, pink or red.

  

Barberton Daisy (Gerbera jamesonii) 

 Barberton Daisies are well known to florists, due to their variety of different colors – both delicate pastels and bright shades.  The flower heads with a cloth-like texture are carried on a long, strong stem, above the leaf rosette.  The Barberton Daisy is a perennial native to northern South Africa.

  

Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum dubium) 

 There are 120 species of the bulbous garden perennials, know as “Star of Bethlehem” which mostly flower in the spring and are found in the area from Europe to South Africa.

 

Nine species are native to Israel.  Whilst most of the species have white star-like flowers in dense heads above a rosette of strap-shaped leaves, this South African species has orange, yellow or white flowers.  The relatively large white bulb has substances that are used in folk medicine, but the sap can cause skin allergies.

1 July 2003 : My Own Stamp

18 Mar 2001 : Sheetlet

   

18 Mar 2001