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Hi Stephen
Your website is great. Must have taken ages to compile all that data. I was recently in Malta. I'm a commercial horticulturalist, not strictly speaking a professional botanist either, though the information you've given on site is particularly interesting to me.
I wish I'd have found someone to come around with me looking at plants whilst i was there!!!!!!!!!
Best wishes, and hoping I could be of some help at some time in future.
 Sue Phasey
Botanist
London, UK
Feb 2003 |
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Hi,
Interesting site, good to see very comprehensive pictorial descriptions of the plant. Let us know we you have more plants added.
I noticed that you have used the text from our database verbatim without a link or citation. It would be nice if you could add a link to us.
I also had a problems looking at the Links page (no text appeared). It seems like your using a font not available on my computer.
All the best
 Rich
Verbatim Plant Database
USA
Mar 2003 |
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The material about Maltese plants is of an excellent quality and can be put to good use by Junior College students. I will inform Biology A Level students about this site. Actually, I would like to add a hyperlink to our Website to your site so that students can access the botany part easily. Keep up the good work.
 Joseph Degiovanni
Head of Biology Department of Junior College
Malta
Jul 2003 |
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Just a short note to congratulate you on your excellent site concerning Maltese Plants. The approach is certainly comprehensive considering that you're developing a seed library and pollen library on-line. This interests me particularly since I'm working on hydrophyte seeds as well as being in the initial stages of establishing a pollen library. Well Done !
Best regards
Sandro Lanfranco
Lecturer of environmental Sciences
Malta
Aug 2003 |
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Dear Stephen
I read your web page in Oxalis pes-caprae and has good information and pictures. I am studying the impact for Oxalis pes-caprae on species diversity on disturbed area MSc. at the University of Stelleboshc South Africa. Therefore could use the picture.
Thanks
 Ghirmaai
MSc. at the University of Stelleboshc South Africa
South Africa
Sep 2003 |
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"Your site make a very impressive picture, but of course it will take long time to complete it for the whole flora of Malta (and Gozo). But in any case, the 18 species You already have illustrated and described are very completely covered. I think I have not seen any other site with so much information concerning each species; maybe ""Den virtuella floran"" http://linnaeus.nrm.se/flora/welcome.html (in swedish) is the most close one which I know about.
My friend (and I) was searching for information on the genus Conyza. In Sweden (and the other Nordic countries) C. canadensis is an established alien, but the other species of the genus are rare casuals. Few old findings of C. bonariensis are known from in Sweden, and no recent ones at all. However, this summer I and my friend have found three different localities in Scandinavia for a Conyza spp. different from C. canadensis. We are trying to get enough information to make a correct identification of our Conyza spp.
In this process, we were happy to take a look at Your good illustrations and descriptions of C. bonariensis. My little ""project"" may - if I get enough time for it - end in a small paper (in swedish) about some rare casual species of Conyza in Sweden, but it will in no case have any ""profitable"" connection.
"
 Erik Ljungstrand
Secretary of the Botanical Society
Sweden
Oct 2003 |
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hello,
Congratulations for your pictures.
I teach Botany in the Faculté de Pharmacy, in Paris. In the second year of their cursus the students have a short list of plants (about 120) that they must be able to identify. We have a botanical garden at the faculté de Pharmacie but of course, depending on the weather we have, the plants do not bloom before may or june and the students take their exams at the end of June, which leaves them a short time.
Given that in Paris they don't have much opportunity to see the plants I just started working on a diaporama showing the plants of their list. This diaporama will be shown on the University paris5 intranet exclusively. I have already most of the photos that I took last spring and summer, however some are not very good for teaching. Many of your pictures are great and didactic [= Fitted or intended to teach, SM] . May I use some of them?
Further Details:
I am setting up a powerpoint presentation of the plants that 2nd year Pharmacy students have to identify for their botany exam (about 120 plants) This presentation will go on the Intranet of the University to which only authorized persons have access (in this case Pharmacy students)
Thank you very much for your reply
 Dr Annie Brulfert
Teacher in Botany in the Faculté de Pharmacy, in Paris
Paris, France
Jan 2004 |
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I was really impressed with the work you did on the Plants of Malta page. I am not very well versed in HTML or what ever you are using, but I am attempting just to kreate a personal page and was interested in how you got the page to fade in and out. I thought that was coolest thing.
Anyway, if you could let me know, I would appreciate it.
 Ben Busch
Germany
Feb 2004 |
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I`am a German botanist and I write - privat - a book about all acidophil dwarf shrubs and dwarf shrub habitats of europe - from atlantic to caucasus and ural. I think I finish in may. One chapter is presentation all species of Erica. I have all other (16) Erica photos, but I have no good photo from:
Erica multiflora (your first photo)
You have some good photos of this species in Wild Plants of Malta. Can you give me a copyright? Or have I to write some papers? (In internet 17 sides conditions! Crazy!) Have I to pay something?
Thanks for the wonderful and excellent presentation on your website. You are a very good mixture of artist and botanist!
Ingmar Gorissen
Botanist
Nurnberg, Germany
Apr 2004 |
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My name is Jason Noy, I am currently studying Agricultural Land Management at the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, England. I am in the process of completing a dissertation titled: ' Is Borage a economically viable crop to be grown in a arable farming system?'. My research has led me to your very useful and informative website and I am writing to request your permission to use a number of the photograph that are on your page. It would be very advantageous to my work as they are the best photographs that I have managed to find. I am aware of the copyright implications and will reference the photographs correctly in accordance to the certified University Harvard Reference System.
Your site has been particularly useful to me and I would like to congratulate you for producing such a interesting and informative site.
Jason Noy
Undergraduate Student
UK
Apr 2004 |
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Dear Mr. Mifsud
I congratulate you on your excellent project- we definitely need a lot more enterprising people like yourself. I shall be opening my new garden centre this October and thus am extremely busy trying to set it all up. However, I suggest that you contact me again sometime towards the end of the year, so perhaps we can have you perform some lectures in our purpose built hall.
Thanks and best regards
Dr. Adrian Zammit
Malta
Apr 2004 |
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Hello- regards from Marburg, Germany!
