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White Iris |
Along shaded stone walls you may find one of the many
Alliums. These are the plants in the onion, garlic and leek family. When you bruise the leaves of the species shown here, the aroma of garlic is released. The white flowered allium, Allium neapolitanum, appears before the pink variety Allium roseum. In the shade of carob trees the huge heart shaped leaves of the local arum Arum italica begin to grow in February. By the end of March the tall (40 cm) arum like flower appears. It has a pale green spathe growing close to the ground.
In the markets the country women sell bunches of narcissi. This practise should be discouraged. Don't buy the sweet smelling flowers. They are the Paperwhite Narcissus Narcissus papyraceus which grow in fields and meadows and rocky places. Among the cork oaks along a river the wood daisy, Bellis sylvestris begins to bloom. These are pure white but often the underside of the rays may be tinged pink.
The large robust Asphodel,Aspodelus aestivus begins and continues blooming all spring in many different habitats. Portugal, as the whole of the Mediterranean region, has two varieties of honeysuckle. The common variety is Lonicera etrusca or the Etruscan Honeysuckle. The very similar Lonicera implexa blooms as early as January. L.implexa is very simlar to the Etruscan Honeysuckle but the clusters of long flowers are stalkless. The white irises (Iris albicans) at the side of roads begin to bloom in January. They were introduced centuries ago by the Moors, who planted them in their cemeteries.
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WINTER, PURPLE, LILAC AND VIOLET FLOWERS
© (Text and Artwork) Irene Shepard 2002 .