Day 3: South to Monte Sant’ Angelo

It seems ages since I last thought about our trip to the Gargano.  I have been tied up for weeks with other high priority tasks, and am only now able to turn back to this and try to pick up the thread.

Day 3 was transfer day, the day we travelled from the little port of Peschici in the north, south over the wooded ridge of the Gargano, passing through the vast Foresta Umbra, to Monte Sant’Angelo in the south-east. 

Foresta Umbra

The forest is a vast oasis of cool green air, with sunlight filtering down between the beech leaves.  As we travelled south through these green banks, we were scanning the slopes beside us for interesting flowers, and soon we stopped on the side of the road in a shady ravine.

Cardamine bulbifera

This is what the sharp-eyed Lois had spotted as she guided the minibus through the trees – the pale pink flowers of Coral Root, Cardamine bulbifera, so-called because small bulbils form in the axils of the leaves.  The plant is a rare UK native.  It is more common in these Gargano woods, but was reaching the end of its season, and we were lucky find some plants which still had flowers on.

Asperula taurina

Having photographed the Cardamine, there was time to explore some of the other plants growing along the roadside ditches and banks.  Whilst I recognised the Cardamine, this white flower was more of a puzzle, and it took a while to confirm its identity.  It is native to much of southern Europe, but not the UK.

Alliaria petiolata

Superficially similar, but much more familiar, was Alliaria petiolata, or Garlic Mustard.

Arabis verna

This pink crucifer is Arabis verna, another Mediterranean species.

Lamium gargaricum

Completing this brief halt was a dead-nettle, Lamium gargaricum.

It wasn’t long before we stopped again, near a little restaurant, and the visitors centre for the Foresta Umbra National Park.  A short walk took us down through the forest, and around a small lake. All around us were the towering grey trunks of ancient beeches; with the green branches arching above, it felt like being under the high vaulted ceiling of a cathedral.

Anemone apennina

The forest floor provided our first photos of the lovely pale blue many petalled flowers of Anemone apennina, which was to become a familiar companion in any shaded habitat.  With them were the pale-yellow pea flowers of Vicia lutea.

There were deer in an enclosure; above the sun was playing in the fresh new beech leaves, and I couldn’t stop taking photos.

Aremonia agrimonoides

This little yellow flower with potentilla-like leaves was another puzzle for me, but Paul our guide recognised it, and recalled that it was an agrimony, another native of southern Europe.

As we walked around the little lake, it became clear that it was home to some fair-sized goldfish and carp, a healthy population of terrapins, and surprisingly, given the presence of these predators, vast numbers of tadpoles.

Bellis perennis

On the far side of the lake was a meadow thickly carpeted with daisies.

I was briefly tempted by the reflections on the lake; it would be easy for me to get left behind with such scenes to photograph.

Despite having torn myself away from the lake, when walking back to where the bus was parked, I was captivated again by the sunlit beech leaves.

Our trip onwards took us south, out of the borders of the forest to a region where the road was more open, bordered by stone walls and rocky meadows.  We stopped again at the end of a little side lane, with high rocky banks / overgrown walls on either side.

Ornithogalum umbellatum

The roadside verge was scattered with the ubiquitous white stars of Ornithogalum umbellatum.

Muscari neglectum

Between the Ornithogalum flowers were the two-tone blue and purple-black heads of Muscari neglectum.

Anacamptis morio

As we walked up the lane, the magenta spikes of Green-veined Orchids (Anacamptis morio) started appearing among the Muscari.

Anacamptis papilionacea

Amongst them there was a solitary Pink Butterfly Orchid (Anacamptis papilionacea).

Ophrys sphegodes subsp passionis

There were also a few specimens of this endemic Gargano Ophrys (aka. Ophrys ‘garganica’) which we found almost everywhere we went.

Ophrys lutea subsp galilaea

And with them, the little yellow Ophrys lutea subsp galilaea, nice and fresh and in good condition.

Alyssum diffusum

The tops of the rocky banks were yellow with Alyssum – probably Alyssum diffusum.

Euphorbia rigida

Also on the top of the banks we could see the short stiff stems of Euphorbia rigida.

Parentucellia latifolia

Other members of the ‘bank top’ community included the little yellow trefoil, Lotus edulis, and the tiny heads and tinier red and white flowers of the parasitic Parentucellia latifolia.

Ranunculus millefoliatus

I had noticed there was a striking buttercup here, but it was only when I looked at the leaves that I got excited.  This is Ranunculus millefoliatus, with finely divided leaves.  I have seen it in the past on the show bench, but not for several years.

Helianthemum salicifolium

Camouflaged among the Alyssum and the Ranunculus were the little yellow flowers of a little rock rose.  Initially we weren’t sure whether this was a Helianthemum, a Fumana or a Tuberaria, but on consulting the books it seems most likely to be Helianthemum salicifolium.

