Snake's Head Lily - Croatia


Fritillaria meleagris - The snake’s head lily derives its name from the bobbing flower on the plant’s stem resembling a snake’s head when not fully open. The flowers are a dark purple chequered pattern; on rare occasions, the flowers are white. It is native to Europe, cultivated in gardens, and not easy to find growing in the wild. The bulbs are alkaloid and highly poisonous. Being a hermaphrodite plant, the snake’s head has the capability to self-pollinate, but is usually pollinated by bees.

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Evidence of pre-Neandertal remains have been found in several areas of Croatia. Flints made by palaeolithic humanoids were unearthed in Šandalja Cave, a site near the village of Punikve. Teeth and bone fragments of Neandertals have been recovered from the Hušnjakovo site located near Krapina. These discoveries were found in 1899 and have been dated to 130,000 years ago. The recovered remains are referred to as Homo krapiniensis. Findings also included tools and evidence of a hearth.