Phylum: Magnoliophyta - Class: Liliopsida - Order: Asparagales - Family: Asparagaceae
Dipcadi, like the Bluebell, used to be included in the Lily family, Liliaceae; it is now classified a member of the Asparagus family (Asparagaceae). This 'brown bluebell' and is fairly common in the Iberian Peninsula, although it is very hard to spot due to its rather dull, brownish colouring. It flowers in March and April, and in Portugal, where this specimen was photographed, it favours the edge of upland woodlands and rocky paths, often found close to broad-leaved helleborines which grow in the same habitat at the same time of year; there, in the dappled light created by surrounding trees, it can easily be overlooked. Dipcadi also grows in rocky, stony and sandy ground.
This well-camouflaged wildflower, which is also referred to as the brown bluebell, thrives in the hilly parts of the Iberian Peninsular, North West Africa and the Balearics. It is rare in France and Italy.
The specimens shown on this page were photographed in the Algarve, southern Portugal.
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