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                         a   S T A M M E R  project              

2012 April 8 to 26

The weather in April has been capricious, with beautiful cloudy skies and quite some rain, but probably still not enough to compensate for the extremely dry winter, whose effects can be noticed in the vegetation and the fruit trees. Nevertheless, spring is in full swing, with toads croaking, crickets chirping and birds (Nightingales!) singing.

We didn't visit the holy mountain in Japan but this is as close as it can get.
Turbon 2492m.
8 Apr 15:26

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Poa bulbosa is a tiny grass species which can withstand drought very well and grows on the driest and barest parts in the zone. In summer the plant mostly disappears giving the area an impression of desert sand. Its success has much to do with its bulbs and the occurrence of pseudo-viviparous flowers.

Its cousin, Poa pratensis (Kentucy blue grass), has a brigher green colour, grows in moister areas and forms a nice kind of lawn.

Phleum phleoides ( Purple-stem        Catstail ) flowers much later but is still conspicious with its dry fruits from last year (in unmown areas).

A similar nice backlighting  effect offer the remainders of Arabis glabra (Tower Mustard). The new generation has started its towering growth; impressive for such a tiny plant.

A scan of Poa bulbosa. The bulbs can be clearly seen as well as the mini-plants in the flowerheads.
26 Apr 9:33

Phleum phleoides mixing with Thymus vulgaris.
25 Apr 17:50

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Anticipation is often more intriguing than the final outcome and this certainly holds true for the budding of certain flowers in spring.

Orchis purpurea at the point of flowering.
The orchid is expanding every year.
25 Apr 13:37

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I encountered one plant of  what seemed like another species of Helianthemum (Sunrose). This one was much less hairy, with narrower leaves and redder sepals than the one common in the zone, H.violaceum. On closer study of the literature, I discovered that this new species was probably H. violaceum, and the other, more common one, H.apenninum. But it is also stressed that hybridization is frequent and perhaps we have to deal with sub-species instead of species.

The area occupied by the, now abundantly flowering, dandelions (Taraxacum sp.) is also distinctly restricted but in this case clearly caused by human influence (mowing and tramping).

Helianthemum sp. adhering to the zone below the Thymus belt.
26 Apr 11:43

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An inspection tour round the three different ponds in the zone:

introduction
floristic catalogue
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gallery 1: 2006-2012
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>> 2012 Apr 29
<< 2012 Mar 17