Saturday 29 June 2013

Chamaerops humilis

Chamaerops humilis Mediterranean palm

Palmito
Flowers from March to May 
I have never seen these plants so big before and growing like trees in the wild. These were at least 2 metres tall. I have been told that they can grow to 3 metres and survive for 500 years if they don't suffer in a fire which these obviously haven't. These, therefore, must be several hundred years old.

Friday 28 June 2013

Orobanche rapum-genistae

Orobanche rapum-genistae  Broom broomrape

Jopo
April to July
Broomrapes are often confused with orchids at first glance but they are a parasitic plant, containing no chlorophyll. They are entirely dependent on plant roots for nutrients. There are 200 species worldwide and can cause severe problems with legume crops. The seeds can lay dormant for many years. They can grow from 10~60cms tall. This plant can vary in colour from white, beige, pink, brown, blues and purples. This Broomrape is parasitic on Cytisus, Genistas etc.


Thursday 27 June 2013

Orobanche crenata

Orobanche crenata Broomrape

Jopo
March to July
I believe I am correct in the i.d. as there are so many Broomrapes. This one is parasitic on cultivated Legumes, in this case, Broad beans or Habas.

Salvia argentea

Salvia argentea Silver sage

This beauty flowers from May to August, and is a biennial or short lived perennial. It can grow to a metre wide and 1.5 metres tall.
It is native to southern Europe, from Portugal to Bulgaria.

Monday 24 June 2013

Convolvulus arvensis

Convolvulus arvensis  Field bindweed

Corregüela menor

April to September

It comes in shades of white, and pale pink to deep pink. Not invasive as other bindweeds. It is native to Europe and Asia and grows from 50cms to 2 metres.




Lythrum acutangulum

Lythrum acutangulum Loosestrife

April to August

Photographed near to Osuna, Province of Sevilla. It was creeping along the ground in damp  ditches.

Friday 21 June 2013

Scabiosa simplex


Scabiosa simplex  Scabious

Escabiosa menor

May to July

Thursday 20 June 2013

Arenaria hispanica

Arenaria hispanica

This annual plant flowers from March to May and is native to Andalusia and NW Africa. It grows up to 25cms and flowers from March to June, and grows up to an altitude of 800 metres.


Tuesday 18 June 2013

Eryngium campestre


Eryngium campestre Field Eryngo

Cardo corredor

It is found in flower from June to September and can grow to an height of 50cms.
Used medicinally for coughs, Whooping cough and Urinary infections.  Also roots cooked as a vegetable. It is found in central and southern Europe.

Orobanche amethystea

Orobanche amethystea  Broomrape

Jaro
This plant was parasitic on Eryngium campestre
March to July

Saturday 15 June 2013

Helianthus annuus

Helianthus annuus Sunflowers

Girasol
Osuna, Sevilla Province 15.6.2013
July to September
Sevilla province is always much earlier that the rest of Andalucia. In the Ronda area they are very short with no flowers, at the moment. The Sunflowers are now in bloom in the Serrania de Ronda; a full month after Sevilla provincia.


Friday 14 June 2013

Santolina rosmarinifolia ssp. pectinata


Santolina rosmarinifolia ssp. pectinata Holy Flax

Abrotano

This plant is a perennial herb flowering from May to August. It grows to a height of approx. 50cms and at an altitude of 1,000~1,700m. It can survive long periods of drought, and is native to the Iberian peninsula and north Africa.



Thursday 13 June 2013

Nature at it's best


Nature at it's best

The Umbelliferae  (or Apiaceae), the Carrot or Parsley family confuse me. I am going to guess that the white parsley type of plant is Carum carvi, but I could be wrong.
Nature at it's best

Wednesday 12 June 2013

Daucus carota


Daucus carota Wild carrot

Zanahoria silvestre
May to September
This is one of the few plants still in flower as I write, in August. We now have the golden fields of summer, but beautiful in their own right.

