Primavera Alpujarreña - Spring in the Alpujarras

We had a rather wet spring here in Bérchules.  But everything looks luch and green... and a lot of flowers at the meadows.

Flores - Flowers

A slide show of the high route to Trevélez in high summer

Having now a better idea of the different butterflies in the area, we decided to count the number of species on an August day on the high route to Trevélez. While ascending through the pine forest we saw a number of graylings resting on trees. In a clearing we saw a Tree Grayling (Hipparchis statilinus) with marbled looking underwings resting on a stone with exactly the same colouring. Almost at the end of the forest, close to a small pond, we saw a number of Iberian Marbled Whites (Melargia lachesis). After having left the forest behind, we entered the world of slate and Black Satyrs (Satyrus actaea), there were literally hundreds of them. At 2400m we saw a Humming-bird Hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum) polinizing a Centranthus nevadensis, an endemic type of valerian. Just before the highest point of the route we saw a number of Blues that we have not identified yet. On the top of the Peña de los Papos (2538m) a Purple-shot Copper (Lycaena alciphron) and a Large Wall Brown (Lasiommata maera) were sunbathing. Another highlight was the reservoir at the top of the Barranco de los Castaños were we saw more Iberian Marbled Whites, apparently they want to be near water. Here we could also take photographs of Clouded Yellows (Colias croceus), Fritillaries, Lang's Short-tailed Blues (Leptotes pirithous) and other types of Blues, all atracted by the flowering ragwort, mentha and thistles. On the descend we saw Dusky Heaths (Coenonympha dorus subsp andalusica), another Large Wall Brown feeding on a yellow thistle, a Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia) that did not want its picture taken and more Blues while crossing a stream. In the slide show we included a Striped Grayling (Hipparchia fidia), not a very good photo but the first one we sighted ever. Apart from the fifteen different species of butterflies we counted, we also saw a number of different grasshoppers and two different types of dragonflies, a male (blue) and female (golden) of a Broad-bodied Chaser (Libelle depressa) and the striking Golden-ringed Dragonfly (Cordulegaster boltonii) near a small natural pool close to Trevélez. We made a slide show with photogrpahs of these insects and their habitats, and of course of the excellent views. For those interested in doing this route, we offer a taxi drop off to the pine forest at 1900m.  This means you could arrive in Trevélez at lunch time, when you do not get off too late, which can be nice on a warm summer day.

Sierra Nevada, a paradise for nature photographers

One of the interesting phenomena of the Sierra Nevada are the insects inhabiting the high peak areas. According to an article on the Fauna de Sierra Nevada on the website of Waste Ideal, there are possibly about five thousand species of invertebrates of which more than a hundred are endemic to this mountain range. A few days ago we took the microbus up from Capileira the Mirador de Trevélez (2,650m) and enjoyed taking pictures of the flora and fauna in the vicinity of this viewpoint. We wandered about on the boggy pastures or borreguiles of the Barranco del Postercuelo and the Barranco del Peñon Negro above the dirt track going to the Refugio de Poquiera. The Estrella de las Nieves immediately caught our eye and we were pleasantly surprised by the number of Apollos, Fritallaries and colonies of Silver-studded blues. We saw one Plebejus Argus being caught in a spider web. We came across a longhorned beetle, Iberodorcadion lorquini, and and a ´smiling´ grasshopper. While walking cross-country up through pebbled terrain we saw many endemic plants, like the Sierra Nevada violet and a black beetle called Pimelia monticola. We followed the Pista de Capileira (antigua carretera de Sierra Nevada) back to the Mirador de Trevélez and photographed a Baetica ustulata holding on to a flower of the Jurinea humilis and an Eumigus rubioi, an endemic wingless grasshopper, enjoying his lunch. A Silver-studded Blue was comparting a flower of the Reseda complicata with a couple of interesting looking insects. While we still had some time left before the microbus would take us back, we climbed up the Alto del Chorrillo, an excellent watch out point with a large ruined building that was used to store supplies in the Civil War. Our selection of photographs of Monday the 25th of July shows that if you´re interested in nature photography in the high peak area, but don´t want to walk for hours, taking the microbus up from Capileira to the Mirador de Trevélez is an excellent alternative. On the way back somebody showed us his inspiring pictures of beautiful flowers, mountain goats and birds. At that moment we were confirmed in the thought that the higher zones of the Sierra Nevada is a paradise for nature photographers, especially in this time of the year.