Your homepage is very nice
you might be interested in this book about Malta Wildplants, recently published with PEG, Malta.
http://peg.hanut.com/catalog/default.php?manufacturers_id=120&Identifier=947777aac96e7331ce75a45e6a9c8bde
Hans Christian Weber
Botanist
Marburg, Germany
Apr 2004 |
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"Well done Stephen. A very nice and informative piece of information about our country which is very useful even to us Maltese. You make us proud with this website. In my opinion you mentioned a lot of interesting plants but if possible I would like you(if you can) to include some other plants or herbs such as :
Ecballium Elaterium (Squirting Cucumber) [Faqqus il-Hmir]
Tropaleum Majus(Nasturtium)[Kapuccinell]
Thymus Vulgaris(Wild Thyme)Saghtar
Ricinus Communis""Carmencita""(Although not endemic) Castor Oil Plant) [Riegnu]
Rosmarinus Officinalis(Wild Rosemary) [Klin]
Foeniculum Vulgare (Wild Fennel) [Buzbiez]
Laurus Nobilis (Bay Laurel) [Randa]
Capparis Spinosa(Common Caper) [Kappara]
Malva Sylvestris(Mallow)[Hubbejza]
I'm not critisizing you by mentioning these, but I think they are also important wild plants although not all are endemic plants of Malta.
I wish to congratulate you again as this is a very beautiful and infromative website. Keep up the good work and well done!!!
"
Antione Ellul
Malta
May 2004 |
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I found your site whilst looking at Malta Times on line. They were advertising a book on wild flowers in Malta and that gave me the idea to search via Google for any sites that could help. I found your site excellent and will be back often to see any updates.
 Jennifer Smith
School of Social & Health Sciences
Ireland
May 2004 |
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Hi,
I have been to your site recently (http://www.marz-kreations.com/WildPlants/WildPlants_Index.html), and would like to congratulate you for the information that you have gathered.
Although i did not study botany, the subject does interest me. I live in Siggiewi and as you may imagine, I am surrounded by wild plants. Let me know if you need any photos or maybe Maltese names of some of the plants (my parents may help in this).
Keep it up.
Nicholas Sciberras
Malta
Jun 2004 |
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What a great website.
I have just returned from a family holiday to Malta. The first in 20 years to the islands my parents still call home. I am by no means a botanist myself but on my return I wanted to create a small garden to reflect my nationality. Your site has given me a great deal of information to go on, and it was the first I found.
Mike Cordina
Malta
Jun 2004 |
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Dear Stephen,
I came accross your site when looking for plant data for commercial landscaping for a project in Malta. Though I was really looking for available trees and mass planting that would survive 'uncared for' in a harsh climate, I really enjoyed reading the site that you have created.
Robert Baker
UK
Jun 2004 |
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It is only fair to stop by and say PROSIT!
I have only recently discovered the beauty of macro photography and I suddenly found myself taking more and more close-up pictures of flowers and of course one becomes more and more curious and your site comes in useful to fill in the gaps ...because I am a pure amateur. Keep it up and if you need pictures of Maltese Rock Centaury well I've taken a few good ones recently
I look forward next spring to look out for the spotted orchid - your pics of this species are ( kif nghidu la maltija ) bomba and in truth I have never seen this flower though I do a lot of walking / rambling
ps..try to link up your site with other nature related ones like Nature Trust/ Birdlife etc because I only found yours by chance
Steven Bonello
Malta
Jul 2004 |
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I came across your website while looking for info on Raphanus raphanistrum (wild radish). Your description and photographs of R. raphanistrum impressed me, because they are so detailed. The photographs, particularly, were very impressive. Thank you.
 Liz Jakobsten
Australia
Aug 2004 |
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I very much enjoyed your site. My fourth grade students were able to navigate it with ease and I enjoyed the depth of the information. Thanks for all of your hard work.
Dana Hilton
Teacher of 4th grade
USA
Aug 2004 |
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This is the site to be for news on mediterranean plants. Not like other sites in Malta with no or wrong answer, but quick, correct and to the point information on Maltese plants.
Congratulations Stephen
 Leo Garcia
Belgium
Sep 2004 |
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What a wonderful, helpful site. I am studying to become a botanical artist, (when I grow up), and usually do all my paintings very exactly, from the plant. But I needed to paint a picture of papaver rhoeas now,as a remembrance, and it is out of season, and although i had photos and paintings to help, I could not see clearly how the leaves joined the stem, nor how far up the stem they went. I hope it is ok to use your information in this way, not copying. I am very grateful and shall now go on to enjoy the rest of the site. It may yet inspire me to visit Malta- when would be the best season for wild flowers?
Peggy Verrall
Retired teacher
UK
Nov 2004 |
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I stumble upon your website by chance and could not beleive it. A site dedicated to my two great passions the wild flowers of gozo and herbalism. I hope to spend many hours this winter exploring all the knowledge you have compiled. The winter will not seem so long now. It is really a marvellous piece of work and I am very grateful to you for taking such time and effort to create this tribute to these remarkable plants . I visit Gozo twice a year and this spring returning with enhanced knowledge will make it more enjoyable than ever to explore the places where the plants flourish or survive. I am also training to become a medical herbalist and with your permission would like to use some material for quotations in references for essays etc. once again thanks for the site it is a treasure and i wish you good health and prosperity to continue your research and hope you can find a sponser to allow you to work full time.
Christine Gibson
Psychiatric Nurse / Trainee Herbalist
Ireland
Dec 2004 |
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I would like to say how much I am enjoying your site. It's just brilliant! You see, I am very much interested in plants in general be they home plants or wild. In fact from time to time I'd like to experiment with wild seeds or cuttings (without doing any harm to the plants) and have some lovely wild plants in pots! The vast information together with the splendid photos on each plant is a great feat which leaves me breathless! WELL DONE Stephen!
Frans Sammut
Fireman, Malta International Airport
Malta
Jan 2005 |
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Congratulations on your excellent website. I have long been interested to start photographing wild plants which can be found in Malta and I must say that I have found a very good reference from where to start. The information contained in your site is very detailed and enhanced by top quality photos. I hope that you keep on updating the site by adding information about other plants commonly found in Malta - examples could be fennel and wild thyme which grow relatively in abundance in Malta's garigues areas.
