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What
is more, 3000 of these plants are endemic, in
other words unique to Turkey.
Winter is a difficult time for herbaceous flowering
plants. In this season most lose their leaves
and their stems wither. Either their roots and
bulbs survive beneath the soil, or they wait
out the winter as seeds. However, there are
some species which continue their active life
in winter, even producing flowers. The majority
of such plants are found in the Mediterranean
region, primarily due to the mild climate, but
also for geomorphological and topographic reasons.
Winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) is one such
a plant, clumps of which are found flowering
in late winter and early spring. As soon as
the snow melts in the Toros Mountains the bright
yellow petals of this flower bring colour to
the grey limestone and grassy pastures near
Tarsus.
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