Pallenis spinosa

Pallenis spinosa Spiny Golden Star

Ojo de buey

This pretty, annual herb flowers from April to July and can grow to an height of 50cms. It survives long periods of drought and is native to southern Europe, north Africa and the Middle East. It grows from an altitude of  0~1,700m.



Stachys ocymastrum

Stachys ocymastrum Italian hedgenettle

This pretty annual plant flowers from March to June and can grow between 15~70cms tall. It is native to the Mediterranean basin.


Monday 10 June 2013

Nepeta tuberosa


Nepeta tuberosa Catmint

Flowers from March to September.
This plant, that I found for the first time last week, 4.6.2012, some of the spikes were over 1m tall. It is a native of the Iberian peninsula, Morocco and Sicily.
What an amazing Catmint!

Sunday 9 June 2013

Saturday 8 June 2013

Rosa for id

Rosa for id

May to July

Rosa canina

Rosa canina  Dog rose

Escaramujo
May to July

Rumex scutatus ssp induratus


Rumex scutatus ssp induratus

Acederilla

These beauties flower from March to July and grow from 30-80cms in height. It is native to southern and central of the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco and Algeria. It can grow to an altitude of 1500m on dry hillsides and slopes.

Thursday 6 June 2013

Anarrhinum bellidifolium


Anarrhinum bellidifolium

Espuela de Adonis
This plant flowers from March to October and can grow to 50cms. Photo taken in the Genal Valley. It is native to SW Europe, and is commonly seen on dry banks and river beds in Spain.


Campanula semisecta


Campanula semisecta

April to June
Valle del Genal

Wednesday 5 June 2013

Digitalis purpurea ssp. bocquetii

Digitalis purpurea ssp. bocquetii  Common foxglove

Digital

May to July
This specimen was 2m in height

Digitalis purpurea ssp. bocquetii

Digitalis purpurea ssp. bocquetii  Common foxglove

Digital

May to July

Digitalis obscura ssp. laciniata

Digitalis obscura ssp. laciniata Spanish foxglove

This pretty Foxglove flowers from May to July. It is native to the Iberian peninsula and north Africa. It grows from 40cm to 1 metre tall and is found in shady banks and verges.

Digitalis obscura ssp. laciniata

Digitalis obscura ssp. laciniata  Spanish foxglove

May to July 
I found this for the first time yesterday 4.6.2013. It was small, approx 25-30cms.

Tuesday 4 June 2013

Sedum amplexicaule

Sedum amplexicaule

June and July

Sedum amplexicaule 

This Sedum flowers from May to July and grows from 5-15cms tall. It is native to the whole Mediterranean.


Aphyllanthes monspeliensis

Aphyllanthes monspeliensis

Falso junquillo
This pretty blue plant flowers from May to July, and grows from 10~40cms tall. It is native to France, the Iberian peninsula and Apennine peninsula. It grows on limestone and gypsum soils, usually in the mountains.


Sunday 2 June 2013

Silene coelirosa

Silene coelirosa  Rose Silene

This later flowering Silene flowers from May to June and can reach a height of 50cms. It is native to SW Europe, NW Africa and the Canary Islands.


Salvia barrelieri

Salvia barrelieri Spanish sage

This pretty perennial Sage flowers from May to July and  can grow 1-2m tall. It has large, wavy grey/green leaves.  It is native to North Africa and SW Spain, found at an altitude of between 500m~ 1,200m.



Lavatera trimestris

 Lavatera trimestris  Wild mallow

May to July

Lavatera trimestris

Lavatera trimestris Wild mallow

May to July

The colours vary from deep pink, pale pink and white. I believe I have id'd this correctly. Please correct me if I am wrong. Sometimes called Stegia trimestris.


Lavatera trimestris

Lavatera trimestris Wild mallow

May to July

Saturday 1 June 2013

Coriandrum sativum

Coriandrum sativum  Coriander or Cilantro

Cilandro
May to July

Fields and fields of these are appearing now. 1.6.2013 They are cultivated more and more, though we do get escapees that seed themselves in the wild. They are grown for their seeds in the commercial market. The scent is overwhelming at times.