Asplenium ceterach

Other denizens of the banks included Sedum hispanicum, the rustyback fern, Asplenium ceterach, and some very fine Wall Lizards (Podarcis muralis), busy warming themselves in the sun.

Setting off again, we travelled a few kilometres further and then turned up a side road.  There were irises growing on the bank as we turned in, and I wanted to stop, but that was quickly not an issue.  Within 100 metres or so, a meadow opened out on both sides of the road, carpeted with orchids, and with purple banks of irises beckoning in the distance.

Viola merxmuelleri

Lois carefully parked the bus in the shade, so the first thing I photographed when we erupted across the meadow was a beautiful little pansy growing along the shady hedgerow.  This is Viola merxmuelleri, which is endemic to south-eastern Italy.

Anacamptis morio

After that, I set out slowly across the meadow, photographing the myriad Green-veined Orchids while the others had made a beeline for the irises.

Anacamptis papilionacea

Scattered liberally among the Anacamptis morio were the reddish pink spikes of Anacamptis papilionacea, the Pink Butterfly orchid.

Anacamptis morio x papilionacea

Given the numbers of both species, it wasn’t a surprise when before long we began to find hybrids between the two.

Silene conica

Amongst the orchids, there were little pink Silene flowers.  Initially I thought these were Silene colorata, which we had seen the previous day, but behind the flowers were striped inflated bladders holding the ovaries, which indicated Silene conica.

Helianthemum apenninum

A white note to the carpet revealed the flowers of a little rock rose, Helianthemum apenninum.

Vicia dasycarpa

The blue and white flowers of a small creeping vetch, Vicia dasycarpa, were less obvious.

Iris bicapitata

Eventually I made it across the meadow to the irises.  These are Iris bicapitata, another plant endemic to the Gargano peninsula. 

At first sight they were all a uniform colour, with large clumps spreading out of individual clones.  However, close observation identified some plants which were a darker shade, and some which were a touch redder, along with a clump which were a mid-blue rather than purple.

Eventually Helen walked across to us, to fetch us for the lovely picnic lunch which Lois had set up in the shade. Ham, cheese, fresh local bread and beautiful salads – what more could we ask for.

Anemone hortensis

Around us while we ate, Anemone hortensis was flowering in a variety of shades.

Iris bicapitata

After a long leisurely lunch, and a few more photos, we piled back into the minibus and set off further down the lane.  I’m not sure where we were heading, but before we had travelled far, we saw more fabulous irises and had to stop.  There was more colour variation in this population – in particular it contained some clumps of creamy yellow / white flowers.  One particularly striking specimen combined creamy flags with striped violet falls.

Across the road, there was a spectacular display of violet, blue and yellow forms.

Saxifraga granulata

Parts of this meadow were a little damper, and here Saxifraga granulata was flowering.  Although there were a few Anacamptis, they were not in the abundance we had seen them at the previous stop.

Eventually, after a fabulous afternoon wandering among the flowers, we set off again southwards, towards Monte Sant’Angelo.  One more detour took us to a laneside on a gentle south facing slope. 

Euphorbia spinosa

On the bank beside the lane there were clumps of another Euphorbia, E. spinosa, not to be sat or knelt on.

Valeriana montana

This valerian, familiar to me from the Dolomites, with finely branched leaves, had produced long stems with round heads of pink flowers.

Alkanna lehmannii

Yellow broom (Calicotome villosa) mixed with Alkanna lehmannii, and more Iris bicapitata to give a yellow and blue theme.

Anacamptis morio

Anacamptis morio was present again, with a couple of A. papilionacea, and just one hybrid between the two.

Exploring the meadow here was a little more challenging, requiring me to hop over (I couldn’t), or wriggle under, quite a tall wire fence.  The first direction was straightforward, but I got snagged on my return, and had to be untangled.  Without braces, I might have made it.

Ophrys tenthredinifera

On the other side were a few good plants of Ophrys tenthredinifera.

Ophrys lutea subsp galilaea

Also, a few plants of Ophrys lutea subsp galilaea.

Ophrys ‘bertoloniiformis’

And to end the day, our first of several encounters with the stabilised hybrid Ophrys ‘bertoloniiformis’, which is again endemic to the Gargano.  This species is disputed, and some botanists would lump it within Ophrys flavicans, a species from the other side of the Adriatic.  I have to say that I still struggle to distinguish this from the very similar, more widespread (but scarcer in the Gargano), Ophrys bertolonii.  Paul makes the distinction that in O. ‘bertoloniiformis’ the tip of the lip does not curl forwards as far as it does in O. bertolonii.

From here, it was but a short journey to our new hotel at Monte Sant’Angelo, with wonderful views south-eastwards across Manfredonia and Siponto and the bay towards Bari. A wonderful day, and that meadow of irises and orchids will remain with me for ever.