Linaria aeruginea subsp. aeruginea

Linaria aeruginea subsp. aeruginea is a type of toadflax which grows only on the Iberian Peninsula and can be found mainly in the south east. We have a number of these ´linarias´ on our terrain and they are in flower at the moment. We love it when we can add a new species to the list of flowers of the finca of El Paraje, especially when they are as beautiful as this one.



Related key words: leeuwenbek, vlasleeuwenbek, leinkräuter, plantaginaceae, weegbreefamilie wegerichgewächse

Ophrys tenthredinifera or Sawfly Orchid

Right along the GR7 footpath between Cádiar and Lobras (close to waypoint 15, see map) we saw this beautiful Sawly Orchid. It is name can be explained by the fact that it is a sawfly that pollinates this orchid. The mimicry is even carried as far as the orchid producing the same scent as the receptive female insect, see text on this Sawfly Orchid on the website Andalucía Life Magazine.

In Spanish this Ophrys tenthredinifera  is known as ´flor de avispa´ or ´abejera´.

This orchid grows in the same area as the Ophrys lutea (between waypoints 14 and 15). Last week we saw a particulaly large number of this Yellow Ophrys close to the riverbed, la Rambla de Albayar.



Related key words: abejita, abejorros, flor de abeja, flor de la abeja, lila de monte, orquídea, orquídea avispa, testículos de perro, bee orchid, spiegelorchis, wespen-ragwurz, ophrys guêpe, ophrys tenthrède, ophrys à grandes fleures, familia orquidáceas

Orchis papilionacea or Butterfly Orchid

On the same spots were we saw the Sword-leaved Helleborine last spring, they reappeared again this year, only a few weeks earlier. We saw a Southern Early Purple a lot closer to the house and a month earlier in bloom than last year. Our biggest surprise yesterday was to see a new type of wild orchid on our finca, a magnificent butterfly orchid. There are apparantly many subspecies, but ours is exactly as the Orchis papilionacea or the Orquídea mariposa on the online magazine Waste.



Related key words: flowers, bloemen, anacamptis papilionacea, vlinderorchis, schmetterlings-knabenkraut
orchis papillon, familia orquidáceas, orchid family, familia de las orchidaceae, orchideeënfamilie, familie der orchideen, casa rural el paraje, bérchules, las alpujarras.

Cistus albidus or Grey-leaved Sunrose

In the Alpujarras various types of sunroses can be found like the Cistus clusii and the Halimium atriplicifolium, amongst others. The only kind we have so far seen on our own terrain, is the Grey-leaved Sunrose or Cistus Albidus. In general this Grey-leaved Sunrose has rose-purple flowers, but a white form is found as well. The petals have this special look of crinkled paper which is distinctive of most rockroses. Last week we saw masses of this beautiful bush, native to the Mediterranean, while walking the GR7 between Montenegro and Mecina Bombarón. It was nice to see that the first flowers had come out at an altitude of about 900 metres. Our Casa Rural ´El Paraje´ is situated almost 500 metres higher than this and we think that it might still take at least a month before we will be able to see our own sunroses in flower.




Related key words: jara blanca, estepa blanca, jaguarzo blanco, ardivieja, weißliche zistrose, ciste cotonneux, arbrisseau, familia cistáceas, cistaceae, rockrose family, zonneroosjesfamilie, zistrosengewächse,  alpujarras, sierra nevada, wandelen, wandelingen, wanderung, B&B, hotel, hostal, hostel, bérchules, trektocht, hiking, trekking, standplaats vakantie, wandelvakanties, holiday, urlaub, vacances

