During my stay in Mertola, we did two short walks along the river. The first pictures are from near the town centre, the second group from Canais do Guadiana where we were joined by a local producer of essential oils, who showed us some of the plants they use. There’s a great little video of the area and plants on the producer’s website: http://dalenguadiana.pt
Vitor Menas and Fernando Garcia run the business and Fernando joined us on the walk and showed us around the workshop in the village.
THe River Guadiana near Mertola
Old mill on the river below Mertola
The first plant was a surprise edible, Epazote, Chenopodium ambrosioides, introduced from Mexico! Ambrósia-do-México
Our guide Nuno Roxo introduced us to a local plant man, who produces essential oils in a small village, Corte Sines in the hills near Mertola. He took us to a location near the river (Guadiana) where they harvest herbs for their business. These are the main herbs they use: Cistus ladanifer Lavandula stoechas, pedunculata and viridis, Rosmarinus officinalis Thymus mastichina Fueniculum vulgare Helichrysum stoechas Eucalyptus globulus Mentha pulegium Ruta graveolens
Mentha pulegium, pennycress
Daucus carota, wild carrot
Nuno Roxo told us that he acted as guide for visiting birdwatchers
Pistacia lentiscus, alfostigueiro
Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary / alecrim)
Juniperus turbinata
…and just as we approached the river a Golden Eagle flew right overhead!
Verebascum sinuatus
Rumex pulcher subsp. woodsii?
Apium nodiflorum
Silybum marianum seedlings…excellent greens when the plants are young and thornless
On the morning of my permaveggies course in Mértola, we did a wild walk into the Bombeira do Guadiana Biodiversity Station where information signs have been put up along a 1km trail informing about the rich local flora and fauna. There were many knowledgeable people in the group so that we managed to identify most of the plants we saw. Following recent rains there were many new shoots but few flowers….but we were lucky to see two species of Asparagus in flower!
Marta Cortegano gives an introduction before the walk
We found our first wild asparagus quite quickly
We had visited the evening before with Nuno Roxo and he showed us two species, only one of which he harvested.
We found a few shoots by digging around the base of the plant but at this time they are unpleasantly bitter.
Asparagus albus is Nuno’s preferred species for the edible shoots
Wild artichoke / alcachofra-de-são-joão (Cynara humilis) – has been used traditionally in Mediterranean countries – both peeled basal leaves and “artichokes”
Rumex pulcher subsp woodsii (coenha)
Colchicum?
Phlomis purpurea
Helichrysum stoechas
Wild olives
Discussing how to tell the four local oak species apart
Opuntia
NB!!! It resembles an Angelica, but seems to be Thapsia transtagana…a genus known as Deadly Carrots!!
Filming from all angles
Oxalis
Opuntia
?
?
Asparagus albus
Asphodelus ramosus distalis flowering out of season
The Portuguese water dog!
What was this? Daphne?
?
Cupressus?
Cupressus?
Arum shoots
Mértola
A wild almond
View of the Guadiana River…I was told that tides reached this far upstream
Cormorants on the river…there were also white and grey herons
Asparagus in old worker’s garden
View of Mértola
Puffball
The Guadiana river (we sadly had to turn back before we reached the river, but botanised on other days along the river.
Fennel / fiolho, funcho, erva-doce
There were many shoots of what I assume were Asphodelus
Wild asparagus and Mértola
Wild asparagus and Mértola
Wild almond covered in nuts
Portuguese Water Dog
This looks like Rumex but I’m not sure…
Pistacia lentiscus
There were four species of Lavandula here: stoechas, viridis, pedunculata and multifida
Lavandula multifida, only found in the Serra da Arrábida, just south of Lisbon and in Mértola!
Pyrus bourgaeana
Marrubium vulgare (marroio-branco)
Eucalyptus
Dianthus crassipes?
Cebola-albarrã / sea squill (Drimia maritima)?
Opuntias covered in fruit on the other side of the river
Thanks to Matthias Brück for preparing cactus pads (nopalitos) from Opuntia ficus-indicus for lunch, a long job by hand to de-spine first, but delicious! Does the old variety developed by Luther Burbank, “Burbank’s Spineless” still exist?
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