Fuerteventura in bloom

[tamara_k]

Unfortunately, right now I don't have a garden, so no bird bath. Our next place must have one though, if I have any say in it

Today's catch - between Villa verde and La Oliva, sort of going in a zigzagy way for the two windmills. If you saw a woman with a big camera kneeling or  laying on her stomach on sharp rocks in the field while thee male members of the family getting slowly but surely bored nearby - that woman was probably me


I am almost sure it is sweet pea Lathyrus clymenum

more of the same

the same chives as yesterday - probably Allium roseum,  rosy garlic, but if anybody knows for sure, please confirm or deny

this one I don't know, but possible some legumes too?

[waggy]

You do find some interesting stuff, Tamara. The first one is definitely pea family, the second, allium and the third is possibly a fumitory. Whether they are endemics, I wouldn't like to say but it's very often the leaves that are diagnostic - do they have spots, spikes, protective wax coats, paired, shape, dicots, monocots, etc. It's often a better guide than the actual flower.
If you get a good field guide to fuerte/canarias flora it will have a diagnostics introduction probably.

[tamara_k]

Thanks waggy, the last one (fumitory) is a completely new name for me The floradecanarias.com lists 7 species of them, all looking somewhat similar

I haven't seen a good guide to canarian flora yet in the shops or in the library. Amazon.co.uk lists some though, will have a browse.

[waggy]

Hi, Tamara, Just google what you want as 'images' and something like this will show up. Hopefully anyway.
http://www.google.co.uk/search?num=10&hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1440&bih=710&q=fumitory&oq=fumitory&gs_l=img.3..0l2j0i5j0i24l7.1812.5019.0.10085.8.8.0.0.0.0.65.501.8.8.0...0.0...1ac.1.E685q_GA-4s

[waggy]

I googled 'Canarian fumitory' for this one on 'images'. there are lots more on the 'images' page. When you click on the pix you want to look at and it comes up, you'll maybe see a document underneath it; click on the corner 'x' of the piccy to get rid of it and you can then read the doc. underneath.
http://canarypix.photoshelter.com/image/I0000sFKwCP6i_GU

[waggy]

Plenty to keep you going here.

http://canarypix.photoshelter.com/gallery/Canarian-Wild-Flowers/G0000lHOGUnNhLuI/0/C0000BziXGNDNLWg

[tamara_k]

wow, that's a lot of interesting plants there, thanks!

[emmi]

Would you know what this one is called - grows like weeds in my garden?

[Captain Sensible]

We've now got them in our garden.  We call them monster plants because they grow very quickly and tall.   What you can't see in Emmis photo is the green leaves on the stem.  They grow to about 90cm.

[PHo]

Hi Tamara.  I agree with Lathyrus clymenum and Allium roseum - the fumitory is Fumaria bastardii I believe (there must be a story behind that name). The best book I have found is Wild Flowers of the Canary Islands, by David and Zoe Bramwell.  It is long out of print but I found a second hand copy.  It's biggest drawback is that is uses mostly line drawings and few pictures.  Also it is so out of date that some of the names have been changed.
I eventually got so fed with this up that I bought two Fuerteventura-only species lists, which mostly agree but have only scientific names and no descriptions.  Then I built a database and populated it with images from the internet.  There are about 850 entires, Fuerteventura plants only, and the search facility is pretty rudimentary, but it has enabled us to identify many plants that would otherwise have baffled us.  I have also produced books on birds, butterflies and seashore which are small enough to take with us on trips out.
Yes - sad old git I know, but I enjoy it!

[emmi]

Re: my photo above of pink flowers, I have some monsters in a pot which are over 200cms.!!!!
(not including the pot)

[PHo]

nothing remotely like your monster plant in my database Emmi.  I suspect it is an introduced garden plant that has escaped, and not native.

[PHo]

The University of British Columbia has a plant identification forum which has come up trumps for me in the past.   Got an identification of a Fue plant from someone in Peru!
http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=7bcdfbfe1338b3b3788ba5d4a76f60c7&f=38

[tamara_k]

that "monster" thing is probably Kalanchoe serrata. Have a look at the pics on google, looks pretty much like it.

Pho - I do believe that all "bastardii" things are meant to be sort of opposite to "noble", i.e. "common", "grows everywhere", "not that interesting"
So... is your database accessible on the web? and your books, are they something I can buy or is it something your produced for your personal use? Thanks!

[PHo]

It certainly looks like the Kalanchoe, which is not native to Fuerteventura.
I have sent you an email about my database, Tamara.

[emmi]

Yep, those are the ones see here,

https://toptropicals.com/cgi-bin/garden_catalog/cat.cgi?uid=kalanchoe_serrata

and at USD 9.99 per plant, looks like I am on the way to becoming a millionaire!!!  LOL!

[tamara_k]

emmi, once you are there, drinks are on you, right?

yesterday's catch (calima killed the sky somewhat, shame)

Echium and something dandelion-y View towards Lajares from Montana Del Arena


Fumaria



asphodele


probably ranunculus of some kind?

[thevdoc]

Hey Tamara, I'm not a plant person and love fuerte because it's so baron, but you've changed my mind looking at the beautiful pictures you have posted, thank you for this and making me look twice at the world around me!

[fifi]

I love the first photo that you posted in your last post Tamara

Thanks for all the beautiful photos.

[emmi]

nothing remotely like your monster plant in my database Emmi.  I suspect it is an introduced garden plant that has escaped, and not native.

From my internet search it may be from Madagascar! And first discovered about 400 years ago!

[PHo]

Right again Tamara. It's Ranunculus cortusifolius, the only species native to Fuerte. Local name Morgallana.

[tamara_k]

thanks guys, and thanks very much Pho for the id of the buttercup

there is a lot of interesting flowers right now as you go from Lajares to El Cotillo along the main road - after the roundabout look at your left hand side (probably right hand side too, but there seem to be fewer flowers there).

There are "starry chives" of the original post, echium, chrysanthemums, and I found two more things that I can only tentatively classify



I think it is Matthiola bolleana, canarian wallflower, endemic to eastern islands, although, as usual, not 100 sure. While each flower is not that beautiful, it forms nice pools of lilac color



Don't know, too many types of flowers look generally similar. Coleostephus?

[PHo]

Yes it's Matthiola bolleana.  The yellow flower is Senecio bollei, also endemic to Fue and Lanza.  local name Moqueguirre de Bolle.

[Ole Man River]

This is in a local community garden.

[falkirkdan]

Tamara it is just amazing what is about if you keep your eyes peeled.  Loved the pictures you have posted.   

Next time I am over will let you know so you can get a photo of a real gem

[tamara_k]

thank you Pho, once again

falkirkdan - looking forward to it

[tamara_k]

bright lichens and asphodels around Montana del Arena

[duncolm]

Tamara, I'm always impressed how well controlled the exposure of your photos is.

If you take photos of Dan, be careful they don't become 'over-exposed'...

[tamara_k]

cheers duncolm, will watch out for any signs of over-exposure

[c matthews]

hi what camera do you have