Aristolochia baetica or Dutchman´s Pipe

On some of the walks in the lower parts of the Alpujarras it is at the moment possible to enjoy winter and spring flowers. An example of a plant that flowers from autumn to late spring is the Aristolochoia baetica which in English is known as a Dutchman´s Pipe. In our Dutch flora guide it is mentioned that the plants of the Aristolochiaceae family are known as ´pijpbloemen´ because the shape of the flowers resemble an old German pipe. In Spanish a number of its names refer to a type of candle: candilicos (as it is known in the Alpujarra), candilejos, candiles, candilillos, candilitos or farolitos. The Aristolochia baetica is a creeper that clambers into shrubs or trees. It can be found in southern and eastern Spain, southern Portugal and North Africa, usually at low altitudes. We photographed this ´candil´ on a beautiful part of the long distance walking path GR7 close to Montenegro at an altitude of approximately 900 metres. In Montenegro we saw about twenty tall Hyacinth Orchids also called Giant Orchids, we now know why. Near the ´fuente´ of this small hamlet we saw more of these tall pink orchids as well as a number of Yellow Bee Orchids. Next year we will do this walk early March to see these magnificent wild orchids in full blossom.



Related articles:
- Orchis olbiensis or olbia orchis
- Alpujarras villages list: Montenegro is part of the municipality Alpujarra de la Sierra

Related links:
- Plantas de la Alpujarra

Related key words: aristoloquia bética, aristoloquia de andalucía, balsamina, candilillos sin torcida, enredadera, melonera, víbora, zarza, zarzaparrilla, aristoloquiáceas, aristolochiaceae, birthwort family, pijpbloemfamilie, osterluzeigewächse, pfefferartigen, piperales, alpujarras, sierra nevada, wandelen, wandelingen, wanderung, B&B, hotel, berchules, trektocht, hiking, trekking, standplaats vakantie, wandelvakanties, holiday, urlaub, vacances

Muscari neglectum or Grape Hyacinth

With only a few days to go before the March Equinox, there are a number of spring flowers in full bloom, especially lower down in the valley. One of our favourites is the Grape Hyacinth. This Muscari neglectum grows in the wild along the Rambla del Repenil between Cádiar and Jorairátar. The GR-142 Long Distance Footpath passes through this beautiful river bed.



Related aticle:
- Flores de marzo, artículo de Jorge Garzón de la página web al-Natural

Related key words: agüelicos, ajo de perro, azulete, cebolla de lagarto, cebollica de milano, cebollita de milano, chapín de reina, clavos de Dios, espartillo, frailes, gatos, guitarrillos, hierba del querer, hierbas de los amores, jacinto, jacinto racimosa, jacinto racimoso, jacintos, jacinto silvestre, jacintos silvestres, lloricas, macandil, matacandiles, mata del azulete, mayos, moras, moreta, moro, nazareno, nazarenos, nazarones, pajarillos, penitentes, piececillo de nuestro señor, starch grape hyacinth, common grape hyacinth, weinbergs-traubenhyazinthe, muscari racemosum, traubenhyazinthe verkannte, botryanthus, baby's-breath, muscari à grappe, vergeten druifhyacinth, alpujarras, sierra nevada, wandelen, wandelingen, wanderung, B&B, hotel, bérchules, trektocht, hiking, trekking, standplaatsvakantie, wandelvakanties

Viola odorata or Common violet

Lower down in the valleys the first spring flowers can be enjoyed. Yesterday we did the small walk of 2 kilometres of the Alquería de Morayma, a rural hotel close to Cádiar. While walking their waymarked Sendero Local ´Las Acequias de la Alquería´ we marvelled at the number of white narcissuses (or narcissi), known as Narcisus cantabriun, close to the patches of holm oak wood. Returning along the acequia or irrigation channel we saw many dark violets, the Viola odorata. Closer to the Alquería we also saw the first Cynoglossum cheirifolium subsp heterocarpum in blossom. To see such a large number of flowering plants on a sunny first of March is quite special.
PS On the third of March we saw this sweet violet also along the Ruta Medieval between Juviles and the cementary of Tímar which must have been if flower mid February.



