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Scattered flora during our descent; in other words, lots of distractions for tibber...
UL - I was surprised that the ferns were still this green in October. Male Fern (Dryopteris filix-mas)
LL - The Fall Crocus were a fabulous dash of color. Autumn Crocus (specifically Crocus nudiflorus), known in Asturias as Colquico or Azafrán Silvestre. Their appearance is often locally called the "start of the end," signaling to the shepherds that the first frosts are coming and it’s time to move the animals down from the Braña to the valley floor in El Coto.
UR Don't even know how I spotted that little bloom. Evergreen Alkanet (Pentaglottis sempervirens). The White Eye: Notice the tiny white center (the "eye") of the flower. Bristly Leaves: If you look at the large, deep-green leaves surrounding the bloom, they are covered in tiny, stiff hairs. In the Cantabrian Mountains, these hairs help the plant shed excess moisture and protect it from small insects.
Trail Fact: Historically, the roots of plants in this family were used to make red dyes for fabrics, though the Pentaglottis is more famous today simply for being one of the few plants that can produce that intense, pigment-rich blue.
MIDDLE - quite interesting bloom on that one. This unique-looking plant is **Water Avens** (specifically *Geum rivale*), though in this photo, it has already finished blooming and is in its **fruiting stage**. The Hook Mechanism: These were once nodding, bell-shaped pink flowers. Now, they have turned into "hooks."
Hitchhiking Seeds: These hooks are designed to catch onto the fur of passing Asturcón horses or the clothes of hikers. This is the plant's clever way of transporting its seeds across the Cantabrian Mountains.
LL one we all know, Common Mallow (Malva sylvestris). All above-ground parts of the plant are edible, and it has historically been used in traditional medicine for its soothing mucilage content.
UL - I was surprised that the ferns were still this green in October. Male Fern (Dryopteris filix-mas)
LL - The Fall Crocus were a fabulous dash of color. Autumn Crocus (specifically Crocus nudiflorus), known in Asturias as Colquico or Azafrán Silvestre. Their appearance is often locally called the "start of the end," signaling to the shepherds that the first frosts are coming and it’s time to move the animals down from the Braña to the valley floor in El Coto.
UR Don't even know how I spotted that little bloom. Evergreen Alkanet (Pentaglottis sempervirens). The White Eye: Notice the tiny white center (the "eye") of the flower. Bristly Leaves: If you look at the large, deep-green leaves surrounding the bloom, they are covered in tiny, stiff hairs. In the Cantabrian Mountains, these hairs help the plant shed excess moisture and protect it from small insects.
Trail Fact: Historically, the roots of plants in this family were used to make red dyes for fabrics, though the Pentaglottis is more famous today simply for being one of the few plants that can produce that intense, pigment-rich blue.
MIDDLE - quite interesting bloom on that one. This unique-looking plant is **Water Avens** (specifically *Geum rivale*), though in this photo, it has already finished blooming and is in its **fruiting stage**. The Hook Mechanism: These were once nodding, bell-shaped pink flowers. Now, they have turned into "hooks."
Hitchhiking Seeds: These hooks are designed to catch onto the fur of passing Asturcón horses or the clothes of hikers. This is the plant's clever way of transporting its seeds across the Cantabrian Mountains.
LL one we all know, Common Mallow (Malva sylvestris). All above-ground parts of the plant are edible, and it has historically been used in traditional medicine for its soothing mucilage content.