Mark Ebeyer
Electrical Engineer
Malta
Jan 2005 |
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This site was a great help. I was looking up info on the mustard plant and types you would find around the area. This site had all the informaion I needed in a nice easy layout, I will be visiting again If I need any more plant help:)
Jennifer Duelm
Masters Student
USA
Feb 2005 |
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I have been searching for information and images of little known wild plant found only on Maltese soil. used mainly for medicinal purposes until recent 1900's for breaking down of kidney/bladder stones. known by farmers and remaining older generation green grocers as 'spacca petra'. sicilians would come to malta to collect the small plant that grows in open rocky areas (similar surroundings favoured by the wild thyme). Well done for website!
Francesca Vincenti
Human Resources
Malta
Feb 2005 |
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A very useful website for anyone interested in Maltese flora. One comment, that I am sure is constructive, how about including also the wild herbs that we have growing around and it will be interesting also to include wild mushrooms.
Anthony Ph. Farrugia
Chef
Malta
Feb 2005 |
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"I have heard about Malta from my first english teacher for a twenty years ago. He came from Malta. He create very interesting Malta pictures in our mind´s. Now I see, Malta is really beautifull place on the earth.
The teacher´s favourite song sings
""Where have all the flowers gone ...""
thank your site we can accept
"" ... gone to the Malta everyone""
Thank for your excellent professional work Stephen.
"
 Stefan Toth
Research worker
Slovakia
Feb 2005 |
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"My niece Naz Dogan, who is 15, studies at a reputable science high school in Istanbul, Turkey. Last week, she informed all the family members that she had a project on ""Ecballium elaterium."" Of course, we started surfing on the web, trying to find information that is detailed, but easy enough to understand for all of us. We were very disappointed as all the pages we hit were very complicated to understand or the information was too vague. Then, my sister found this web site [www.maltawildplants.com - Ed.] and we could not believe how well it was designed and how informative it was. It is true that nowadays the web is full of information. However, to get to the core of it and to be able to find what you need gets more and more difficult. I can easily say that this is the only website that we were able to find on the web that really had good and detailed information.
Mr. Mifsud was nice enough to let my niece to use all the information along with the pictures. After spending all these hours surfing on the web, you get to appreciate more the GOOD websites. As a whole family, we would like to thank Mr. Mifsud for making this information available to us.
"
 Nesrin Kanca Kotan
Import Manager
Turkey
Mar 2005 |
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Very well presented and informative website. Well Done.
Roderick Marmara
Operations Manager - Telecommunications Industry
London, UK
Mar 2005 |
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I am a Science student and involved in drawing plants, illustrations For Flora Books. Your site is an Excellent Scientific one. I wish I can make a wonderful site like this about flora of Egypt. If u want any help in illustrating or drawing any plant, may be I can be useful in this. Thank You Very Much For This Amazing Work. It's A Work Of Art.
 Nagwan
Science Student (Masters in Liliaceae)
Cairo, Egypt
Mar 2005 |
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Hi, first of all I would like to congratulate you on doing a very good job by creating this website as I think it is the only one about Maltese plants. The information I found here is very detailed and it is obvious of how much time you must dedicate to provide this information. As a student this site is very useful as it is helping me in my thesis which is about the analysis of pollen grains.
thanks a lot
Liana
University Student
Malta
Mar 2005 |
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An interesting site, which is easy to follow and understand. The material in this site inspired me to create a small patch of Maltese countryside in my garden, containing some of our indigenous plants. I am constantly working on it and have so far been able to cultivate some of the rare endemic species, plus a few common ones e.g
Ranciz - Narcissus Tazetta , Peprin Isfar - Glacium Flavum , Bjanka Ta' L-Irdum - Cremnophyton Lanfrancoi , Tenghud tax-Xaghri - Euphorbia Melitensis , Kappar - Capparis Orientalis , Erika - Erica Multiflora , Fejgel - Ruta Chalepensis , Te' Sqalli - Prasium Majus , Saghtar - Thymus Capitatus , Sigra tal-Virgi - Vitex Agnus-Castus, Buzbiez il-Bahar - Crithmum Maritimum , Sempreviva ta' Ghawdex - Hellichrysum Melitense , Widnet il-Bahar - Palaeocyanus Crassifolia , Sigra Tar-Rand - Laurus Nobilis .
Keep up the good work, your informative site makes us more aware of Malta's natural beauty and our responsibilities towards the environment.
Frankie
IT Professional
Malta
Mar 2005 |
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Mr. Mifsud,
Your website is extraordinary! It was of great help to me in preparing a presentation I did on Prickly lettuce (Lactuca serriola L.) for my Master of Science degree this semester. There is a great amount of detail in your botanical description of the plants; it must have taken you a long time. Your photographs are particularly high in quality; I found no others of their equal in my search for pictures of Prickly lettuce. Thank you for allowing me to use some of your photographs. Keep up the great work!
Laylah Scarnecchia
Graduate Student (Washington State University - Pullman, WA.)
Washington, USA
Mar 2005 |
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Your web page is simply professional in all respects. I am convinced you have dedicated much precious time from your own to set up such a web page. Well-done! This will be of great benefit to both local and foreign individuals interested in wild plants. I can only praise such an initiative as this shows that Malta has dedicated persons like all other countries after all.
Congratulations and I augur you every success with future projects.
Carmel Sammut
Education Oficer (non-State Schools) formerly subject coord. (Physics)
Rabat, Malta
Apr 2005 |
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In 10 years of net, is 1st time I look one site of Malta. Is very interessing.
Sorry if you not understand any word... I'm brazilian, not english. :)
 Mateus Lobato
Student
Campinas / Brazil
Apr 2005 |
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Hi Stephen;
Your web site is great, actually one of the best. I am Maltese, lived in Canada for 50 years. Gardening is all I do in Summer, as you most probably know Canada's Winters could be very long. I also collect stamps, so this is what I do over the Winter months. On a matter of fact, I am now publishing a web site MALTA STAMPS, it is a non-commercial site, I do it for the viewing pleasure. You may find it listed on SearchMalta.com
Stephen, I would like to hear from you, as I could use a few of your pictures for my June site. Thanks, keep up the good work.
 Emmanuel Cesare
Retired
Canada
Apr 2005 |
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Congratulations for a well designed and pleasant site Stephen. Ample information is given both for the amateur and the professional and this should attract many to your site. Navigation between the different areas of the site is easy due to the well thought out indexing. I came across your site whilst researching a particular tree which I needed for a project I was working on. Thank you for the extra information you gave me when contacted.
Keep it up.