Related key words: sweet violet, english violet, common violet, garden violet, violeta común, violeta de jardín, maarts viooltje, duftveilchen, märzveilchen, wohlriechendes veilchen, violette odorante, viola odorata violaceae, viooltjesfamilie,veilchengewächse, alpujarras, sierra nevada, wandelen, wandelingen, wanderung, B&B, hotel, bérchules, trektocht, hiking, trekking, standplaatsvakantie

Sendero Local Pedro Antonio de Alarcón in Torvizcón

This year we had a large number of sunny days with nice temperatures in January, which means that in the lower parts of the Alpujarra the almond trees started to blossom relatively early. To enjoy this spectacle we decided to check the Sendero Local ´Pedro Antonio de Alarcón´. This is a linear walk of 8,3 kilometres that connects Torvizcón with the Venta del Chaparro, close to Haza de Lino. The height difference between the village and the ridge road - the GR 5204 - with its spectacular views is about 700 metres. The route is named after the Spanish author Pedro Antonio de Alarcón, who travelled through the region on mule back in the spring of 1872. In his travel book ´La Alpujarra´, he described the steep climb up from Torvizcón as one of the most demanding stages. As we felt like enjoying the almond blossom in a leisurely way, we got ourselves dropped off at the highest point in order to be able to walk down to Torvizcón. We had downloaded the GPS track from the website of Alpujarra Turística and found out that this is essential to find the route. There are wooden marker posts, but the waymarking is done in one direction only, starting in Torvizcón. There are also a number of cairns, but not enough to find the small paths that are often a bit hidden between the vegetation. Sometimes you need to cross vineyards, almond and fig orchards and when they are recently ploughed you tend to stay on the dirt tracks instead of entering the fields. These are the things that make the route really attractive though. It feels as if you enter into the heart of the Sierra de Contraviesa. In all directions we saw thousands and thousands of almond trees in full blossom and got completely submerged into this show for hours with only peace and quiet around us. The nice thing about walking down is that we could also contemplate the snowcapped Sierra Nevada in front of us all the time.



Related articles:
- Publication ´Senderos Locales de la Alpujarra´
- Centro Temático del Vino Alpujárride in Torvizcón
- Almond blossom routes in February 2009

Related links:
- The Almond Blossom Appreciation Society, an article on this book written by Chris Stewart from his website Online El Valero

Related key words: almendros en flor, amandelbloesem, wandelen, wandelingen, hiking, Alpujarras, B&B, hotel

Jornada de la Seta Mecina Bombarón 2010

Yesterday the III Jornada de la Seta en Mecina Bombarón was organized. A group of about thirty people gathered to go up the pines to pick mushrooms. Around two o´clock the participants came back to the village with baskets and boxes with many different types of fungi, curious to hear from José Herrera which types they had collected. This expert mycologist told the names and curiosities, but regarded the ´níscalo´ or the Lactarius deliciosus as the only edible one. He agreed that a few others could be eaten, but did not have the desirable taste or aroma. The absence of poisonous effects is apparantly not the only aspect to put a mushroom on the list of ´setas comestibles´ of this micólogo experto. The couple that stayed with us and that took part in the different activities was given a beautiful violet mushroom by other participants and had told them it was a delicacy. José Herrera explained that it was a Lepista nuda. After looking for more information on the Internet, we found out that it is sometimes called Clitocybe nuda, in English known as Wood blewit. In the salón cultural the níscalos were prepared and stirfried for the participants that wanted to try their own mushrooms. Apart from this, Luis of cafe bar La Huerta in Mecina Alfahar had prepared delicious ´mico tapas´ with níscalos for a tasting. This ´degustación´ was well organized by the town hall of Alpujarra de la Sierra for which we want to congratulate all the people that contributed to make this Jornada de la Seta such a successful event.







