 Wild Gladiolus  Gladiolus illyricus
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The Algarve is home to two species of wild gladiolii. The most common, Gladiolus italicus, grows throughout the Mediterranean. It is a medium to tall plant producing a more or less two sided flowering spike of red-pink flowers. The anthers of these flowers are longer than the filaments. Gladiolus illyricus is a smaller plant whose anthers are shorter or equal in length to the filaments. In grassy places you may find one of the many Alliums. These are the plants in the onion, garlic and leek family. When you bruise their leaves the aroma of garlic is released. The white flowered allium, Allium neapolitanum appears before the pink variety Allium roseum. When the peony (Paeonia broteroi) appears its bright pink large single flowers are unmistakable. The plant is found only in the Iberian Peninsula. Its botanical name honours the first professional botanist resident in Portugal, Felix d'Avelar Brotero (1744-1824.) Numerous poppies bloom in fields and waysides of the Algarve. This is the common poppy found throughout Europe. The violet Opium Poppy (Papaver somniferum) was cultivated commercially in the Algarve for centuries Among the bushes of the hillsides one of the rockroses(Cistus albidus) begins to produce its large shocking pink blooms.Click here for more details on the Cistus of the Algarve. |
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WINTER, WHITE AND GREEN FLOWERS
WINTER, PURPLE, LILAC AND VIOLET FLOWERS
© (Text and Artwork) Irene Shepard 2002 .