I shot this last March and only identified it yesterday !!
What is it and where did I find it ?
It is an alien but naturalised in some gardens and bastions/
It is rare ...and of course I cropped out the flower though I guess Mr.Weber will still get it
wolf
quiz
Moderators: MWP admin, IL-PINE
F I X E D !
Its fixed wolf ! - Be happy now 
I will later delete the last 4-5 posts to keep the topic tidy and to the point of the quiz.
I do not reckognize the plant but it reminds me of some close relative which is a garden / ornamental pant. No bells ringing at the time.
I will later delete the last 4-5 posts to keep the topic tidy and to the point of the quiz.
I do not reckognize the plant but it reminds me of some close relative which is a garden / ornamental pant. No bells ringing at the time.
Last edited by MWP admin on Mon Dec 05, 2005 2:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Wolf- wow, what a tough nut to crack. You overestimate my knowledge, even with the flower, I think I do not know it. I try to approach: monocot (no!)- dicot (yes), if we divide the dicots in Ranunculidae (no!)-Caryophyllidae (no!)-Rosidae (yes?)-Asteridae (no!). Ok, Dividing the Rosidae: Geraniales (no!)-Malpighiales (could be)-Fabales (no!)-Malvales (could be)-Rosales (no!)-the others (no, I think). So far ok? I will stay tuned to it… 
Malvaceae
From the several fruit forms I have seen in my research, I am quite confident that it is a member of the Malvaceae.
Despite the photo quality is not a state of art
I would guess Abutilon spp. probably A. theophrasti
how hot are we?
With ref to prev message, I probably had in mind hibiscus ornamental..
Despite the photo quality is not a state of art
I would guess Abutilon spp. probably A. theophrastihow hot are we?
With ref to prev message, I probably had in mind hibiscus ornamental..
Admin- I think Hibiscus is wrong (as well as Malvaviscus, which was my first impression) and Abutilon is hot, I am not convinced with A. theophrasti, which should have spiny appendages at the top of the carpels, I am somewhat irritated about the buds and the leaves... Wolf: is the flower small and yellow?
TNX
Don't Give up wolf
I wanted to ask you if you are planning to publish your many plant photos in a sort of a book ? I know that it will probably turn out to make a loss of money rather making a profit, but I think it is more a matter of pride than that of money.
The photo reminded me in the distance of theHibiscus Fruit
I wanted to ask you if you are planning to publish your many plant photos in a sort of a book ? I know that it will probably turn out to make a loss of money rather making a profit, but I think it is more a matter of pride than that of money.
The photo reminded me in the distance of theHibiscus Fruit
no publishing in mind yet - just say it is satisfying curiosity - you know what it feels like to discover something you have never encountered ? it s the small thrill of finding fagonia cretica in good numbers in a far off site... to locate one of the few remaining plants of orchis italica and to wonder at how the very showy and large iris sicula still survives in a few places despite the destructive and selfish nature of most of our compatriot malltese gahan....
and yes to wonder and tremble at this irresistible force we call nature or life ..... get it MWP ??
ps we will organize another walk in spring and we will see exactly that - a veritable garden of coronilla valentina ...the perfume of which will make you swoon and a whole load of fagonia cretica ....plus a good population of euphorbia melitensis in flower ...and the last robinson crusoe of malta !!
if you guessed the location please dont mention it onlline .... it is an extremely sensitive area and not worth advertising to possibly destructive elements in our sick society
reason I am saying this is that I was in a particular valley this weekend and I noticed people are offroading for up to a mile up the
valley destroying the valley floor big time ...I can send you photos privately if you wish
wolf
and yes to wonder and tremble at this irresistible force we call nature or life ..... get it MWP ??
ps we will organize another walk in spring and we will see exactly that - a veritable garden of coronilla valentina ...the perfume of which will make you swoon and a whole load of fagonia cretica ....plus a good population of euphorbia melitensis in flower ...and the last robinson crusoe of malta !!