Pierre Ciantar
Engineer
Malta
Apr 2005 |
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Hi first of all great sight i found it very helpful keep the good work up !! I am very interested in Maltese flora and i am doing researches on impacts of alien flora introduced to Maltese habitats. I also like to cultivate native plants i think that our gardens and center strips should have more native species of plants rather than alien ones because i have seen that the introduction of certain alien species such as the castor oil tree are having certain negative impacts on certain native species especially at Wied il ghasel valley at Mosta. Can you sugget to me what best soil should the Maltese Rock Centaury (Widnet Il-Bahar) be planted in as i have recently aquired one and whant to now what best soil should i plant it in ??
Thanks and regards
Wayne Stokes
University B.A(Hons) geography student
Malta
Apr 2005 |
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I found your website very informative and useful for my studies, field work. However I would like to comment that it would be more convenient if the search for different flora could be done in Maltese since our text book is such.
Carl Montebello
Student of Savio College
B'Kara, Malta
May 2005 |
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I would like to express my interest and admiration of this globule site that had helped me alot in my study of the master on Liliaceae family. I would like to be one of the good effective visitors of this site.
Thanks
Rasha Moustafa Abu Serai
Researcher assistant in Desert Research Center (Egypt)
Egypt
May 2005 |
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I enjoyed browsing through your site. Its very interesting and informative. The language used is sometimes too technical for easy reading but very well presented. Well done.
Stephen Zammit
Analyst (I.T.)
Bahrija, Malta
Jun 2005 |
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This is indeed a labour of love. Both the contents and the presentation are of a very high standard. Needless to say, I am grateful for your effort in raising the awareness of our flora. Malta certainly can use a few more people like your good self, to disseminate wider appreciation of the environment we live in. I take this opportunity to congratulate you and your charming wife, and wish you good luck in everything you wish for.
Victor Spiteri
Propulsion engineer (retired)
Malta (Attard)
Jul 2005 |
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I grow iris and am looking for anyone who can help me obtain seeds or rhizomes of Iris pseudopumila including the very rare I. pseudopumila gozo. while searching I came accross this website about the flora of Malta - it is just a masterpiece. Keep it up and hope to see Maltese Iris species listed in the near future
Mark M. Lessner, M.D.
Physician
California, USA
Jul 2005 |
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Very interesting website. Thanks for a very useful resource. Keep up the good work!
Louis Busuttil
Lecturer/consultant
Leatherhead, England
Jul 2005 |
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I liked it all. I have been taking pictures of wild flowers around my neighbourhood and I can appreciate all the work you have done on your own collection. I also appreciate the Maltese names, but I would have liked to see a translation of them if there is any. If I sent you some pictures would you be able to identify some of my neighbourhood flowers?
Also, how do you distinguish orchids from other flowers in common English terms?
 Javier
Retired language teacher
Mexico
Jul 2005 |
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"Honorable Mr. Stephen
""Unforgettable, Excellent & Informative creation""
Your website is really really very nice and informative about Plant families. This site is very useful for me, who I am working as a research fellow in Microbiology department at University of Karachi, Pakistan. My thesis topic is oral flora with reference to Dental caries and other different type of oral disease. During my this work, i thought to work on Opium poppy and collected lot of information from Books, Journals and especially from internet and started work for ""Antimicrobial or antibacterial activity of opium"". I visited your site and found lot of excellent & precious information about Opium poppy. Also i am thankful to you for your kind permission to use this material in my paper. I am hopeful that you will do anything new with same spririt. It was my pleasure that you appricated me on my work.
Again i would like to thanks to you Mr. Stephen and have lot of bestwishes, regards and pray for You.
Really thank you very much.
"
 Nazia Masood Ahmed Chaudhry
Researcher
Pakistan
Aug 2005 |
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I highly commend you for the enormous task that you chose to undertake. I visited Malta last March/April and i must say I was overwhelmed with the wild flowers, rocks, cliffs. Malta is a beautiful place, even more so when you only get to see it every few years. I am encouraged and relieved to note such environmental awareness of these islands and people are standing up to preserve their natural and rightful heritage. Once again I thank you for the great service you are giving to our country and its people. I wish you success and may you be granted all the help needed for this monumental endeavour.
Christine Mifsud
Education assistant
Canada
Aug 2005 |
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The peprin tal-Lanzit photos are beautiful. This is a great web site. I've since also researched Malta, and very much hope to visit it someday.
Rusty Lanzit
Governmental job
Connecticut, USA
Aug 2005 |
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"This is a most helpful site that will undoubtedly form the basis of a comprehensive on-line flora for Malta, Comino and Gozo. It will be helpful to visitors and Maltese hosts alike since guests inevitably ask ""what was that flower?"". It should do much to increase interest in the Maltese islands flora and to stimulate tourism in the spring and autumn seasons amongst a probably older and thus wealthier clientele.
It should give rise to a loyal following since visitors will be keen to add their own, attributed images to the growing collection. Thanks for the work so far! and all good wishes.
"
Peter Crawford
University Teacher
UK
Aug 2005 |
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Bravo to you on your excellent website. The illustrations are indeed very good and the information within is very informative.
I am a medical practioner with great interest in plants with medicinal values. I stumbled on your website while looking for information on how to photograph plants. YOu have indeed taught me what is needed in illustrating plants and I hope you don't mind my using your technique when I write my book on Atlas of Malay Medicinal Plants.
Keep up the good work.
 Dr.Abdul Ghani Hussain
Medical Practitioner
Malaysia
Aug 2005 |
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After several years of trying to identify a bulb found on a holiday in Malta seceral years ago, I was able to identify URIGNEA MARITIMA from photographs.
Will I be able to collect seed ?
I found your site very interesting, and note that there are numerous flowers here identical to those in Malta
Thank You
John De Gruchy
Retired
Jersey, Channel Islands, UK
Sep 2005 |
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Finally a great site featuring the Maltese plants. This site gives one of the most detailed and comprehensive guides about the flora of the Maltese islands. And after around 30 years from the last detailed guide on Maltese plants, this comes as a great relief!
Thanks Stephen!
Owen Mifsud
M.D.
Qormi, Malta
Sep 2005 |
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Excellent work and data about our Maltese flowers and plants. congratulations and lots of encouragement about your very precious and assiduous work. thank you.
