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. 

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).

Algarrobo

I went to the Jardín Botánico de Sóller yesterday and was able to snap a couple pictures even though I was there on a field trip with my school.

Here are a few pictures of a common native tree around here called Algarrobo (Ceratonia siliqua) that is in the Fabaceae.

These long pods that can be up to 20 cm in length smell like strong, stinky(or delicious depending on who you are)cheese. These trees are common here interspersed between almond trees because farm animals like pigs, goats and sheep eat the pods.

These dried fruits belong to a species that is closely related to our beloved Madrone (Arbutus menziesii)in Humboldt, Trinity, and Mendocino counties. It is called Madroño here in Mallorca. This particular species is found on the Canary Islands, hence the name Arbutus canariensis.

I hope to return to this botanical garden sometime soon in the future to check out some more native species!