Murderers!

I think I might be getting kinda too into this whole wildflowers, flora n' fauna thing. I was on the train the other day and saw that a favourite patch of flowers, (they look from a distance to be the exceedingly charming Bladder Campion) and grasses had been mown at the Santa Severa train station.

I let out an indignant yawp at the sight and have been quite put out since each time we have passed it on the train.

Still, am pleased to see a whole yellow field, a mass of wild mustard in bloom, with the addition of poppies growing up under the delicate shade of the flowers. Fields and fields of this. I'll wait until the seed pods are ripe and collect some of the seeds and see if I can't germinate them in a pot.

Italy's countryside is getting some very distinctly painterly qualities.


Some kind of wild alium.


I got my good field guide to western European wildflowers out last night and had a poke through. I'm sure I'll get some clews about the identity of our oversized vetch friend. I'm sure it is some kind of vetch, but it's not in the book. It's certainly one of the vetch-pea family though.


This pink thing grows in masses all along the train tracks.

Took a long hike a couple of weekends ago up the hills behind Santa Marinella and didn't see any up there. Even so close to the shore, the flora changes quite a bit up there. I brought home a big handful of wild gladiolus and bright yellow marigolds. I'll have to take another walk soon and take the camera.