Two unknowns in the Algarve ...

[kedigato]

The leaves of this one reminds me of some tree, but if it is a baby tree, then I'm sure it wouldn't have been blooming already. Also, it does appear to have just a soft stem and not a trunk.









This one looks quite wicked with the sharp thorns -

[victoria]

That is very interesting Sis ... the leaves are familiar ... have you looked through 'our' book of the Med?

The second one I don't have a clue , very nasty looking but I notice the horrid Oxalis leaves peeping through ....

I must put up a couple also in the next couple of days so this section is really great.

Pete ... where are you

[kedigato]

Have had a quick look through our book, but not found either yet.

However, I did find the beetle that was everywhere in your garden and it is harmless. Page 182, top left. Are they still there? (Cropped pics and posted in Insects.)

[pete]

I'm only guessing, but the first has the apperance of some kind of Indigofera, probably a wild plant I guess, there seems to be many species.

It appears to be a herbaceous perrenial that probably dies right down in summer.

The spiney leaved plant look slightly familiar, almost teasel like but its too spiney for the one we have here, the flowers, a bit later perhaps, could give a good clue.

[kedigato]

Found the first one! Not in our book, Sis, but in "Lilies of the Field" by Ann Matthews, that I bought in Cyprus.

It is a Hairy Milk Vetch, Astragalus lusitanicus, of the Papilionaceae, and is very poisonous!

[victoria]

I was going to say a Bush Vetch, Sis.

I see also the Oxalis pes-caprae popping up through the nasty plant!

[aesculus]

I think that this plant:



Is called Bristly Ox-tongue or Picris echioides

there are some close-up photo's of the seeds and flowers on this site:

www.british-wild-flowers.co.uk/O-Flowers/Oxtongue,%20Bristly.htm

[kedigato]

Thanks, aesculus, that's another one ID'd.

BTW, I can't open the link, keep getting the message that there is a page error.

[aesculus]

Feb 1, 2010 20:24:45 GMT kedigato said:

Thanks, aesculus, that's another one ID'd.

BTW, I can't open the link, keep getting the message that there is a page error.

No problem =]

The link should be fixed now I mistakenly put the url in twice

[kedigato]

Thanks for fixing the link, now I can see what the flowers look like.

The ones I saw in Portugal recently, seem to be a bit different - they have more pimples and prickles than the English ones do, probably due to the heat. Also more rounded leaves. But, yes, they are the ones. Again, for the ID.