Flora of Romania (II)

The postage stamps issue “Flora of Romania II” completes the project achieved by Romfilatelia on an innovative illustrative thematic. The originality of this project consists in joining the image of the flower with the one of the being, from whose appearance the plant receives its popular name.

The eye of a snake

The Alpine Forget-me-not (Eritrichium nanum (L.) Schrad. ex Gaudin Boraginaceae family) is illustrated on the postage stamp with the face value of 0.50 lei. It is a herbaceous plant with small leaves up to 4.5 mm wide, covered with silky white hairs. Its flowers are blue, rarely white, and have a pleasant smell.

Turkey´s bow

The Love-lies-bleeding (Amaranthus caudatus L. – Amaranthaceae family), an annual plant that can reach a height of 2 m is illustrated on the postage stamp with the face value of 0.60 lei. The plant blossoms from July to October. At the beginning, its inflorescences are long and thin and, as the summer passes, they become thick and red. The species originates in South America and, inRomania it is cultivated for ornamental purposes.

the lamb´s tongue

The Starflower (Borago officinalis L. – Boraginaceae family), an annual plant having a high, thick, arborescent stalk, covered by hairs, is illustrated on the postage stamp with the face value of 1.60 lei. It can reach heights of 30-60 cm. Its leaves have round or little denticulate edges. First, the corolla is star-shaped red, then turning blue. The starflower is a melliferous plant, originating from the Mediterranean area, cultivated and turned wild inRomania. The plant is used in human and veterinary medicine.

Crab´s tail

The Silverweed (Potentilla anserina L. – Rosaceae family), a herbaceous plant, 15-50 cm high, is illustrated on the postage stamp with the face value of 2.00 lei. Its flowers are yellow. It can be found in plain areas and at altitudes up to 1,300-1,500 m, in moist, often ruderalised meadows, but also on the banks of lakes and rivers. It blossoms from May through August. The plant is used in human and veterinary medicine.

Title: Flora of Romania (II)
Date of Issue: 19 January 2012
Country: Romania
Denominations: 50B, 60B, 1L60, 2L
Source: http://www.romfilatelia.ro

Flora of Romania (I)

Flora, a subject highly appreciated by the philately lovers, is approached by Romfilatelia in the postage stamps issue Flora of Romania (I), released in a new illustrative manner, joining the image of the flower and the name of the beings from which their popular name derives.

"the bear´s honey"

The Common Lungwort (Pulmonaria officinalis L. – Boraginaceae family) is illustrated on the postage stamp with the face value of 1.00 lei. It is a perennial plant, spread in our country in deciduous forests, in grasslands and at the border sides of the forests. The strain is 10-30 cm high and the middle stalk leaves are oval-elongated through elliptical. First, the flowers are red and then turn into purple-bluish. The plant blossoms in March through May.

"the rooster´s foot"

The Creeping Buttercup (Ranunculus repens L. – Ranunculaceae family), a perennial plant, very common in the moist areas of mountain meadows and in the marshy areas or on the river banks, is illustrated on the postage stamp with the face value of 1.20 lei. Its root is ramified and thick and it looks like a cock spur. The plant is 30-60 cm high and blossoms in May through August and its flowers are yellow. It is also known as a“curing flower”, being used in human and veterinary medicine.

"Lion´s mouth"

The Common Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus L. – Scrophulariaceae family), a plant with flowers in different colours (white, pink, yellow, orange, red or purple), is illustrated on the postage stamp with the face value of 3.30 lei. The name of this perennial plant derives from the resemblance of the flower with a dragon muzzle, which snaps open when pressing on its sides. It originates from the Mediterranean area and blossoms in June through August. The species is cultivated in Romania.

"rabbit´s watercress"

The Common Wood-Sorrel (Oxalis acetosella L. – Oxalidaceae family) is illustrated on the postage stamp with the face value of 3.60 lei. The plant covers the ground in deciduous and coniferous forests, as a light green carpet islanded with white flowers. This plant has curative capacities and is used in the pharmaceutical field (to stimulate digestion and to refortify the body).

"ox-eye"

The China Aster (Callistephus chinensis (L.) Nees – Asteraceae family) is illustrated on the postage stamp with the face value of 4.70 lei. The name of the plant derives from the Greek words “kalós” (beautiful) and “stéphos” (crown). It originates from Eastern India,China and Japan and is very popular inRomania, being cultivated for ornamental purposes.