Related links:
-Article in Granada Hoy: La Alpujarra pone el arte de la micología al alcance de todos
-Programme Otoño Cultural 2010 of Alpujarra de la Sierra

Parnassia palustris or Marsh Grass-of-Parnassus

Our last flora post we dedicated to the Marsh Gentian. Close to this Gentiana pneumonanthe subsp Depressa we saw another interesting bog species with prominent white blossom, namely the Marsh Grass-of-Parnassus. Parnassia palustris is a species with a holarctic distribution according to the on-line magazine Waste. Throughout the northern continents of the world in can be found in moist areas like watersides, damp slopes, shores, wet moorland, swamps and stream banks. It can be found throughout Spain and as far south as Northern Africa (Rif Mountains). In Andalusia, the ´hepática blanca´ or ´hierba del parnaso´ occurs only in Sierra Nevada between 1,500 and 3,000 metres. In Sierra Nevada its habitat are the wet grasslands locally known as ´borreguiles´. In many countries it is on the list of endangered species. In Andalusia it is on the ´Lista Roja de la Flora Vascular de Andalucía´. It was the 18th century Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus who first validly published the name ´Parnassius palustris´ in1751. On Wikipedia it is mentioned that the name is inherited from ancient Greece. “Evidently the cattle on Mount Parnassus appreciated the plant; hence it was an honorary grass.“ The Greek Mount Parnassus has an altitude of 2,475 metres. This is more or less the height where we saw our Bog-stars, namely at about 2,600 metres in the Barranco de las Albardas in the Trevélez valley. Other sites in Sierra Nevada where it flowers from June to September are for example Arroyo del Palancón or the Borreguil del Río San Juan.



Related key words: bloemen, northern grass-of-parnassus, sumpf-herzblatt, studentenröschen, paranassiaceae, parnassiafamilie, herzblattgewächse, parnassioideae, alpujarras

Gentiana pneumonanthe subsp Depressa

There are plant species which are widely distributed in Europe, while it has a subspecies that is endemic to
Sierra Nevada. This holds true for Gentiana pneumonanthe subsp Depressa. This blue-flowered gentian can be found in an area that is almost twenty kilometres long, albeit interrupted due to its ecological requirements. The number of individuals capable of flowering is estimated between 5000 and 10000.
This subspecies of the Marsh Gentian grows at altitudes between 2,200 and 3,200 metres, in the oro- and crioromediterranean levels. The factors that determine its scarcity are the ecological requirements and the limited number of suitable habitats for its development. Its habitats are high mountain pastures, known as ´borreguiles´ and peat bogs. This Gentiana pneumonanthe subsp Depressa and four other gentians that inhabit the marshy meadows of Sierra Nevada are listed as ´vulnerable´ and on the list of endangerd species, the Lista Roja de la Flora Vascular de Andalucía. This is because their habitat, the ´borreguiles´ are affected by overgrazing, the changing of water courses and tourism.  Three weeks ago we saw a fairly large number of this endemic Marsh Gentian along a small stream flowing into the Barranco de las Albardas at an altitude of 2,550 metres.



Related articles:
- References on the local flora

Related links:
- Gabriel Blanca López: Flora amenazada y endémica de Sierra Nevada (pdf 18MB)

Related key words: cáliz de la aurora, genciana de turbera, klokjesgentiaan, lungen-enzian, familia gencianáceas, gentiaanfamilie,  familie der enziangewächse,  famille des Gentianacées

