I have a terrible memory for remembering names of books and of flowers, which makes life quite awkward at times when you are married to an Antiquarian bookseller and love photographing Portuguese flora. Fortunately however MrB has come to terms with the former, and I have numerous resources up my sleeves for the latter! And I really needed all of the latter after our recent 3hour birding and botany adventure in São Lourenço.
It will be another couple of months before the Algarve reaches peak season for the flora, but even so I found plenty to photograph. The alliums in particular were lovely to look at as they were covering the ground at our feet, the colour of them suggested they might be Naples Garlic (neapolitanum) but we were in a very dry habitat and the flower clusters were tight and the stems looked cylindrical. This all suggests they might be a Rosy Garlic (roseum) but then I noticed another shot I had taken showed them with multiple leaves and the stamen did look quite long which suggests they could be Allium massaessylum except there are no purple keels! Help, are there any botanists out there who could advise? To help you here’s a comparison of all alliums on the excellent Flora-On website.
I felt more confident with some of the other flora such as the gorgeous Silene colorata, more commonly known as the Pink Pirouette. They are very common here on waste land and also in sandy places. You do need to crouch down though to photograph.
Also at ground level, and therefore easily overlooked is the nailwort (paronychia argenta). So named as it was once thought to cure diseases of the fingernails! They create a carpet of white over maritime sandy soils. And in a few weeks they will be joined by a thick rug of South African ice plants, as we spotted a couple already in flower. I was also feeling confident about the euphorbia, which I am pretty sure is Geraldton carnation spurge (Euphorbia terracina). Not as confident though about the armeria. Armeria pungens is one of the most common species on the coastal sands in this area, but is that what I have photographed?!
As in England in spring there is an abundance of yellow, from tiny ones at your feet to those at eye level and higher. Unfortunately many of these are invasive non-native plants which are having a detrimental impact on the environment, namely the mimosa (acacia) and eucalyptus. The one I have photographed here I think is the Swamp Mahogany (robustus) but am hoping one of my lovely Australian blogging friends can identify for definite for me.
It wasn’t just the flora that caught my eye, there were numerous insects and birds too. The birds I am going to have to keep for another post, but here are a few shots of some of the other fauna I spotted.
As you can probably guess by the multiple shots of the Carpenter Bees I am really happy to see them! This is a good time of year to photograph them as they have only recently emerged from their winter hibernation and so still enjoying the sunshine. In a few weeks they will be moving far too fast for me to photograph. Not so happy though to still see the Thaumetopoea herculeana (processionary caterpillar), but at least I recognised them unlike the grub that the Hoopoe had found.
You saved the best of a lovely group til last, the Hoopoe is gorgeous!
Oh thank you so much 😊 we’ve seen him a few times now on this wall but this was the first time with a grub!
Spring must definitely have arrived for you Becky. These flower images are gorgeous.
Thank you so much. It certainly feels like it has 😊
Looks like I join the throng who love the Pink Pirouette flower and of course the Hoopoe. Lovely post Becky 🙂
Thank you so much Brian, more than happy for you to join the pirouette throng dancing around the world 😊
Twirling twirling twirling 🙂
PS did you recognise the eucalyptus? Wasn’t sure I had identified it correctly.
The nuts look like Swamp Mahogany. Is the bark rough with fissures?
Yes, if you go to next gallery with the bees. There’s a trunk shot (sorry no idea why I put that shot in next gallery!!)
I’ll say yep Swamp Mahogany 🙂
Thanks 😊 now all I need do is remember this!
Just looking out of my window I have about 10 to try and remember their names. Only joking of course I know which one is which
You’ll have to do a tree post on them all for us 😊
Oh dear……….I guess I could but it will take time
Plenty of time 😊
The Hoopoe is a lovely image, as is the rest of the flora. Funny we never called those creeping succulents ‘ice plants’ in SA. They were known as Hottentot figs, sour figs or vygies. Edible as well 🙂 And a bit if a nuisance on the cliffs in Cornwall destroying the habitat of native plants.
Suspect they are a nuisance here too along with all the Bermuda Buttercups 😕
PS didn’t know they were edible though. How did you use them?
We didn’t, but the little coloured children from the nearby township used to come and pick the fruits. I guess they taste similar to a sour fig, hence the common name. I believe the leaves are also edible, but no idea how you would use them!
Ah I’ve never been here when they fruit. Intrigued by use of leaves I’ll have to investigate!
Every single capture is so beautiful! My favorite is that last one. The bird almost looks pleased with himself. 😀
oh thank you so very much 🙂 he certainly posed there a long time!
Love the white and yellow of spring but have to wait still a few months for that.. 😉
but when your spring arrives it will be glorious 🙂
I love the pink pirouette. What a lovely name! And the hoopoe. They are such quirkily handsome birds. I would love to see one. X
Thank you so much 🙂 I love the name too! And we are so lucky Hoopoes are a regular sight here in the Algarve.
Wonderful details! Love that Pink pirouette, and the Hoopoe image is great , Becky ! The Bees Knees!!
thank you so much Sue, and what a great title that would have made ‘The Bees Knees’. 😀
😀😀👏
I love the Pink Pirouette! I think I’d be a bit worried if you could identify the grub in the Hoopoe’s beak, great picture though it is. I hope you took a picture of the knees with the spikes in for next month.
Hee hee . . .nope completely forgot to photograph the knees. How daft am I!!!
Fabulous the detail you share. I can just picture you crouched among the plants. 🙂 🙂 And no, don’t be silly- of course I can’t be any help with the ID. 🙂 Have a great week!
Hee hee, I found lots of spiky things in my knees after I got up!!!