Fuerteventura in bloom

[tamara_k]

Close to Lajares roundabout yesterday

c matthews : canon 5d mark ii

[c matthews]

thanks

[tamara_k]

Today I went up the Ecanfraga, biggish mountain next to Villaverde. While the mountain doesn't have many plants on it, a little barranco between it and the village is blooming marvelously





Silybum marianum. Looks like I am bit late for the tallest and most spectacular ones - they've almost finished blooming.



don't know, some sort of ground-cover, flowers are really small



Mesembryanthemum crystallinum. Seeds were apparently used in the past to make gofio



More asphodels




and the view south west from the top (more or less).

actually, I didn't get to the top, had to stop maybe 30 meters down from it. My (otherwise excellent) Kompass map doesn't show a path up, so I randomly chosen the path on that side of "horseshoe" that is closer to Villaverde and it didn't lead to the very top. I was alone so I chickened out somewhat and decided not to climb that last bit.

Next time I try the other side

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

great pics again - especially the view!

[Paddster]

Again,what a beautiful island this is,its got everything.......Hope it stays that way.......Fab pics........

[tamara_k]

thank you.

we had a little rain over the dunes today, maybe more flowers are coming, at least I hope so

[tamara_k]

well, that's not exactly canarian flora, but it rained again just now - including on my Christmas star plant

[Paddster]

Thats hell of a camera you have there Tamara,lovely pics,you have a talent dear......

[tamara_k]

cheers, Paddster

Here is another interesting plant we saw this weekend in Jandia



at first I thought it was a bindweed, wrapped around branches of a low and very prickly bush, but no, the flowers belonged to the bush itself.

Now I found the name - Convolvulus caput-medusae, so it is related to bindweed (Convolvulus). It's another endemic, growing only of Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria, but mostly on Fuerteventura, and another "vulnerable" species.

"caput-medusae" bit is "head of Medusa", reference to the thorny branches that stick out as a very untidy hair, apparently

[Paddster]

I wouldn't mess with that then,especially if its owt like who its named after,LOL.......Great pics again,thanks.....

[tamara_k]

pretty sure it won't turn you into stone, but it would be painful to sit upon for sure

[Paddster]

LOL......

[tamara_k]

Amazing how much the flora on the edge of the dunes changed since I've checked last. It's quite dry now, and lots of those plants,  Cyperus capitatus,  came up, straight out of the sand again

[Paddster]

Great camera you have there tamara,your pics are fantastic,keep 'em coming please....

[falkirkdan]

Here! Here!!

[tamara_k]

Thanks



almond tree in Villaverde today

[Paddster]

Stunning,keep 'em coming and thank you......

[waggy]

Thanks for the lovely, stunning pix of such rare and beautiful plants, Tamara; I'm getting homesick for somewhere I don't even live.

[tamara_k]

Asteriscus sericeus, endemic to Fuerteventura  blooms on Pico de Zarza

[duncolm]

Now that's a spectacular location.
Nice one Tamara.