Senecio nevadensis

The Senecio nevadensis or ´Suzón de Sierra Nevada´ is one of the more than sixty endemic plants of Sierra Nevada. There are other ´senecios´ to be found in the massif, like Senecio elodes, Senecio eriopus and Senecio quinqueradiatus, but this ´Nevada ragwort´ is the only one that can be found exclusively in Sierra Nevada. Its habitats are in the highest parts of the mountain range, between 2,600 metres and 3,300 metres in the ´pisos oro y crioromediterráneo´ (oromediterranean and crioromediterranean levels). This member of the daisy family can be found on steep stony slopes or ´canchales´ (´pedregales móviles´ or ´cascajales sueltos´, gravelly areas with unstable schist slabs). It caught our attention mid July because it has large stems (up to 30 cm) and it was still in bud. Many other plants in the area were tiny, colourful, with hardly any stems or leaves, peeping out of the rocks and in full flower; like the Chaenorrhinum glareosum, Iberis carnosa subsp emberger, and the Viola crassiuscula (violeta de Sierra Nevada or Nevada violet). When we went back early August, we saw this Senecios nevadensis in full bloom just below the ridge of the Loma de Piedra Ventana, a spot were the shepherds probably don´t come. We took another route back, so where we had seen a large number in bud, we did not see whether they had come into flower or not. This ´Nevada reagwort´ is listed as ´vulnerable´ and and therefore included in the ´Lista roja de la flora vascular de Andalucía´ (Red List of Vascular Flora of Andalusia). According to the information on this ´Nevada ragwort´ in Flora amenazada y endémica de Sierra Nevada there are only three populations (between 10000 and 15000 individuals). When we look at the small map in Flora amenazada y endémica de Sierra Nevada on which the known populations are located, we are to the right of them. The ones we have seen, might be a population the scientists are not yet aware of. It is a threatened due to its specific ecological requirements and extreme fluctuations of fruit production, depending on the climatic conditions. Because it flowers late, in years with a particularly early cold autumn, it barely comes to fruition. Apart from this, grazing constitutes another threat. This species was first validly published by the Swiss botanist Emond Boissier and his French companion George François Reuter in their Pugillus plantarum novarum Africae borealis Hispaniaeque australis (1852).



Related articles:
- References on the local flora
- Cerro del Gallo, the highest mountain of Bérchules

Related key words: sierra nevada kruiskruid, sierra nevada greiskraut, sierra nevada kreutzkraut, séneçon de Sierra nevada, Alpujarras, Sierra Nevada, wandelen, wandelingen, trektocht, standplaats vakantie, hiking, trekking, Berchules, B&B, hotel, wanderungen

Plantago nivalis or ´snow star´

The Plantago nivalis or ´estrella de las nieves´ is one of the more than sixty endemic plants of the Sierra Nevada. This ´snow star´ can be found at altitudes higher than 2,300 metres in the ´pisos oro y crioromediterraneo´ (oromediterranean and crioromediterranean levels). This alpine species has a preference for areas where the snow remains for a long period and the borders of high mountain meadows, locally known as ´borreguiles´. The ´snow star´ is a regarded as a bioindicator of this habitat. It presents a number of climatic adaptations. Its leaves hold water and the coating of soft white hairs (pubescence) protects the plant from cold temperatures, prevents evaporation and reflects the strong solar radiation. As the ´snow star´ grows very close to the ground it is a protected from strong winds. The flowers of this plant are grouped in a small head at the end of a long stalk, so as to facilitate the dispersion of the polen by the wind to other plants nearby. According to the text on this Plantago nivalis on the on-line magazine Waste, it has - together with Edelweiss - the legend of being the flower of eternal love as the leaves of the star do no dry out. “People had the tradition to give it do their beloved ones as a token of their eternal love." Nowadays it is a protected species that can not be collected and considered one of the emblematic species of Sierra Nevada. It is the symbol of the Sulayr Long Distance Footpath and can be seen on the wooden waymarkers of this GR-240. The Swiss botanist Edmond Boissier encountered the ´snow star´ on one of his explorations in July 1837 when he went up the Barranco de Benalcázar towards the summits. As he was the first to publish the Plantago nivalis, he is regarded as the author of this botanical name. A drawing can be found in his ´Voyage Botanique dans le Midi de l’Espagne pendant l’année 1837´ (page 181). We saw many ´snow stars´ in the valley of the Río Chico of Bérchules on the first Saturday of august. It is not a threatened species, so it is a species that any visitor interested in the local flora should encounter easily. What is not easy, is to see it in bloom, as this is only for a very short period.