Francis Attard
Guide
Fleur de Lys, Malta
Sep 2005 |
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Mr. Stephen,
The maltawildplants.com is an extraordinary site, with loads of information regarding the Maltese flora. I am very fond of Maltese nature, thus I can only admire the hard work, time and expenses you have dedicated on this on-going project. Hope that in the near future you will focus more on the strict endemics, being much more interesting and unique. The pharmacological information and the plants’ medicinal uses are what I am most interested in, being a medical student.
The new forum was a long-awaited addition to such a site, which can group both Maltese professionals and hobbyists alike, who are now able to discuss about the Maltese Islands’ unique flora over the net. Such projects should be greatly appreciated. I would suggest setting up a ‘Place a Donation link’ to increase funding via small, but useful, contributions from the numerous visitors. Well done and good luck!
Adrian Zammit
University Student
Lija, Malta
Oct 2005 |
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Hi Stephen,
I have gone through your website and have found it very interesting and informative, and would would contact you when I require some information.
Mark Causon
Alternattiva Demokratika, Spokesperson on Environment
Malta
Oct 2005 |
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Stephen, It's only recently that I started to take an interest in plants. Discovering your site was a real revelation. I would never have believed that one would go to such lenghts to make all that hard work available to the public. You deserve all the praise.
I wish you well for your sponsorship appeal. Maybe some of the Maltese authorities will have a look in and see the splendid advert you are making for Malta.
Anthony Degiorgio
Accountant
Malta
Oct 2005 |
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I came to vist this wonderful website when I sent you a photo of an Angel trumpet-like flower I took during my visit to Malta and you put it up on the forum of this website. Now, on the forum I found useful comments on that flowers. I am very happy to learn that it is not angel trumpet but Solandra grandiflora. But what really impressed me is that you have built up such a great wonderful website in such a short period.
Congratulations
 Hitoshi Sakai
Retired geochemist
Japan
Oct 2005 |
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I was delighted to find your site. I was looking for pictures that illustrated the variation in leaf shape within a single species, your picture of Diplotaxis tenuifolia was perfect! It was a high quality picture and with good scientific content. I also like the look of the site overall and I'm sure you will get lots of interest in this. I'll use this picture in a talk to a scientific audience in Australia (with due acknowledgement) and it will help people visualise the point I am making.
Thanks for the opportunity to use this picture.
Tim Entwisle
Botanist
Australia
Oct 2005 |
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I am doing a project at school about malta, as my parents are Maltese. I wanted to talk about the flora in Malta, i have been to Malta 5 times and have been able to see flora through gardens and other ideas but i didnt really know the names of these plants. I was on www.google.com (a search engine) looking for some Maltese plants, and at the very top i found your site which might i add is a wonderful help to me and has made me happy. I am sure that with the information i have found off this resource i will get a good Grade so I thankyou very much for helping me with your site sir.
Primary student
Australia
Oct 2005 |
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Great to find some information about Cerinthe major, as we were unable to locate an entry for this plant in our reference books. We recently acquired a couple of plants in a pot and have now transplanted them in the ground. We are keen to see them survive and multiply.
Nick & Heather Blunt
Belair / South Australia
Oct 2005 |
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Steve, we have been researching and using your site for the past few months and we find new gems of information everyday! This site is a tremedous resource and we think the way you update it, like clockwork, is great!
You are doing a great job!
Melinda Ryan
Herbalist
USA
Oct 2005 |
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MR.Mifsud, Congratulations for your pictures!!!
Your website was very helpful for my studies and as a layout it is one of the best web sites that i have seen on Maltese Plants. your website was a useful source for my Gepgraphy 'A' level projects. The information contained in your site is very detailed and very useful. KEEP IT UP and WELL DONE
Jonathan Portelli
Junior College Student
Nadur Gozo, Malta
Nov 2005 |
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Stephen, Well done for the website. Today I read all through the information. I learnt alot especially the Maltese names of the plants I often see but I do not know their names. Keep up the excellent job and the excellent effort to give us such detailed information.
CONGRATULATIONS.
Simeone
Assistant Principal
Malta
Nov 2005 |
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I am a teacher and my students were dissecting plants in class. Your photos were wonderful for providing a close-up look at a variety of different flowers. Somehow the real thing is so much better for the students than some drawing in a textbook. Thank you for your help and good luck with the site.
Your pictuers are beautiful!!
Jody McOsker
High school teacher
Cincinnati, Ohio / USA
Nov 2005 |
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Dear Stephen,
First of all well done for this website. Keep up the good work!
May I add that in my opinion Bolboschoenus maritimus should no longer be considered an endangered species. While it is still rare, I have noticed that it is spreading. This is probably because it is nitrophilic and thus the soaring nitrate levels in our watercourses is causing it to spread. Until the early nineties I knew it from Gnejna, Ghajn Rihana ( Malta ) Wied tal-Grazzja, Wied Marsalforn And Ramla ( Gozo ). It has now turned up in Bahrija valley and Wied il-Qliegha, close to the Chadwick lakes. It had never previously been observed so far inland.
Timothy J. Tabone
Botanist ; Ethnobotanist
Malta
Nov 2005 |
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Hi Stephen,
last september I went with my mother to your interesting island and took some pictures of plants and insects. I like your opinion about their names. I think about Carlina Acaris, Papilio Machaon, Acrida ungaric, Anacridum Aegyptium and Crocothemis Erythraea.
You did a good job on your website. My compliments on lay-out and pictures. Hopefully you can make it your job. If you like my pictures and you can use them, feel free to do it.
Good luck with your website.
 Monica de Wall
Tourist in Malta (Sep 05)
Holland
Dec 2005 |
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"My eye was caught by your gorgeous and informative photographs on maltawildplants.com. For Valentine's day, I wanted to get my boyfriend a potted snapdragon plant, but I find myself hardly able to pay bills this month. What I do have in abundance, however, are paint and canvas boards. I would like to paint a trio of closeups of snapdragon flowers, using one of your photographs as a source image. I'm not very good at getting shapes and lines right, so I'd be relying pretty heavily on it for the initial phases of the painting.
The particular image I am referring to is located at http://www.maltawildplants.com/SCRO/Antirrhinum_tortuosum.html, and is captioned ""Scanned image of dissected flower to reveal its anatomy as annotated on the image itself.""
I won't be selling these (as if a random teenager could get her crap sold in Seattle these days), and I guess I'd be taking a net loss if you count the paints and such. I would greatly appreciate your permission in using these images.
