Читать книгу Trekking in the Apennines. The Grande Escursione Appenninica онлайн

21 страница из 33

Clockwise from top left: orange lily, lady orchid, broom, blue gentians, houseleeks

In the wake of the ice ages the northernmost regions of the Apennines were ‘invaded’ by alpine plant types in search of warmer conditions, the spruce and alpenrose being typical examples. Walkers will be surprised at the elevated number of alpine flowers on high altitude meadows and grassy ridges. Burgundy-coloured martagon or orange lilies vie for attention with an amazing range of gentians, from the tiny star-shaped variety through to the fat bulbous exemplar and even the more unusual purple gentian, a rich ruby hue. Clumps of pale pink thrift adorn stony ridges. A rarer sight are glorious rich red peonies, while longer-lasting light-blue columbines are another treat on stonier terrain.

Flower buffs will appreciate the delicate endemic rose-pink primrose, which grows on sandstone cliffs in the northern Apennines, and hopefully the less showy but equally rare Apennine globularia, a creeping plant with pale-blue flowers. Spring walkers will enjoy the colourful spreads of delicate corydalis blooms, wood anemones, perfect posies of primroses, meadows of violets and the unruly-headed tassel hyacinth. Soon afterwards the predominant bloom is scented broom that covers hillsides with bright splashes of yellow. An unusual prostrate version is Spanish broom, with denser and pricklier growth. May to June is usually the best time for orchid lovers, though it will depend on altitude. There’s the relatively common helleborine and early-purple varieties, then the sizeable lady orchid with outspread spotted pink petals resembling a human form, and if you’re in luck the exquisite ophrys insect orchids.