Species

Quadrat

Species
Total

B

B_A

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

AGAVE

19

2

3

24

1.54

0.05

CAPER

2

2

3

4

11

1.71

0.07

GOLDEN SAMPHIRE

20

17

29

16

7

10

1

100

5.17

0.42

GLASSWORT

2

6

8

1.60

0.06

SEA SQUILL

4

1

5

1.47

0.05

SEA CHICORY

6

1

2

9

1.98

0.10

SEA CAMOMILE

3

10

2

15

1.99

0.10

SILVERY RAGWORT

7

5

8

1

21

3.17

0.22

SOW THISTLE

3

25

28

9

5

11

81

0.27

-0.07

Agave, Century Plant Agave americana

Family Agavaceae

Description: Perennial. Large spear shaped leaves. Spiny teeth along the leaf margin ending in sharp black spine. Flower carried on tall stem 2-3 metres high. Found on roadsides, rocky places, coastal areas. Frequent. Introduced

Caper, Cappearis orrientalis (=C.rupestris, C. spinosa var. inermis)

Family Capparidaceae

Maltese name Kappara

Perennial. Leaves almost round, borne on numerous slender stems which curve or hang down. Flowers white with numerous violet stamens. Blooms in summer. Grows mainly on cliffs, walls and fortifications. Found also in garigue and maquis. The edible flower buds are pickled in vinegar. Common.

Golden Samphire, Inula crithmoides

Family Caprifoliaceae

Maltese name Xorbett

Shrub with narrow, fleshy leaves. Flowers in summer and autumn. Grows by the sea. Common.

Twiggy Glasswort, Salicornia ramosissima

Family Chenopodiaceae Maltese name Almeridija
Ecosystems : Saline marsh

Succulent annual with small almost imperceptible flowers. Stems appear to be made up of segments, which are in fact fleshy leaves that completely envelope stem. Often turns red on maturity , at the

fruiting stage. Only grows in saline marshes such as the Ghadira nature reserve, Salina and Ballut ta-Marsaxlokk. Scarce

Sea Squill, Urginea maritima (= Drimia maritima)

Family Liliaceae

Maltese name Ghansar

Family Perennial, \\'ith a large bulb at the soil surface. Leaves broad, smooth, shiny green. Flowers white on long, erect stems up to lm or more. Flowers in August and September before leaf emergence, which occurs in autumn and winter. Common.

Spiny chicory

Cichorium spinosum

Small hemisherical shrub with many spiny branches. Flowers blue, opening for a few hours during early morning from May to July. Occurs mainly near the coast. Frequent.

Maltese Sea Chamomile, Anthemis urvilleana (= A secundjramea ssp urlilleana)

Family Asteraceae

Maltese name Bebuna tal-Bahar

Prostrate annual. Leaves fleshy and shiny, pinnatifid. Flower-heads have gaps among the white ray florets. Blooms in spring. Grows near the sea, often carpeting large areas. This is one of a small group of species found in the small islands around Sicily. Named after the botanist and explorer D'Urville. Endemic. Frequent

Silvery Ragwort, Senecio bicolor (=S.cineraria)

Family Caprifoliaceae

Maltese name Kromb il-Bahar Isfar

Shrub which grows to just over 1m. Leaves rather fleshy, dark green above and greyish-white below due to dense coating of short hairs. Blooms from late spring to mid-summer. Grows especially in seaside localities. Common.

Smooth Sow Thistle, Sonchus oleraceus

Family Asteraceae

Maltese name Tfief Komuni

Annual. Leaves soft and smooth, generally deeply divided. Blooms mostly in winter and spring. Grows everywhere on disturbed ground. Very common.