if you guessed the location please dont mention it onlline .... it is an extremely sensitive area and not worth advertising to possibly destructive elements in our sick society
reason I am saying this is that I was in a particular valley this weekend and I noticed people are offroading for up to a mile up the
valley destroying the valley floor big time ...I can send you photos privately if you wish
wolf
robinson crusoe
What is "the last robinson crusoe of malta"?
oh well....on second thoughts I will tell you
It is the dishevelled long haired man who chases people off " his " land in a remote western part of malta...one of the wildest places on the island
jackpot....welcome ! .... you wouldnt really like to meet him alone if you are used to civilised people
wolf
It is the dishevelled long haired man who chases people off " his " land in a remote western part of malta...one of the wildest places on the island
jackpot....welcome ! .... you wouldnt really like to meet him alone if you are used to civilised people
wolf
(Freitag in the german version, is his name Friday in english?) However, Wolf, ...and the last robinson crusoe of malta !! - is it a plant? Do you mean Cynomorium? You intrigued me... 
Well Wolf, your comment at the end of your contribution of Dec 05, 2005 10:27 pm, is a very important one. You noticed the destruction and you may say it, you have to say it. As foreigners, we have no right to do so, or at least we should not critisise and demonstrate "to be a know-it-all". I think the only thing we may do is to show natives their pearls (in the case I have the feeling that they do not know it). We need to interest people, we need to inform them. Then, we have a chance that they get involved with mother nature, finally that they lobby for plant protection, for life. By the way- this holds not only for Malta, it is a worlwide need.
Jackpot, that's the main aim of my site!! But there is a proverb that really applies to the Maltese stupards (=Stupid bastards) - who is born spherical does not die cubical, and I think it is a lost case before even fighting. All the efforts will fall in vain.
Most stupards are sellfish or poor, and they see the environment as opportunity of taking "bounty" (that they claim it is nobody's) from nature before someone else take it instead.
Examples of "bounty"
Rare (=attractive) flowers to sell or put in front of the Holy Mary (so as they get a virtue from her in return otherwise no deal dear Holy mary)
Birds to catch/shoot and sell as alive/stuffed
Fish (anything so far is marketable) to catch an eat
Wild rabbits, etc to catch and eat
A piece of land to build a garage or a bird trap
Prawns (gambli in Maltese) or earthworms to avoid buying bait
Snails to sell in bars and some restaurants
It is useless to fight this war since the stupards will always see the environment as easy money (aaah they wont admit it, they say its a folklore/hobby thing)
Most stupards are sellfish or poor, and they see the environment as opportunity of taking "bounty" (that they claim it is nobody's) from nature before someone else take it instead.
Examples of "bounty"
Rare (=attractive) flowers to sell or put in front of the Holy Mary (so as they get a virtue from her in return otherwise no deal dear Holy mary)
Birds to catch/shoot and sell as alive/stuffed
Fish (anything so far is marketable) to catch an eat
Wild rabbits, etc to catch and eat
A piece of land to build a garage or a bird trap
Prawns (gambli in Maltese) or earthworms to avoid buying bait
Snails to sell in bars and some restaurants
It is useless to fight this war since the stupards will always see the environment as easy money (aaah they wont admit it, they say its a folklore/hobby thing)
il-Gahan Malti
Well it is true. Unfortunately we Maltese have a very small country with a large population. And besides it is a very lazy society. To get it whilst in a public garden in my home time, whilst sitting on a bench I noticed a whole lot of rubbish just behind my bench! Despite there being 5 rubbish bins surrounding me coloured in bright orange!
Then you have the rich person who just builds a villa in the middle of a garigue or valley, the shooter who shoots swallows for practice besides anything that flies, the trapper who destroys a whole patch of Cistus for laying his nets and things etc etc.
The mentality as a whole has to change from its basics and from also a politician point of view. For example the Ballut reserve in Marsaxlokk was declared a nature reserve in the 90s. Now it seems that you can enter easily because of neglect. There have to be stricter laws and monitoring!