"swallow´s dress"

The Field Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis L. – Convolvulaceae family), a cosmopolite plant, is illustrated on the postage stamp with the face value of 7.60 lei. Whether climbing or creeping, its length can reach up to two meters. The leaves have a petiole and the lamina is cordate or hastate. The trumpet-shaped flowers have a 1-2.5 cm diameter and are white or light pink.

Since there is no possibility of ordering stamps directly from Romfilatelia, for those who are living outside Romania, if there is anybody interested in these stamps please let me know. I can help you in getting them at face value + postal charges.

Title: Flora of Romania (I)
Date of Issue: 17 January 2012
Country: Romania
Denominations: 1L, 1,20L, 3,30L, 3,60L, 4,70L , 7,60L
Source: http://www.romfilatelia.ro

Germany 2012 New Issues

Happy New year to everyone!

In this post I will insert images of recent stamp issues from Germany. By clicking on the link below the picture you will be redirected to a short description of the items, similar to what I have done before on this blog. Enjoy!

January 2, 2012 Nationalpark Jasmund

http://douspeakgerman.blogspot.com/2012/01/serie-post-winterferien-in-deutschland.html

http://douspeakgerman.blogspot.com/2012/01/350-geburtstag-matthaus-poppelmann.html

PARROTS ROMANIA 2011

Romfilatelia introduces into circulation the postage stamps issue "Parrots" representing the following species: the Illiger’s Macaw, the Scarlet Macaw, the Yellow-collared Macaw, the Eastern Rosella, the Budgerigar and the Cockatiel.

Parrots are birds making part from the Psittaciformes Order and they belong to the Psittacidae Family. We recognize them after their curved beak. They are found in the entire Southern hemisphere of the Earth, from Australia to India, from Southeastern Asia up to Western Africa, but also in Southern and Central America.
Many parrots’ species can imitate the human conversation and different sounds.

The Illiger’s Macaw (Ara illiger) is illustrated on the stamp with the face value of 1.60 lei. It may be encountered in the Central and Eastern part of South America. The length of its head and tail reaches 46 cm. It has a big head, a strong beak and a long tail. The body plumage is green, the head plumage is blue and the abdomen is pink-reddish. Its face is white, the beak is black and its iris is orange. The feathers on the wings edges are bluish-blackish. It is extremely intelligent and easily tamed. It is not very noisy, but it is very sociable and talkative. It is a rare species.

The Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) is illustrated on the stamp with the face value of 2.10 lei. It may be found in Southern Mexico, up to Brazil and Peru. The body length is 85-95 cm, of which half is tail’s length; it weighs about 1 kg. It has a strong beak. Its plumage is mostly scarlet and the sides of its back and its tail are blue. The upper sides of the wings are yellow, with blue flight feathers, as well as the tail. The undersides of the wings and tail are blue with metallic gold iridescence. Some individuals also have green feathers.

The Yellow-collared Macaw (Primolius auricollis) is illustrated on the stamp with the face value of 2.40 lei. It is found in Northern Argentina, in Brazil up to Eastern Bolivia.

Its length is up to 40 cm, of which the tail represents 59%. It has a green plumage with a yellow collar that is wider on the back part of the neck. The head color is blackish-brown. The feathers on the wings edges are blue and those from the tail are red at their basis, green in the middle and blue at the extremity. The ventral part of the tail is green-yellowish. Its legs are pink and its iris is reddish-yellowish. It has got a black beak sometimes with a grey end. It is an affectionate, clever and ingenious parrot.

The Eastern Rosella (Platycercus eximius) is illustrated on the stamp with the face value of 4.70 lei. Native to Southeastern Australia, it lives both in the wooded pre-mountainous areas and in savannas. The wings, as well the body, are 16 cm long. Its fan-like feathers are blue and the ones on its back are black with a yellow-greenish contour.

The Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) is illustrated on the stamp with the face value of 5.00 lei. This parrot is native to Australia and it was brought on the old continent several hundred years later than any other parrot species. Their “song” goes from the slow chirp to the high-pitched alarm shout that may be heard from more than 500 m.

The Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus) is illustrated on the stamp of the souvenir sheet with the face value of 9.10 lei. It is native to Australia. After 1850, the Europeans started to colonize Australia and immediately afterwards these parrots were brought to Europe. It measures about 40 cm. They are some of Australia’s fastest birds.

Title: PARROTS
Date of Issue: 24 February 2011
Country: Romania
Denominations: 1L60, 2L10, 2L40, 4L70, 5L and 9L10
Source: http://www.romfilatelia.ro

Price: set of 5 stamps + MS = 8,30 euro

REPTILES ROMANIA 2011

Joining the UN and UNESCO Programs and Projects and also many global organisations from which the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) stands out, Romfilatelia continues its mission to foster love and care for the environment.