"
Rose
Painter
Seattle, USA
Jan 2006 |
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Hi Stephen, first of all i must commend you on your wonderful web site. i have a faint idea that i may have thaught you biology at sixth form many years ago. i am currently writing a paper on Chiliadenus bocconei mainly on the esential oil composition of the plant and was looking for some photographic material on the subject. I may or may not include a photograph in my paper. if i do decide to include one(depends on the journal) can i ask for your assistance in providing a suitable photograph. ofcourse your assistanc ewill be acknowledged.
Joseph Buhagiar
Curator Argotti, Lecturer Dept of Biology, UOM
Malta
Jan 2006 |
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Hello! My name is Ola Bengtsson and I work as a professional ecologist in Sweden. I am going to visit Gozo for a weeks holiday in March after having visaited your excellent webpage on the wild plants of Malta I wonder if you could recommend a good and comprehensive field guide covering the Maltese vascular plant flora.
Ola Bengtsson
Professional ecologist, Pro Natura
Göteborg, Sweden
Feb 2006 |
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I would like to thank the author for such a great project, a real opus magna. Even for neither professional nor amateur biologist, like me, there is plenty of interesting information on these pages.
IMHO, dedication to nature is one of the best hobbies one can enjoy in Malta. Personally I take it as a worth substitute to lack of cultural life on the islands (comparing to my native capital city where I was born and always lived). In the matter of fact, the most interesting people I've met in Malta were more or less nature-lovers :-)
I occasionally write and translate for www.maltavista.ru and manage livejournal-community hiking_in_malta (both in Russian language).
Thank you for your great effort to tell people about the beauty of the world and - in particular - of the Maltese Islands.
 Svetlana Vella Agafonycheva
Economist
Zurrieq, Malta / Moscow, Russia
Feb 2006 |
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What an excellent website indeed!
May I congratulate you on such a splendid venture.
I am a 64 year old retired teacher, and thus can appreciate more the excellent work you have put in your website.
It is certainly very informative both for the Maltese nature lovers, as well as for tourists who want to know what our beautiful island can offer. I hope this website is accessed in schools, especially in general science lessons, as it is definitely an excellent mini-encyclopedia of the Maltese Islands natural habitat.
Harold Mallia Zarb
Retired Teacher
Malta
Feb 2006 |
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Hello,
My name is Lina Arencibia and I am currently an undergraduate student at Barry University located in Miami Shores Florida. I was doing an online research on the alkaloid biosynthesis in papaver somniferum L when I came across your web page. I must express my inmense gratitude for making such a complete description of the plant. You have really made my resercah a lot easier and more fun!
Since my reserch requires a detailed submission of primary articles I was wondering if I could be granted a list of the references used in the plant analysis. My project goes beyond what has been presented in the page, nonetheless, I believe it is crucial for me to have access to references because I plan to cite your page when discussing the anatomy of the plant.
Lina Arencibia
Undergraduate student at Barry University, Florida
Florida, USA
Feb 2006 |
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I am an undergraduate student in biology at a university in Canada and I had carried out research using Sinapis alba the last couple of years. Part of what honours students need to do at the university is a short presentation to faculty and other students showing their research, and I am wondering if I may have permission to use some of the photos of Sinapis alba for the presentation. Thanks!
Joshua Cowan
Biology Undergraduate Student
Canada
Feb 2006 |
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I have just found your website about Maltese plants and I have realy enjoyed getting to know our wild plnts as I myself like to go out and pick some plants and dry them up and I also like to put them in a vase and decorate in my house with them as they make a lovely site to see but I am hoping to learn more about wild plants as I wish to start and learn what kind of medical plants I can use for myself and maybe I can help others as well but I still have a lot to learn and thanks to you now I can go easy and browes your website from my home.
Thanks and yes please keep it up as I am sure that there are many others like me who are happy to have such a site to learn from. Note from the author of MaltaWildPlants.com - Please note that certain plants are rare or protected and so should not be cut whatever beauty or medicinal uses they have. The site indicates clearly this fact.
Carmela
Housewife
Malta
Mar 2006 |
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I really enjoyed browsing your website. It is extremely informative and user-friendly. Keep up the good work! May I suggest you include the medical properties of some of the plants. For example, the fidloqqom is known to cure sore throat. I think it would make one appreciate the plant even more. Note from the author of MaltaWildPlants.com - There are plent of medicinal information, especially for the Common Borage (Fidloqqom) !!
Dianne Sammut
Government Official
Attard, Malta
Mar 2006 |
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Hello Stephen,
two years ago I visited your MaltaWildplants homepage for the very first time and I was impressed about your excellent work. Meanwhile, I brim over with enthusiasm for your homepage- congratulations: you did a very very good job, and very often I allude to my students to use it for preparing seminars etc. So, I really hope that you will be able to continue this remarkable work which also is so important for your country and its environmental problems. Good luck for the future,
Dr H C Weber
Professor of Botany
Germany
Mar 2006 |
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Well done indeed for your site. I find it very informative and it is unique with it's information on local flora. I was looking for a similar site which also includes information on local fauna or what is left of it.
Thanks
Ian Christie
Technical Support
Sliema, Malta
Mar 2006 |
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Dear Stephen,
Well done for this great website. I think it should be made known especially to Maltese Nationals and students. In fact I only got to know about it while searching for some information for my son's school project/competition. It is unfortunate how many Maltese people simply classify our wild plants as weeds (the Maltese version for that is actually worse 'haxix hazin'). Few realise the beauty of these wild plants, most of which I'm sure could not be found in most European Countries. Well done once again.
Paul Gatt
Executive Secretary
Mtarfa, Malta
Mar 2006 |
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A very good job,I'm sure that it will be good site especially for our children who really does not know what a little island like ours can offer. It is a pitty that all goverment schools does not mention such usefull sites to their students. I just happened to know by your site while wacthing education 22. I will recomend it to my kids because sometimes they come asking for information regarding flowers in the wild, now i have your site and i sure that it will be of help to me.
I wish you all the best and please continue this faithful work, you are doing a great job. Do not let red tape/ and burocracy stop you. Our Malta is very well known for such things as discouraging people like you. Whish you all the best for your job.
