Flora of Malta
Encyclopedia
Typical Flora of Malta consists of the following plants and flowers. While small compared to other countries
, the Maltese Islands
contain special flower
s that grow on island
s such as Malta, Gozo, Comino, Filfla, St. Paul's Islands, and Fungus Rock.
A rare endemic bush
growing up to one metre and found only on the western cliff
s of Gozo and on Fungus Rock. Its bright yellow
flowers can be seen around May and June. Its long and narrow whitish leaves
have a covering of short hair.
A very scarce wild flower found mainly in garrigue
, where occasionally it is the dominant species. Its pinkish red large flowers appear in spring, on a shrub with sticky leaves
.
A rare perennial
evergreen
climber with thorny stems
, glossy compound leaves and shiny red fruit
. Its white flowers appear in spring and early summer. Found growing in maquis and on the sides of sheltered valley
s.
A common perennial with very large spiny leaves, generally flowering in early summer. It has large deep bluish-violet flower heads, and grows in steppe
s, especially on clay
and garrigue
, sometimes even on disturbed ground..
A scarce endemic orchid, resembling the common Pyramidal Orchid
, but having smaller and paler pink
or white
flowers. Flowers can be found from February to April in garrigue
and rocky steppe
s.
A rare annual
wild flower with delicate fine leaves and bright red flowers appearing during the months of winter and spring. They grow in cultivated land. Heavily persecuted through picking.
Country
A country is a region legally identified as a distinct entity in political geography. A country may be an independent sovereign state or one that is occupied by another state, as a non-sovereign or formerly sovereign political division, or a geographic region associated with a previously...
, the Maltese Islands
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
contain special flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s that grow on island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
s such as Malta, Gozo, Comino, Filfla, St. Paul's Islands, and Fungus Rock.
Maltese Everlasting
- Scientific Name: Helichrysum melitenseHelichrysum melitenseThe Maltese Everlasting is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family and is endemic to Malta,specifically on the island of Gozo in the wild, very rare as ornamental in Malta island...
- Maltese Name: Sempreviva ta' Għawdex
A rare endemic bush
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
growing up to one metre and found only on the western cliff
Cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...
s of Gozo and on Fungus Rock. Its bright yellow
Yellow
Yellow is the color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M cone cells of the retina about equally, with no significant stimulation of the S cone cells. Light with a wavelength of 570–590 nm is yellow, as is light with a suitable mixture of red and green...
flowers can be seen around May and June. Its long and narrow whitish leaves
Leaves
-History:Vocalist Arnar Gudjonsson was formerly the guitarist with Mower, and he was joined by Hallur Hallsson , Arnar Ólafsson , Bjarni Grímsson , and Andri Ásgrímsson . Late in 2001 they played with Emiliana Torrini and drew early praise from the New York Times...
have a covering of short hair.
Hoary Rock-Rose
- Scientific name: Cistus creticusCistus creticusCistus creticus is a species of shrubby plant in the family Cistaceae. Though it usually has pink flowers, of 4.5-5 cm diameter, this species is very variable. It is widely known as a decorative plant.-Subtaxa:*Cistus creticus subsp. creticus...
- Maltese name: Ċistu Roża
A very scarce wild flower found mainly in garrigue
Garrigue
Garrigue or phrygana is a type of low, soft-leaved scrubland ecoregion and plant community in the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome. It is found on limestone soils around the Mediterranean Basin, generally near the seacoast, where the climate is ameliorated, but where annual summer...
, where occasionally it is the dominant species. Its pinkish red large flowers appear in spring, on a shrub with sticky leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
.
Evergreen Rose
- Scientific Name: Rosa sempervirens
- Maltese Name: Girlanda tal-Wied
A rare perennial
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
climber with thorny stems
Plant stem
A stem is one of two main structural axes of a vascular plant. The stem is normally divided into nodes and internodes, the nodes hold buds which grow into one or more leaves, inflorescence , conifer cones, roots, other stems etc. The internodes distance one node from another...
, glossy compound leaves and shiny red fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
. Its white flowers appear in spring and early summer. Found growing in maquis and on the sides of sheltered valley
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
s.
Wild Artichoke
- Scientific Name: Cynara cardunculus
- Maltese Name: Qaqoċċ tax-Xewk
A common perennial with very large spiny leaves, generally flowering in early summer. It has large deep bluish-violet flower heads, and grows in steppe
Steppe
In physical geography, steppe is an ecoregion, in the montane grasslands and shrublands and temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biomes, characterized by grassland plains without trees apart from those near rivers and lakes...
s, especially on clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
and garrigue
Garrigue
Garrigue or phrygana is a type of low, soft-leaved scrubland ecoregion and plant community in the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome. It is found on limestone soils around the Mediterranean Basin, generally near the seacoast, where the climate is ameliorated, but where annual summer...
, sometimes even on disturbed ground..
Maltese Pyramidal Orchid
- Scientific Name: Anacamptis urvilleana
- Maltese Name: Orkida Piramidali ta' Malta
A scarce endemic orchid, resembling the common Pyramidal Orchid
Pyramidal orchid
The Pyramidal Orchid, Anacamptis pyramidalis, is an herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the Genus Anacamptis of the family Orchidaceae...
, but having smaller and paler pink
Pink
Pink is a mixture of red and white. Commonly used for Valentine's Day and Easter, pink is sometimes referred to as "the color of love." The use of the word for the color known today as pink was first recorded in the late 17th century....
or white
White
White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
flowers. Flowers can be found from February to April in garrigue
Garrigue
Garrigue or phrygana is a type of low, soft-leaved scrubland ecoregion and plant community in the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome. It is found on limestone soils around the Mediterranean Basin, generally near the seacoast, where the climate is ameliorated, but where annual summer...
and rocky steppe
Steppe
In physical geography, steppe is an ecoregion, in the montane grasslands and shrublands and temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biomes, characterized by grassland plains without trees apart from those near rivers and lakes...
s.
Pheasant's Eye
- Scientific Name: Adonis microcarpaAdonis microcarpaAdonis microcarpa, commonly known as Small-fruit Pheasant's-eye or Red Chamomile, is an annual herbaceous plant. The species is native to western Asia and southern Europe and is naturalised in Australia. It grows to 50 cm high, has finely divided foliage and red flowers with black centres....
- Maltese Name: Għallet is-Serduq
A rare annual
Annual plant
An annual plant is a plant that usually germinates, flowers, and dies in a year or season. True annuals will only live longer than a year if they are prevented from setting seed...
wild flower with delicate fine leaves and bright red flowers appearing during the months of winter and spring. They grow in cultivated land. Heavily persecuted through picking.
Yellow-throated Crocus
- Scientific Name: Crocus longiflorus
- Maltese Name: Żagħfran Salvaġġ
Large Star of Bethlehem
- Scientific Name: Ornithogalum arabicumOrnithogalum arabicumOrnithogalum arabicum is a species of star of Bethlehem native to a variety of areas of Europe.- References :...
- Maltese Name: Ħalib it-Tajr Kbir