The first postage stamps issue which Romfilatelia introduced into circulation in 2011, “Reptiles of Romania”, is related to the environmental protection and to the biodiversity preservation. 

The stamps illustrate the following reptile species belonging to the Romanian fauna: the Aesculapian snake, the Balkan wall lizard, the horned viper and the Moldavian meadow viper.

The Aesculapian snake (Zamenis longissimus) illustrated on the postage stamp with the face value of RON 0.60, has a slender body, with a small and narrow head. The tail is long and thin and the length of this snake is 1.50-2 m.  It can be found in the Southern and Central Europe, in Asia Minor and in Northern Iran.

The Balkan wall lizard (Podarcis taurica) is illustrated on the postage stamp with the face value of RON 2.40. It is small, the head, together with the body has a length of the 77 mm (male) or 66 mm (female). Its body is slightly flattened, has a small head and the tail is 1.5 times longer than the body and is very thin towards the end. The colour is dark brown, sometimes olive brown or greenish on the back side and white, with reddish reflexes on the abdomen. It lives in sandy areas, on sand dunes and in rocky places. It feeds on larvae and adult insects, spiders and other arthropods. It can be found in the Southern Crimea, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Serbia, in the North-East of Greece and in the European part of Turkey.

The horned viper (Vipera ammodytes ammodytes) shown on the postage stamp with the face value of RON 3.00, lengths range between 80 and 95 cm. One main feature of this species is the horn on the top of the snout, consisting of 2-4 scales and the dark zigzag on the back. The venom is very toxic. It prefers the sunny areas, with scarce vegetation. It feeds on small rodents and lizards. Usually, it can be found in Eastern Europe where, like in Romania, it has been a protected species since 2001.

The Moldavian meadow viper (Vipera ursinii moldavica) illustrated on the postage stamp with the face value of RON 9.10, has an approximate length of 65 cm and is less poisonous. Generally, its colour is grey and the zigzag pattern on the back is dark brown. It can be found in Delta area, in sandy and arid places and also in the Iasi County. The viper from this area is considered a distinct subspecies. It is protected throughout the European Union.

Title: REPTILES
Date of Issue: 19 January 2011
Country: Romania
Denominations: 60 Bani, 2L40, 3L, 9L10
Source: http://www.romfilatelia.ro

Price: 4,60 euro

NEW ISSUES APRIL 2011

I think it would be nice and useful to have a list of recent issues all over the world.
For example what new stamps will be issued this month by your country?
Can you help me out by sending a link to the website of the post office or philatelic bureau in your country?
I will list everything here, on a monthly basis. If available, I will add pictures too. And in your comments, I will really appreciate if you can mention weather you can procure those stamps for others (resell or exchange, as you wish). So if somebody needs an item knows whom to contact. For now I know these:

FRANCE (http://actutimbree.laposte.fr/ and http://timbres.laposte.fr/homepage.jgi) 

- no other pictures found - 

• 04.04 Odilon Redon 
• 11.04 Angers and Wooden Bridge in Crest
• 18.04 Gothic art - booklet
• Bridge over Oyapock
• OCDE

HUNGARY (http://posta.hu/belyeg/belyegeink/ujdonsagok)

- I only found the stamps issued in March -
ISRAEL (http://english.israelphilately.org.il/new_issues/)

• 12.04 Flags - booklet
• Memorial day
• Butterflies
• Visit Israel
• ATM Postage Label - Persian Deer

ITALY (http://www.ibolli.it/cat/italia/11/11.php?uu=1)

• 12.04 Gagarin and Vostok I
• 21.04 Rome, capital city
• 23.04 100 years from the death of Emilio Salgari

POLAND (http://www.poczta-polska.pl/znaczki/en/index.php)

• "Smile of the World" on the Photography of Elżbieta Dzikowska
• Beatification of Pope John Paul II

ROMANIA (http://www.romfilatelia.ro/marci/calendar.php?Lang=en)
- unfortunately they don´t have pictures available on the website until the day of issue, and the date is also unknown -

• Butterflies
• The Parlament - interior decorations
• Europa 2011 - Forests

USA ( http://www.stamps.org/newissues/index.htm#April)

• 07.04 Herbs
• 08.04 Lady Liberty and American flag - definitives
• 11.04 New River Gorge Bridge, Voyageurs National Park, G.Washington, Wedding Cake
• 12.04 Civil War
• 21.04 Wedding Roses
• 28.04 G. Peck, H. Hayes, Oveta Culp Hobby
• Go green

To be continued...