Gargano Day 4: Limestone Pavements

Day 4 gave us an opportunity to explore further the flora of these limestone hills. We drove up a different route northwards, but stopped before long to explore a large meadow barely concealing the limestone bones of the hillside. The air was still and warm, birds were singing, and there were flowers everywhere.

Viola merxmuelleri

Once again, the first plant I photographed on leaving the bus was Viola merxmuelleri, this time with nice fresh cream-coloured flowers.

Anemone hortensis

There were scattered flowers of Anemone hortensis in the more fertile areas of the meadow, mainly in this shade of pinkish lilac.

Anacamptis morio and Anacamptis papilionacea

The southern, slightly more shaded and more fertile corner of the meadow was dotted with Anacamptis morio and Anacamptis papilionacea, sometimes growing in very close proximity.

Anacamptis morio

So first, the Green-veined orchid, Anacamptis morio, which fills some of our own damp meadows with colour in April. This population was mainly a consistent deep purple, though there were occasional pinks and whites.

Anacamptis papilionacea

Anacamptis papilionacea was less widespread in the meadow, confined mainly to this more fertile area.

Anacamptis morio x papilionacea

Of course, where the two species were growing in such numbers and proximity, there were plenty of hybrids between the two, usually recognisable from afar on the basis of their increased stature and vigour, but also typically with wide, pale lips.

Ophrys lutea subsp galilaea

Also in this corner, there were a few of the little yellow bee orchid, Ophrys lutea subsp galilaea.

Ophrys ‘bertoloniiformis’

Ophrys ‘bertoloniiformis’, which we encountered for the first time the previous evening, was scattered thinly across areas of the meadow.

Ophrys sphegodes subsp passionis

There were also many plants of this almost ubiquitous Gargano endemic, which was becoming so familiar I almost stopped photographing it. In any case, on this hot, rocky, south-facing site many of them were looking rather tired.

Orchis anthropophora

As we moved further into the meadow, we started seeing Man Orchids, first singly and then more and more thickly.

Orchis italica

In other areas, Orchis italica, the Naked Man Orchid, was the predominant species. Some specimens were a much darker pink than others.

Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis)

I thought Helen was waiting to point out these O. italica to me, but actually she was watching a Wall Lizard.

Salvia clandestina

The short turf of the open meadow was home to a little Salvia, which we decided in the end was Salvia clandestina.

Iris pseudopumila

The Salvia was part of a tapestry, with Ornithogalum umbellatum, Muscari neglectum, pink Anthyllis vulneraria, yellow Alyssum diffusum and Hippocrepis comosa, the white Helianthemum apenninum, and the little yellow Iris pseudopumila. There were leaves of the latter everywhere, but it was nearly over, and we only found three flowers in good condition.

Ophrys ‘bertoloniiformis’

Moving slowly up the slope, we found more Ophrys ‘bertoloniiformis’, showing significant variation in colour and lip shape.

Other Ophrys

With them, we found just one Ophrys bombyliflora still in flower (they were mainly over), and a few Ophrys tenthredinifera.

The ground was getting steadily rockier as we reached the top of the ridge, and the grass was less luxuriant.

Tuberaria guttata

In these rocky areas the blue Alkanna lehmannii we had seen on previous days was common, and we found just one flower on Tuberaria guttata, the Spotted Rock Rose.

Orchis anthropophora

This rocky ridge was home to a large population of Man Orchids, growing mixed with Orchis italica.

Serapias lingua

There were a few scattered Serapias, just coming out. These were mainly Serapias lingua, with a few Serapias vomeracea (last picture).

Ophrys ‘promontorii’

We found a few specimens of the stabilised Ophrys hybrid, Ophrys ‘promontorii’, with distinctive long narrow lips and a inverted ‘v’ shaped marking.

Orchis quadripunctata

Along one side of the ridge, it was exciting to find a large colony of Orchis quadripunctata, a wonderful small orchid with a distinctive magenta colour and two or four dark spots on the lip.

Orchis pauciflora

Among these there were a few plants of the pale yellow Orchis pauciflora.

On top of the ridge, we reached a flatter area, with baked, clay-like soil among the rocks. In the open patches the ground was riddled with holes over an inch wide. Initially I wondered if these were created by rodents, but Pauls’ verdict was that they were field cricket burrows.

