MaltaWildplants.com FORUM

Yes Stephen, I do agree with the general idea of your assessment of the situation. Sorry to be the main source of this naming confusion (together with MWP administrator) :lol: I assure you all that I have nothing to do at all with all these names and for me good, old, plain Ophrys fusca is more than...

If you found O.parosica under the O.attaviria group it is still o.k. Again Kew lists O.attaviria as another synonym for O. fusca subsp. fusca , so O.parosica can still rightly be considered within the O.fusca group. It all depends where the various authorities draw the line! Yes, I agree with you th...

Stephen, here are just a few clarifications about my previous post. O.parosica and O.pectus (whatever they look like - all the species we are discussing look more or less the same to me) ARE members of the O. fusca group. This can be checked by searching for the names in the Kew monocot checklist at...

Hi Stephen. Here are a few details about the locally occuring species within the O.fusca group which are in the interest of simplicity and in humble recognition of our limited botanical expertise :oops: we have all wisely agreed to treat as O. fusca s.l. (just in case that you may find some of these...

Stephen, The O. fusca -iricolor complex can indeed be complex! :) Various authorities are still arguing and disagreeing on this group. Recent literature indicates at least 5 species pertaining to the Maltese islands with major European orchid internet sites giving at least 3 other names. The species...

Hello jackpot. Your approach is probably the best by far. :) I have been looking into this for a while, but the more you research, the more confused things become! I think that a few authors seem to be particularly keen at creating species and subspecies out of variable plants at the least opportuni...

No Stephen. At the moment I am not into robbing cars. Although I have had my present car for over 13 years it still runs well! However when it will no longer pass its VRT, who knows?

I earn my living through teaching environmental science and biology at a church school sixth form.

Hi Stephen. I think can help. You are right in questioning which term should be used, since both are so widely used. The correct, accepted name for the legume family is Fabaceae. However although the name Leguminosae is technically incorrect, it is one of those names that has been used so often for ...

Yes Stephen. In fact a number of authors consider Ophrys fusca as a species complex ( Ophrys fusca-iricolor complex) made up of various apparently quite similar species (rather than subspecies), a number of which are to be found in Malta. The earliest flowering plants which have been in flower at le...

Thanks jackpot. Rushes, sedges and grasses are a no go area for me! I have no idea on how to even attempt to identify such plants. :cry: It seems that only expert botanists can hope to feel somewhat comfortable with such plants! Haslam's flora lists 10 species of Carex for the Maltese Islands and st...

For my first post I decided to start burdening you out there with one of my plant identification problems. Could somebody please help by identifying this plant. I found it last April at the Ghar il-Kbir area lo Buskett. It was the only one I saw. Thanks.