The flowers of the chalmit are insect pollinated and exhibit distinctive markings on the petals which lead the insect to its center. Here the pollen and nectar are stored. This plant is found in abundance all over Israel, especially in places that have been inhabited by man for a long time. This is because it benefits from the high levels of nitrogen in refuse heaps.
Gezer Haginah – Wild Carrot
There are at least seven species of wild carrot in the country. The ancestor of the garden carrot grows very tall. In Hebrew it is called gezer haginah, carrot of the garden. Wild carrots were probably cultivated in ancient Israel. But the common use of carrots as a vegetable and their present modern form dates from medieval Europe. The wild carrot grows in profusion all over Israel.
The crown flower is also of the carrot family. It is an annual plant and grows in fields and along the roadside.