Walks and Flowers of the Alicante mountains

The area of Limestone Mountains at the south of the Valencia Province and north of the Alicante Province has one the richest variety of flora to be found in Europe.





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As well as the richness provided by the rugged limestone terrain there is a confluence of 3 climate influences; Mediterranean, Continental and Alpine.

Rich flora is to found all year round, but March to early June provide the greatest riches and variety. Walking holidays organised by Mountain Walks at this time of the year always give particular attention to the rich flora and the highest concentration of endemic species to found on the Iberian peninsular as well as Europe as a whole.

We were fortunate to have a keen botanist on our guided walking holiday that took place week commencing 2^nd May 2009. Ans Gorter from the Netherlands has been kind enough to supply us with an exhaustive list of the plants she identified during here week in the mountains of Alicante. Photographs were taken by Ans or by the guide for the week, Jem Wilcox.

Look at for our flora walking weeks during 2010. Up to date information is available from our web site www.mountainwalks.com

Plants - Quatretondeta 2^nd-9^th May 2009

If not specified, the variety is unknown to me.

If no English name, I didn’t find one.

Aceras anthropophorum (male orchis)

Adonis annua (pheasant’s eye)

Allium roseum (rosy garlic)

Anagallis arvensis (scarlet pimpernel)

Anagallis foemina (blue pimpernel)

Anchusa azurea (large blue alkanet)

Antirrhinum majus (snapdragon)

Anthyllis tetraphylla (bladder vetch)

Aphyllanthes monspeliensis (aphyllanthes)

Asphodelus aestivus (common asphodel)

Biscutella laevigata (buckler mustard)

Bituminaria bituminosa (pitch trefoil)

Borago officinalis (borage)

Cardaria draba (hoary cress)

Carpobrotus edulis (Hottentot fig)

Catananche caerulea (Cupidone)

Centaurea pullata (Southern knapweed or biennial cornflower)

Centaurea scabiosa (greater knapweed)

Centhrantus ruber (red valerian)

Chamaerops humilis (dwarf fan palm)

Chrysanthemum coronarium (crown daisy)

Cistus monspeliensis (narrow-leaved cistus)

Cistus salvifolius (sage-leaved cistus)

Convulvulus althaeoides (mallow-leaved bindweed)

Coris monspeliensis (coris)

Cymbalaria muralis (ivy-leaved toadflax)

Cynoglossum creticum (blue hound’s tongue)

Cynoglossum cheirifolium (‘cherry-coloured’ hound’s tongue)

Cytinus hypocistus ( cytinus hypocistus)

Cytinus ruber

Diplotaxis erucoides (white rocket)

Ditrichia viscosa (aromatic indula or sticky indula)

Dorycnium hirsutum

Echium plantagineum (purple bugloss or viper’s bugloss)

Erinacea anthyllis (hedgehog broom)

Erodium ciconium

Erodium malacoides (mallow-leaved or soft stork’s bill)

Euphorbia characias (large mediterranean spurge or perennial spurge)

Ferula communis (giant fennel)

Foenicumum vulgare (fennel)

Fritillaria hispanica (fritillary or snake’s head)

Fumaria capreolata (white ramping fumitory)

Fumaria officinalis (common fumitory)

Geranium robertianum (herb Robert)

Geranium sylvaticum

Glaucium corniculatum (red horned poppy)

Globularia vulgare (common globularia)

Helianthemum appenninum (common white rockrose)

Helianthemum lavandifolium (‘lavender-leaved yellow rockrose’)

Helichrysum stoechas (everlasting curry plant)

Hyoscyamus albus (white henbane)

Iberis (candytuft)

Lagurus ovatus (hare’s tail)

Lathyrus annuus (annual yellow vetchling)

Lathyrus cicera (red vetchling)

Lavatera arborea (tree mallow)

Lavatera cretica (small or smaller tree mallow)

Lavatera maritima (sea mallow)

Leuzea conifera (pine-cone bindweed)

Linaria supina (prostrate toadflax)

Linum narbonense (beautifull flax or large beuatifull flax)

Lithodora fruticosa (shrubby Gromwell or limestone Gromwell)

Lobularia maritima (sweet Alison)

Malva sylvestris (common mallow)

Medicago orbicularis (large disk medick)

Melilotus indica (small-flowered melilot)

Moricandia arvensis (violet or wild cabbage)

Muscari neglectum (commo, grape hyacinth)

Nigella damascena (love in a mist)

Onobrychis viciifolia (sainfoin)

Ononis fruticosa (….. rest-harrow)

Ononis natrix (large yellow rest-harrow)

Ophrys lutea (yellow bee-orchid)

Ophrys scolopax (woodcock orchid)

Ornithogalum umbellatum (star of Bethlehem)

Orobanche minor (common broomrape)

Oxalis articulata (pink oxalis)

Pallenis spinosa

Papaver dubium (long-headed poppy)

Papaver hybridum (rough poppy)

Papaver rhoeas (common poppy)

Paronycia capitata (paronochia)

Phagnalon rupestre

Phlomis lychnitis (yellow phlomis)

Pisum sativum (wild pea)

Plantago arenaria (branched plantain)

Reseda alba (white mignonette)

Reseda lutea (wild mignonette)

Reseda phyteuma (corn mignonette)

Rubia peregrina (wild madder)

Salvia verbenacea (wild clary)

Santolina chamaecyparissus (lavender cotton or cotton lavender)

Scabiosa stellata (..scabious)

Scandix pecten veneris (shepherd’s needle)

Scorpiurus muricatus

Scrophularia canina

Silene colorata

Silene vulgaris (bladder campion)

Sylibum marianum (milk thistle)

Teucrium pseudochamaepitys (ground pine gamander)

Thapsia garganica (giant thapsia)

Tragopogon porrifolius (salsify)

Trifolium stellatum (star clover)

Tulipa sylvestris ssp australis (wild tulip)

Umbilicus rupestris (navelwort)

Urospermum dalechampii (urospermum)

Verbascum (mullein)

Vicia dasycarpa (vetch)

Vicia onobrychioides (false sainfoin)

Thanks Ans for your hard work and all your homework after dinner each evening.
Walking holidays that take in the flora in the region take place 11th, 18th and 25th May 2013.

Return to the m o u n t a i n W A L K S home page for details.