The only good point is that there is a renewed interest in the nature aspect. For example since 1977 there have been no publishing of books related to flowers in general. Now, there have been 2 publications of photographs of wild plants in a span of a year. Some plants that have been regarded as extinct have been rediscovered. I hope that the awareness created by these publications and the awareness created by Stephen's site, may destroy a bit of this laziness and ignorance that has destroyed such a large piece of Maltese countryside in the last 50 years or so!
Then you have the rich person who just builds a villa in the middle of a garigue or valley, the shooter who shoots swallows for practice besides anything that flies, the trapper who destroys a whole patch of Cistus for laying his nets and things etc etc.
The mentality as a whole has to change from its basics and from also a politician point of view. For example the Ballut reserve in Marsaxlokk was declared a nature reserve in the 90s. Now it seems that you can enter easily because of neglect. There have to be stricter laws and monitoring!
The only good point is that there is a renewed interest in the nature aspect. For example since 1977 there have been no publishing of books related to flowers in general. Now, there have been 2 publications of photographs of wild plants in a span of a year. Some plants that have been regarded as extinct have been rediscovered. I hope that the awareness created by these publications and the awareness created by Stephen's site, may destroy a bit of this laziness and ignorance that has destroyed such a large piece of Maltese countryside in the last 50 years or so!
il-gahan malti
Jackpot - you have every right to pass comment and criticise especially since you seem to know Malta so well.
I see this thread has taken a political twist and why not ? I am sick to the bone of politicians of all colours paying lip-service to the environment and stopping there. I am sick of both major parties disagreeing on everything under the sun but then agreeing on hijacking two huge ( remember this is tiny Malta ) chunks of land for bloody golf ...do these people really believe the myth of the 30,000 visitors ? More like 30,000 pieces of silver of the judas variety to me !! I am sick of reporting illegalities and no action is taken. It will
take quite a few generations to get people environmentally educated and by then it may be too late. In my humble opinion some important countryside sites shud start being managed - doing things like controlling the spread of rubus and oxalis in valley beds ( apart from catching litter louts ) otherwise more species will be lost and our country becomes the poorer for it.
Of course in a bankrupt country this is difficult to achieve though in reality this is investment of sorts in our future ...so we prefer to beautify roundabouts instead.
There ....I feel better now !!
wolf
I see this thread has taken a political twist and why not ? I am sick to the bone of politicians of all colours paying lip-service to the environment and stopping there. I am sick of both major parties disagreeing on everything under the sun but then agreeing on hijacking two huge ( remember this is tiny Malta ) chunks of land for bloody golf ...do these people really believe the myth of the 30,000 visitors ? More like 30,000 pieces of silver of the judas variety to me !! I am sick of reporting illegalities and no action is taken. It will
take quite a few generations to get people environmentally educated and by then it may be too late. In my humble opinion some important countryside sites shud start being managed - doing things like controlling the spread of rubus and oxalis in valley beds ( apart from catching litter louts ) otherwise more species will be lost and our country becomes the poorer for it.
Of course in a bankrupt country this is difficult to achieve though in reality this is investment of sorts in our future ...so we prefer to beautify roundabouts instead.
There ....I feel better now !!
wolf
Stephen, Il-Pine, Wolf: Yes, I agree with everything you wrote, and I could fill pages and pages with personal impressions and experiences relating to this discussion, in general. I hope that you 3 will be interested (and have the time) to meet my student group next spring for 1 or 2 hours in a bar to have discussions with them to this topic. Of course, you are welcome to participate one of our field trips. I will let you know our programme.
Pine: thank you that you bought the book…
By the way, we finished the manuscript in English for another one (a pocket book “Field Guide to the Flora of Malta”), introducing and describing 530 species with 625 pictures, but discussions with publishers are difficult.
Pine: thank you that you bought the book…
By the way, we finished the manuscript in English for another one (a pocket book “Field Guide to the Flora of Malta”), introducing and describing 530 species with 625 pictures, but discussions with publishers are difficult.