Well done,
Regards
David Sammut
Messinger
B'Kara, Malta
Mar 2006 |
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The website is very informative and easy to understand. I am currently a postgraduate Biotechnology student in The Durban Institute of Technology, in South Africa. Im am doing a research project on the possible overcoming effects of prebiotics on the inhibitory effect that preservatives may have on the gut microflora. I am extracting the prebiotics from Sonhus oleraceus. The Website has helped to inform me with regards to my own research. )
Thank you for the hard work.
Letitia Pillay
Postgraduate Biotechnology student
South Africa
Mar 2006 |
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I needed some information regarding the Maltese wild flowers, for my son. When I visited your site it was great, I found all the information I ever imagined and also in a very nice and professional way. Thanks very much for your help.
J.Urpani
Retired
Msida, Malta
Mar 2006 |
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The website is unique in its kind and offers the opportunity to delve into the floristics of our Islands, which are unique and host, as the website points out, numerous species of scientific. Despite their importance, the flora remain rather unknown and unappreciated by locals, a fact which this website will help work against. Finally, it is a very original work, which is highly recommended for both professionals and students alike in their research and study.
Keep it up Stephen!
Jonathan Henwood
Environment Officer, Botanist
Mosta, Malta
Mar 2006 |
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Your website is without any doubt the most interesting and educative web site from Malta. If it weren't for your hard work and interest I would never have found enough good information for my biology project, because let's face it, there are hardly any good websites from Malta. I hope that I'm not the only one who sees how much work you've put into this website, as I don't have the ablity to support you much. All I have to say is that you truly deserve to be supported and well done for your brilliant work!!
Daphne Agius
Student
Fgura, Malta
Mar 2006 |
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"Gozo is amazing at this time of the year (spring)! Take a walk along the cliffs overlooking the sapphire sea and breathe in acres of camomile flowers and wild thyme bursting to life. I caught the delicate scent of my favorite narcissus along the valleys so green & bubbling with little streams. So many natural and rare herbs, shrubs and flowers abound on this island. Even the rare 'spaccha pietra' or 'sandwort' renowned for centuries for its incredible medicinal properties to heal kidney/gallstones can be found nestling quietly in areas so over-looked or in danger of being lost forever. This is a paradise island that has the potential to combine its mythical & spiritual energies with a foundation of organic & gastronomical delights to become a top destination for discerning persons looking for that 'something more' in a ""well-being"" holiday package or life-style! I appeal to all, locals & foreigners alike, to respect & cherish Ogygia with the same dedication & love that Calypso watched over its shores. Let's keep it clean, safe, unspoilt and more than that, let it retain its rare flora and fauna in the best natural state possible. As for the hunting/trapping that goes on there.. sad..no comment.
"
 Francesca Vincenti
Involved in Tourism
Italy (living in Malta)
Apr 2006 |
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Thank you very much for an excellent website. I found a very good picture and lots of useful information on the site. I hope to use one of the pictures, with the site owner's permission, in Urbio magazine, a publication produced by English Nature for people working in urban nature conservation in the UK. I am very happy to refer people to the site in the magazine.
Ruth Hayhurst
Editor, Urbio magazine (English Nature)
Lewes, East Sussex, UK
Apr 2006 |
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Hi Stephen,
first of all congratulations for all the work you have put into this website, as not only it is the best local site for flora, but it is also one of the most detailed and reliable you would find on the web. I have found it very useful for my studies and will be pleased to recomand it further. I would like to suggest that you will re-activate the links from where you have taken any info, as it might be of further help for people which are in search for more info. on particular plants.
Keith Mallia
University Student
Malta
Apr 2006 |
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hello im Arnold Sciberras and i v been studying the Maltese wall lizard for the past 12 years as our friend clearly stated,the lizard is not to be found and there is a high possibility that this lizard is extinct from the wild.the studies that are mentioned were conducted by myself and i think they were available from 2003 .nice site keep it up.for more info contact me on bioislets@yahoo.co.uk
Arnold Sciberras
Student
Malta, Paola
Apr 2006 |
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Hi have been wanting to write for a long time now! But I am always busy on other mostly negative environment related work when I am on computer!
Prosit tal-website.
I hope more Maltese come to realise the natural heritage of our islands and its dire need for protection. We have lost too much - we cannot afford to lose more.
Regards,
Annalise Falzon
Conservation Officer/Activities Co-ordinator Nature Trust
Malta
Apr 2006 |
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"I found your site purely by chance - through a link at the FWA website - and the fact that it exists fills me with delight. I love anything that has to do with plants and this treasure of information and pictures will keep me happy for hours. It is obvious that much research and work has gone into it and I appreciate this. The only thing I did not like is the ""enjoy it while it lasts"" in the introduction!
"
Maria Agius
Project coordinator
Malta
Apr 2006 |
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What a wonderful website, Just come back from our first visit to Malta and the coutryside and fauna are just fantastic. Walking up in to the hills and ruins was so interesting and we felt so safe. I was with a large family and there was great peace of mind that everyone could be looking at their own thing while not having to be constantly on guard. This website has been a fantastic tool for introducing the plants we saw to the children - one question - what was the plant that had gone over that had a large ball like bulb in clusters growing in rocky soil large shiny spear shaped leaf (we were there 11.4.06) thought it might be of the lily family.
Marion Greenhalgh
Lecturer Business Studies - Travel and Tourism
Coventry, England
Apr 2006 |
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I find this webside very intersting. I was doing a project and I found a lot from this site.
Stephanie Cascun
Student
Malta
May 2006 |
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"I came across your website when I was preparing a research paper on ""Mustard Seeds"" The photography and sketches were helpful in understanding where the product orginates . Thank you for such lovely photos and drawings. "
Vickie Birkenmeyer
Interior Design but enrolled in Culinary School in the evenings
West Palm Beach, Florida, USA
May 2006 |
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Hello Mr. Mifsud my name is Charles(Karmenu)Debono I would like to ask if it is possible to buy Caper(Cappar)seeds from Malta and send over here, and if it is permitted to do so and how to go about bying a few packets and the cost and can you supply the sams. I appriciate any information that you can pass on to me thanking you in advance and keep on with tour info.
Charles Debono
Retired
Australia
Jun 2006 |
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I appreciate very much your site, namelly the clear and orderly disposition of the plants characteristics, and the number of photos. The site should be enlarged7 linked to, other sites, so as to create a more complete list of mediterranean plants. Thank you for your work!
