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The largest of these flowers is the Spanish broom (Spartium junceum).
This is a fairly large almost leafless shrub, up to 3 metres tall.
It has erect, rush-like stems, and spikes
of scented yellow flowers around 2cm across. In Gibraltar they are
localised in southern parts, especially around Windmill Hill.
The smallest flowers of the family belong mainly to the clover group.
In this group the tiny flowers are generally grouped together to form
rounded heads of many flowers.
Such is the case of the reversed clover (Trifolium resupinatum). This
is a rare species, usually found common, and is mainly found as a weed
in cultivated areas, but can also be found at North Front Cemetery.
The name refers to the fact that each flower in the head is held upside
down when compared to all others of the family. The southern milk vetch
(Astragalus baeticus) is a common plant that can be found in most places
around Gibraltar, especially the North Front Cemetery and the southern
flats of the Rock. The distinctive fruit pods are 2 to 4 cm long, and
are arranged in upright clusters as the photograph shows. This species
is closely related to the plant from
which liquorice is obtained.
The small or bur medick (Medicago minima) is the smallest of the 11 species
in this genus. It is not very the Willis’s area of the Upper
Rock, growing on dry stony ground. The flowers are 3 to 4 mm long,
and the spiny fruit pods are coiled tightly to form a spherical shape
some 7 mm diameter.
Perhaps the most striking member of the family is the Tangier pea (Lathyrus
tingitanus). It is a rare plant, though it can form extensive cover
wherever it establishes itself. In Gibraltar it can be found at Europa
Foreshore, and around Ince’s Farm on the Upper Rock.
The flowers are 2 to 3 cm across, and the fruiting pods can be up to10
cm long. The common birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus collinus) is one of the
most widespread of the family. It is found in all habitats throughout
the Rock, but especially growing from crevices in limestone outcrops
on the Upper Rock. The yellow flowers are around 1 cm long, and form
clusters
of between 2 and 5. The leaves are grey-green. Another common and widespread
species is the horseshoe vetch (Hippocrepis multisiliquosa).
The yellow flowers are about 6 mm long, and form clusters of from 3 to
7. The name refers to the shape of the seed sections of the curved,
flattened pod. Each section is shaped like a horseshoe, open on the
outside of the pod’s curve. The pods are 3 to 5 cm long.
Text and photos by Leslie Linares ARPS |
