Coris monspeliensis

Coris monspeliensis

Tomillo macho

Unfortunately I missed this beauty in flower. It is native to southern Spain and north Africa, where it blooms from April to June. It can grow to 40cms tall and has deep pink to purple flowers. It grows on coastal and barren mountains, the latter was where it was found.

Klasea baetica

Klasea baetica

This plant is classed as Endangered in the Red List of Andalucia, and is found in Málaga and Granada provinces. It grows at an altitude of 300 to 1400m and can grow to a height of 40cms, though this solitary specimen was about 12cms. It flowers from May to July.

Centaurea prolongoi

Centaurea prolongoi  Yellow knapweed

This yellow Knapweed is found in the Malaga mountains only and is classed as Vulnerable in the Red List of Andalucia. It grows 20 to 65cms tall  and flowers from March to July.

Staehelina dubia

Staehelina dubia 

 Hierba pincel

This small plant grows in limestone rocks and is native to the southern Iberian pennisula. It grows from 10 to 40 cms tall and flowers from May to July.

Saponaria officinalis

Saponaria officinalis  Common soapwort

Hierba jabonera

This beautiful plant is native to Europe and west to Siberia, which makes it even more remarkable that I had never found it before! It can grow to a height of 1metre, and spread to 1m as this was.  The leaves can be boiled to make a gentle soap. It flowers from June to August. It was a solitary plant as we could not find any others.

Campanula mollis

Campanula mollis White form.

This plant is native to southern Spain and NW Africa and is found growing in limestone rocks and cliffs, from May to July. I happened to find this white form yesterday. It is most unusual.

Serapias lingua

Serapias lingua  Tongue orchid

This species of orchid is native to the Mediterranean area and flowers from March to June, usually on damp meadows. It is distinguished by other Serapias by a dark spot at the base of its throat, which I cannot demonstrate here unfortunately. It grows from a height of 15 to 50cms.

Genista triacanthos

Genista triacanthos Broom

Ahulaga morisca

This small thorny shrub is found in the undergrowth of Cork and Gall Oaks and can grow to a height of 1 metre, though the specimens we saw were all about 30 to 40cms tall. The blooms are very small,  and the leaves only 2 to 20mm long.It is native to the Iberian pennisula and NW Morocco. It flowers from April to June.

Cephalanthera rubra

Cephalanthera rubra Red helleborine

This orchid grows to a height of 40cms, though these plants were smaller. It flowers from May to July and grows in wooded areas in the mountains. It is native to Europe, north Africa and SW Asia, though it is very rare in Britain.

Cytisus fontanesii ssp plumosum

Cytisus fontanesii ssp plumosus

This beautiful low growing broom has hairy leaves and can grow to a height  50cms, though these plants were much shorter as they were growing in Sierra de las Nieves. It grows on limestone and gypsum and flowers from April to June. It is a Ronda endemic, and is on the Red List of plants in danger of extinction.