They were born free

On the north coast of the island of Mallorca is preserved a small haven of unspoiled nature surrounded by destruction: the Albufera de Mallorca and adjacent dunes and pine forests. Spring walk in these pines is an orgy of light and color. It breathes life into the aroma of good soil, in the birdsong, in the frantic fluttering of bees and bumble bees going from flower to flower in search of the precious nectar.

Orchis italica

Ornithogalum divergens

Serapias lingua

The plants in full bloom resemble a huge Persian carpet: orchids, thickets, reed, buttercups, daisies, mallow, Plantago, rosemary, Globularia, euphorbias, thyme, Asphodelus, bindweed, reeds, pine, olive, tamarisk, mastic, juniper, etc ... and some tiny ferns almost invisible: Ophioglossum lusitanicum and Selaginella denticulata and in the canals of the lagoon a small population of the scarce Phyllitis sagittata. 

 Ophrys lutea

 Orchis coriophora

Ophrys sphegodes

One can imagine how it would be Mallorca a thousand years ago and the sadness by so much loss hurts in the soul. Terranal Paradise is lost forever and never return. The hen that lays golden eggs was exploited to exhaustion and stopped to lay eggs, is very sick, but human greed is blind and can not see the sorry state of hen and they are squeezing it to put more eggs even if it is golf balls.

This little haven of hope, miraculously saved from the greed, is the home to two tiny Mediterranean turtles of the species Testudo hermanni. They have 10 months and born last year in late spring. Before starting his morning walks in search of tender shoots and flowers which are their breakfast, they lie on a squishy soft bed of moss in the sun that warms their reptilian blood and fills of energy their small body. A male blackbird inflamed by spring hormones sings a beautiful lullaby to sleep peacefully while they were charging the batteries. They were born free under the white sand of a dune in the shadow of a Cistus but their parents were imprisoned without having committed any crime. Someone with a clean soul released them and this small turtles are the first fruit of their liberty.

Their camouflage is perfect. When the sensory nerve endings in the bottom of his shell detect vibration of my footsteps hide his head and his legs and remain completely immobile. Like two stones on the moss.

The two small turtles are females, their little tail used to know their sex. Males have much longer tail and thick. To get an idea of ​​just small compared with the nail of my thumb. Her belly is bulging, which means they are well hydrated and that store a lot of fat reserves, thanks to the lush vegetation that is your pantry. The striations seen in its shell are two new plates that are growing between the third and fourth pair of plates.

The other turtle is also female with her small tail and the two new plates in growth in its shell. This is much more plump than the other. Its "belly" bulges much more, a sign of the large reserves of fat that accumulates. Not suffer you, I have put back exactly in the same bed of moss where they were. Hopefully they arrive to adult and they fill with small sons this little paradise.

Juniperus oxycedrus subsp. macrocarpa

The beautiful pest that came from China

Cyrtomium falcatum Asian fern is native to China, Korea and Japan. Belongs to the great family of the Polypodiaceae. Its beauty, hardiness, adaptability and ease of cultivation have made to it one of the most cultivated ferns in the world. In cold climates live well indoors as a houseplant and appreciates that place it near a window, it is sun-loving, lover of light. In hot, dry climates prefer shaded and cool with frequent watering. The problem arises when it is grown in mild and humid climates, especially in coastal areas. Then its spores dispersed by wind germinate anywhere with a bit of substrate and constant moisture and becomes an invasive pest, very difficult to control and eradicate.

Magnificent copy of Cyrtomium falcatum growing to three meters from the sea, splashed by the waves on a beach in the city of Horta on Faial Island in the Azores Archipelago. The large number of individuals threatens the survival of coastal fern par excellence, the native Asplenium marinum, as it occupies the same habitat and compete fiercely for colonize the few rocky cracks with a little substrate close to the sea.

Another example of coastal colonization of Cyrtomium falcatum in the Playa de Los Cancajos on the Canary island of La Palma. Enlarging the picture with a double click you can see a colony of this Asian fern growing on the upper edge of this small coastal cave, competing fiercely with the rich native Canarian flora.

Any place is used for to live. Here we see him grow as an epiphyte over the dried remains leaves of a Canary Island date palm in a garden in the city of Puerto de la Cruz on the Canary island of Tenerife. Gardeners respect it for its beauty, because we must recognize that its beautiful and shiny palm fronds give to it more attractive.

The coastal terraces where canary bananas are grown, whose land is always wet by the weekly watering of banana plantations are an ideal habitat for Cyrtomium falcatum. Here is a specimen with vigorous fronds grow about 70 centimeters between the stones of a wall patch to the partial shade of the banana plantations in the city of Tazacorte of the Island of La Palma. Enlarging the picture with a double click is best appreciated its beauty.

The first fronds of young specimens are easily confused with Canary ivy. Here is a copy on a wall bank of a canary banana plantation, accompanied by a Adiantum capillus-veneris, with which it competes for the same habitat.

The Cyrtomium falcatum also behaves as an invasive pest in the botanical gardens located in Mediterranean climates near the sea. Here we see this fine specimen in the Botanical Garden of Soller in Majorca, emerged from a spore in the wind from a balcony of a private house near the garden.

Its name "falcatum" means sickle or scythe, the way of the pinnae falcate with a leathery texture and bright.

Underside of the frond above with immature sori no order covering the entire bottom surface of the pinnae.

Details of previous immature sori, which are rounded and covered by a peltate indusium in the form of umbrella attached to the pinna by a central stem.

Mature sori in May with the indusium lifted revealing deployed and mature sporangia.

Details of Cyrtomium falcatum sori. It looks great as the peltate indusium and sporangia umbrella as brown balls peeking below the indusium after deployed explosively and disperse the spores as far as possible.