Related articles:
- References on the local flora

Related links:
- On-line magazine Waste: Joyas botánicas de Sierra Nevada
- On-line magazine Waste: La flora endémica del macizo de Sierra Nevada

Related key words: plantaginaceae, plantagináceas, plantain, weegbreefamilie, wegerichgewächse, famille des plantaginacées, plantago thalackeri pau, nardus grasslands

The endemic flora of the Sierra Nevada

On this blog we quite regularly write posts on the local flora as we love the botanical wealth of the area. In the Sierra Nevada there are over 2,100 catalogued species and subspecies. Spain is the country with the highest number of endemics (176 national ones) and Sierra Nevada is the area with the highest concentration of endemic plant species in the whole of continental Europe (80 species according to the on-line magazine Waste). The idea that it is the only area where it can be enjoyed or photographed makes us feel priviliged when we see a plant endemic to the Sierra Nevada.  An ´endemismo nevadenses´ can sometimes only be seen in one or two locations within the mountain range. It is suggested by some people that we owe the high number of localised plants partly to the ice ages. During the last ice age, the only region with a climate favourable for plant life, was the present-day Mediterranean region. When the years became colder many plants shifted their range southwards where they took refuge on the relatively warm south-facing slopes of the mountains. The Betic Cordillera, to which the Sierra Nevada belonged, held many important refuges. As Europe warmed up again, some of these plants shifted back north, while others retreated to the high parts of the mountains and adapted to the prevailing conditions. This is why the summits of the Sierra Nevada, while appearing almost barren at first glance, in fact display the highest number of ´unique´ plants of the whole of Europe.  As many formed their own biological communities, visitors interested in the flora can easily see a number of unique species once they are at an altitude higher than 2,300 metres. Between thirty and forty percent are to be found in the marshy grasslands known as ´borreguiles´ or on the steep rocky slopes close to the summits known as ´canchales´. The uniqueness also implies a great risk. Endemic plants can easily become endangered or extinct because of their restricted habitat and their vulnerability to the actions of man or climate change. Fortunately almost all endemic plants can be found within the boundaries of the Parque Nacional de Sierra Nevada and therefore monitored and protected. Most of them flower in July and August, so this is still the time to go out and enjoy the unique botanical jewels of the Sierra Nevada. We will continue to dedicate articles to them (see posts label flora-endemic), indicating where we encountered them, whether there were a large number or just a few and any pecularities we think are worth mentioning.



Related articles:
- References on the local flora
- Sempervivum minutum
- Boissier, discoverer of many Sierra Nevada plant species

Related links:
- On-line magazine Waste: La flora endémica del macizo de Sierra Nevada
- Gabriel Blanca López: Flora amenazada y endémica de Sierra Nevada (pdf 18MB)

Boissier, discoverer of many Sierra Nevada plant species

The Swiss botanist Edmond Boissier (1810-1885) is regarded as the discoverer of the Andalusian flora. He started his botanic explorations of Andalusia in the year 1836 and his first findings were published in a pamphlet in which he described about two hundred plants. More exploration trips followed between 1837 and 1845. After seven years of preparations, his work devoted to the botanical wealth of southern Spain, ´Voyage Botanique dans le Midi de l’Espagne pendant l’année 1837` was published. This work has a set of 208 magnificent botanical drawings and a catalogue of 1900 species that constitutes ´an extensive botanical geography of the kingdom of Granada´. As Boissier also described his experiences, it is also seen as an interesting travel guide. On the website of the on-line exhibition ´Luces de Sulayr´ (entrar-descubrir-galería de personajes) we can find a summary of his botanical explorations in the Sierra Nevada. “He was offered a room in cortijo de San Jerónimo, which became his base. At first he concentrated on the areas around el Dornajo and the Trevenque, and he was immediately struck by the number of species unknown to the scientific world at that moment. After his first excursion he decided to stay higher up at the Prados de las Yeguas and later in the Cueva del Panderón, close to the Veleta.” In 1849 he returned with George-Francois Reuter (1805-1872), who became his travelling companion, collaborateur, curator of collections and librarian. Bossier who was financially independent, healthy and strong, a born traveller and mountaineer, visited Spain nine times. It is said of him that he was gifted with unusual mnemonic powers and a consistent worker. He travelled to many countries all over the world and described more than six thousand new species. In ´Boissier´s diagnosis´ by Frans A. Stafleu we can read: “Much of the secret of Boissier´s productivity certainly lies in his close association with his equally enthousiastic and dedicated companion George-Francois Reuter.” They travelled to northern Africa together and made significant contributions to knowledge of the relationship between Andalusian and North African flowers. They published their findings in ´Pugillus plantarum novarum Africae borealis hispaniaeque australis´ in 1852. Boissier validly published a large number of botanical names of plants he encountered in the Sierra Nevada, many of which are now classified as ´endemic´, as they have so far not been seen anywhere else. Because of Boissier´s close co-operation with Reuter, we sometimes see both their names as authors of botanical names of species inhabiting the mountain range. After their publications, many botanists followed in their footsteps and expanded the knowledge of the flora of the Sierra Nevada.

