Winter Blooms

The male flowers of the algarrobo (Ceratonia siliqua).

A common shrub in the area. 

The capsules of the above mentioned plant with seeds still inside. 

I am really upset because I can't figure out what this beautiful vine is!!!

Hmm...many stamens and stigmas.....four petals.....I don't know where this floral formula gets me!!!

This is Allium chamaemoly and I feel pretty lucky to have seen it because it is tiny and just barely sticks out of the ground. It flowers from November to March and I only saw two individuals!

Yes, these are as sharp as they look and they are all over the place! This prickly guy is Aspargus horridus, a quite appropriate name if I do say so myself. 

Lichens, Bryophytes, and Fungus...I Oh My!

This was covering the majority of the cement walls at the Bellver Forest and I think it is Buellia  canescens, but don't quote me on that!

Unknown little blue crustose lichen. This was the only place I saw this specimen. 

Unknown white and black crustose lichen that was very common on soil mixed in with bryophyte species. 

The common gelatinous cyanolichen Leptogium brebissonii.

I think this is the liverwort Fossombronia and it was all over the place! Did not have the luck to see any sporophytes with hyaline setae. 

And another crustose lichen on a rock. One day I will know what it is. 

This terricolous lichen is all over the place as well but I can't seem to figure out what it is!

A tiny epilithic crustose lichen.

Good 'ol Xanthoria parietina. This time on a rock!

Caldonia pyxidata without fruiting bodies. 

Cladonia pyxidata with fruiting bodies. 

So cool! A very cute lichen if I do say so myself. 

Is this gelatinous cyanolichen Collema nigrescens (which I'm pretty sure I did see but didn't collect! grrr) or is it just more Leptogium brebissonii.

The beauty that are bryophytes. 

A nice robust moss. Or musgo, in Spanish. 

Some kind of cute little Peziza.

Moss and a mushy. 

Moss and another mushy. 

Some Xanthoria parietina on an wild olive tree (Olea europea var. sylvestris). 

A crustose epiphyte that could be Lecanora dispersa.

More X. parietina. 

Crustosos!

Cladonia rangiformis just carpets the ground in some areas. 

Cladonia rangiformis

A nice shot of Ramalina pusilla. 

The tiny Physcia adscendens. 

Some Ramalina pusilla and a white and grey crusty. 

Sóller

Some huge and gorgeous mushrooms we ran into on the side of the road.  

Check out those lamellae!

Probably some introduced Aloe vera or Aloe arborescens growing out of a stone wall. 

A nice close-up of the terricolous lichen Cladonia rangiformis. 

Some kind of brown rotter on an olive tree. 

Cubical brown rot. 

Bosque de Bellver

Oxalis pes-caprae is an invasive species that is very prevalent all over the island. It is a beautiful bright green with yellow flowers. 

Arisarum vulgare was also carpeting the space that wasn't already occupied by trees, shrubs or Oxalis pes-caprae.

Lentisco (Pistacia lentiscus) is a very common shrub that I have seen all over the island with very bright berries.  It is a member of the Anacardiaceae family. 

Pinus halepensis is the dominant conifer species here on the island. 

Some wild lavender (Lavendula dentata).

Going after a crustose lichen on a lentisco. 

A little community garden at the foot of the Bellver Castle. 

Checking out some invasive Opuntia that can be seen all over the island.

Anagyris foetida is a beautiful shrub that I have seen a few times during my explorations on Mallorca. This plant is supposedly toxic so do not eat it!

A closeup of the acebuche (Olea europaea var. sylvestris) fruits. 

That cute little ascocarp to the left of the terricolous lichen I believe is Peziza subviolacea. The amazing folks at the University of the Balearic Islands also have a virtual herbarium of fungi! Unfortunately, for those of you that do not speak Castellano or Catalan, there is no English version. Luckily scientific names are universal!

Possibly an Amanita species? I have seen this guy all over the island in mountains and in fields. 

This wood rotter I encountered on a P. halepensis reminded me a lot of Porodedaelea pini.

The flowers of the madroño (Arbutus unedo).