Anacamptis morio

Here there were great drifts of Green-veined orchids (Anacamptis morio).

Anacamptis papilionacea

Again, there were occasional Anacamptis papilionacea, and hybrids between the two.

Valeriana montana

We came across the round pink heads of Valeriana montana, which we hadn’t seen earlier.

Neotinea ustulata

Helen found a Burnt-tip Orchid, and this was followed by a few more.

Orchis anthropophora

This area of the meadow was home to some wonderful groups of Man Orchids.

Once we had all ceased wandering, and had collected again by the bus at the far end of the meadow, we climbed back in and set off further north. A herd of cows with some lovely calves was grazing along the track.

Eventually we reached a place where we could stop to have lunch. The rocky slopes of the valley, clothed in sparse, open woodland, looked enticing, but we didn’t have time to venture that far.

Silybum marianum

Lois set out the picnic on tables in a glade surrounded by bushes. Nightingales were calling from the thicket all around us. Between the bushes we found the marbled leaves of the Milk Thistle, Silybum marianum.

Cirsium eriophorum

And the dramatic rosettes of Cirsium eriophorum, the Woolly Thistle.

Viola merxmuelleri

Between the bushes there was a small colony of Viola merxmuelleri, including deep purple forms.

Ranunculus millefoliatus

Around the pansies, there were daisies and the deep yellow cups of Ranunculus millefoliatus.

Anemone apennina

After lunch, we returned back southwards, stopping to explore an oak wood by the side of the road. Here there were big clumps of Anemone apennina, in white as well as blue forms.

Anemone hortensis

Among the Anemone apennina were the lilac flowers of Anemone hortensis, probably happier in this open woodland than it was on the open hillside where we saw it earlier.

Ornithogalum umbellatum

Ornithogalum umbellatum is also happy in both woodland and meadow habitats.

Aristolochia lutea

The little yellow Aristolochia we saw on our first day was flowering here in good numbers.

Saxifraga granulata

In the ditch along the road, where it was a little damper, Saxifraga granulata was flowering well.

Narcissus poeticus

But the real reason that we wanted to stop in this wood was that on the way to lunch we had spotted the nodding white flowers of Narcissus poeticus.

Dactylorhiza romana

Among the anemones and the daffodils, there was a thin scattering of pale yellow spikes. These were another orchid, the beautiful Dactylorhiza romana (Roman Orchid).

When we travelled this stretch of road earlier in the day, I was sure that I had seen an area where the daffodils were blooming much more thickly, so I set off down the road to see if I could find that. I didn’t; I must have misremembered where I saw it, or misinterpreted what I saw, but I did see some nice plants of the woodland edge.

So, here are:

Anemone apennina
Bellis sylvestris
Some form of yellow Brassicaceae
Cardamine bulbifera
Euphorbia amygdaloides
Lamium bifidum
Lamium gargaricum
The ferny leaves of the big umbellifer, Laserpitium siler

Doronicum columnae

The bus passed me while I was walking, but I found it parked a little further on, near a bank with the yellow flowers of Doronicum columnae.

Ophrys sphegodes subsp passionis (aka. O. ‘garganica’)

Everyone was photographing this orchid, which we thought at the time might be Ophrys ‘archipelagi’. But reviewing the photos later we decided it was just a variation of Ophrys sphegodes subsp passionis, which we saw everywhere. Ophrys ‘archipelagi’ is an early species and we didn’t see it at all on this trip, though the previous week the group had seen it in several places.

There were plenty more Ophrys sphegodes subsp passionis along the next stretch of the lane, including some very striking variations which were quite different from what we had come to treat as the normal form. Some of these were quite similar to the plant above. Others seemed to have much wider lips, with a fawn margin on the lower edge.

Ophrys tenthredinifera

There was a rocky bank beside the lane which was covered with presumably very impoverished soil, as it held a large population of very diminutive Ophrys tenthredinifera.

Other orchid species growing here were similarly small, including Ophrys lutea subsp galilaea and Orchis anthropophora.

Our last stop of the day was back much closer to Monte Sant’Angelo, to investigate a wooded, rocky bank, clothed at the bottom with Asplenium trichomanes.