Related articles:
- Erodium cheilanthifolium

Related links:
- Digital version of the ´Voyage Botanique dans le Midi de l’Espagne pendant l’année 1837` (tomo de láminas) from the website Luces de Sulayr
- List of plant names described by Edmond Boissier

Borreguiles de Sierra Nevada

One of the habitats of the highest vegetation zones of the Sierra Nevada is locally known as ´borreguiles´.  These are wet pastures that can be found above 2,000 metres in the oro- and crioromediterranean levels. These grassy areas can be found near rivers, gullies or tarns and have the ability to accumulate agua. Some areas have a more or less constant humidity, and in others it might vary. Peat bogs, where the ground is permanently waterlogged by still water are scarce, but do exist. The ´borreguiles´ hold a large biodiversity of plants and about thirty-five percent of them are endemic species. This explains why these areas have always attracted botanists and nature lovers. Visitors of the high mountains that are interested in flora, will be suprised when they start exploring the green oases in a seemingly barren, dry landscape. ´Borrego´ means lamb in Spanish and explains the name given to the soft, grassy areas. Unfortunately the delicate balance of the ´borreguiles´ is seriously threatened by overgrazing, the change of water courses and tourism. On the on-line magazine Waste an excellent article ´Borreguiles de Sierra Nevada´ can be found with a list of fifty plants that inhabit these sites.

Chaenorrhinum glareosum or Sierra Nevada dwarf snapdragon

The Chaenorrhinum glareosum or ´Nevada dwarf snapdragon´ is one of the more than sixty endemic plants of Sierra Nevada. There are other snapdragon-like flowers in the massif, like the Chaenorrhinum villosum subsp granatense (´little dragons´) and Chaenorrhinum macropodum subsp macropodum, but this is the only one that can be found exclusively in Sierra Nevada. Its habitats are in the highest parts of the massive, above 2,500 metres in the ´pisos oro y crioromediterráneo´ (oromediterranean and crioromediterranean levels). The ´espuelilla´ or ´dragoncillo´ can be found on steep stony slopes or ´canchales´ (´pedregales móviles´ or ´cascajales sueltos´, gravelly areas with unstable schist slabs). Like the Viola crassiuscula, this perennial herb is able to sprout again after the stem has broken. This member of the figwort family also grows in psychro-xerophilous (cold and dry) pastures that are dominated by perennial grasses and small shrubs. It can also form part of the communities formed by species adapted to live in the cracks of rocks. These communities are very diverse and their composition is influenced by various factors such as orientation, steepness of the slope, level of sunlight and insolation, humidity, depth of the soil and the accessibility of the terrain for herbivorous mammals. This makes that each plant of such a community is linked to a characteristic microhabitat. As there are few insects in the highest parts of the massif, flowers need to compete to be pollinated. The flower needs to attract the insect by well developed petals with attractive colours. According to Gabriel García Guardia, the author of Flores silvestres de Andalucía, the Chaenorrhinum glareosum with its tiny purple flowers with yellow throats, is one of the most beautiful plants of the Sierra Nevada. Maybe that´s why it has been able to withstand to competition so far and is at the moment not considered rare or vulnerable. We have seen this mountain jewel a number of times, close to the top of the Mulhacén and close to the top of the Cerro del Gallo, amongst others.




Related articles:
- Guía de visita Parque Nacional de Sierra Nevada
- References on the local flora

Related key words:
scrophulariaceae, escrofulariáceas, figwort family, helmkruidfamilie, braunwurzgewächse, famille de plantes dicotylédones