 Antonio Saraiva
Agronomist, Landscape architect
Portugal
Jun 2006 |
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You do a lot of work and your sites are wonderful special the pictures of the flowers...red.. pink . Thank you,
Mrs. Gudrun
Germany
Jun 2006 |
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This is Mehdi Bazoo post graduate student of weed science,Tehran University Iran. I visited your website,and I belive its the best sientefic site about botany and weed morphology. Id like to have know you beter,and have relation to you. By the way i preapare one of my presentation from your website its about wild radish.
 Mehdi Bazoo
Post Graduate student of weed science
Iran
Jun 2006 |
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Thank you for this wonderful site. I haven't seen such a comprehensive plant description since I was a college doing botanical studies. I really appreciate all the work you have done to create this site, and you can be very proud of the results. I came accross your site while tracking down Arisarum vulgare, which I have had in my garden for some time, but didn't know it's specific name or it's background. Incidently, I trained in horticulture in England, so never came across A. vulgare in the wild there. Thank you once again. Regards
Gwen Turner
horticulturalist (now to old & arthriticy to work)
Australia
Jun 2006 |
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Good morning, we live in France (Brittany). We are an seaweed society since 1987. We search an plant: crithmum maritimum. Our need for 2007 are between 50-100 Tons. Are they farmers in Malt who can cultivate it?
Can you help us? Thank you very much.
Patrick Podeur
Seaweed society
France
Jun 2006 |
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Compliments for the pictures ! and for your effort in the web site material. Please, can I ask you if I can use your pictures during the lessons to my students ? And a second question : it is possible to organize in Malta a visit with my students in order to see the wild flora, together with an accompanying person, better if from a medicinal point of view ? Of course, I have to organize a visit in the 2007 : spring / summer ? better the spring ? thank you, bye and arrivederci.
Maria Laura Colombo
Associate professor Medicinal Plant Biology, School of Pharmacy
Milano, Italy
Jun 2006 |
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I was surfing this site because next Tuesday I have the biology A'level exam. I have to say that i found it very helpful. It is also very well organised. keep it up.
Leanne
Student
Malta
Jun 2006 |
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Please I need Tchenical Information About Pancartium Maritimum. Bibliography I can search for, as I want to write muy Tesis in Thecnical Floriculture Production, in Buenos Aires University of Argentina.
I alredy have some bulbs and seeds. The need of the information is rather critical, because these bulbs , are already growing, and desiccaring themselves.
 Aurora Leslie
Thecnical Gardener graduated in the Buenos Aires University of Argentina
Argentina
Jul 2006 |
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First of all i must say a very nice website, my girlfriend and i had a wonderfull holiday in Malta, but now we try to work out the photo album with all the wonderfull pictures from Malta, what we also do is put little messages concurning the picture, now we have a not so good picture of a insect that made alott of noise , similer to the cricket we have but even louder then that and it wasn't a cricket sort, the name was told but unfortunly we had nothing to write it down. Everywhere we go we heard that loud noise.
Hopefully you can help us out here with a name and maybe have a nice picture of it somewhere.
Marc & Joyce
Recruiter
Holland
Aug 2006 |
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The website is extremely informative and interesting. we were lacking such indepth information regarding our national flora. well done Mr. Mifsud.
Last easter i was visiting the hotel on comino and the chef presented a dish containing the 'kemmun' seeds. Searches always referred me to the cumin seed. However the seed in question was verry small and black/dark brown in colour, teardrop shaped, with a slightly sweet taste. Is it possible to give me some information on this query.
With thanks and appreciation
Nadya Anne Mangion
Physics teacher
Malta
Sep 2006 |
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You have created a truly superb site which I use often as a reference to creating new dishes. I would go as far to suggest that should you ever be interested in adding a useful reference to culinary uses please feel free to contact me. Well done and keep up the dedication.
Moyra Sammut
Chef De Cuisine
Malta
Sep 2006 |
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Congratulations! A marvellous website indeed with useful information and wonderful pictures. I am very much interested in macro photography - I am still an amateur though! Do let me know should you need any pictures!
Elaine Gatt
Teacher of English Lang. & Lit. and Environmental Studies, St.Michael Foundation
Qormi, Malta
Sep 2006 |
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IT IS A VERY DETAILED SITE ABOUT MALTESE WILDPLANTS KEEP IT UP WITH THIS USEFUL INFORMATION. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT THE CHICKWEED PLANT OR SEED. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW ITS MALTESE DEFENITION AND WHEN IT SHOULD BE PLANTED?
Kevin Cutajar
Gov. Clerk
Birkirkara, Malta
Oct 2006 |
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Well done for this excellent website. It is a wonderful resource for biology students at my school to use for fieldwork! It is most of all a good opportunity to observe Maltese plant species with great, scientific details and marvellous close-ups. It gives the opportunity to admire rare species like the orchids, which I think most people have never actually observed! This site will surely help everybody to appreciate more the beauty and wealth of our Maltese environment.
I am sure you have dedicated great amounts of thought and planning to build this wonderful site! but the result is ......GREAT. You should be really proud of this project!!!!
M. Muscat
Biology Teacher
Mellieha, Malta
Oct 2006 |
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Iltqajt ma' din il-website straordinarja dwar il-pjanti Maltin waqt il-kont qed naghmel xi ricerka fuq il-pjanta Heather (Lehjet ix-xih) fl-Irlanda. Nirringrazzjak mhux biss tal-hin li qed tinvesti f'dan il-progett kbir imma wkoll tal-hin li sibt biex twiegeb l-ittre tieghi u zgur ta' hafna u hafna ohrajn. Nittama li ssib l-ghajnuna li tehtieg biex dan ix-xoghol jidher ukoll bil-Malti.
Translation to English:
I came across your extraordinary website while I was doing research about heather in the Wicklow Mountains in Ireland. I thank you for investing so much time and energy in this wide-ranging project and for finding the time to answer my email and so many other emails.
Adrian Grima
Lecturer (Ph.D)
Pembroke, Malta
Oct 2006 |
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Hi Stephen,
What a wonderful site this is! I enjoyed every bit of information on the plants we have on our island. We have so much to be thankful for. I would like to find out the pollen count in Malta. Is there any way I could find out? I have a member of the family who suffers from allergy by pollen.
Thanks and keep it up.
Victoria
Private Secretary
Lija, Malta
Nov 2006 |
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"Dear Stephen, what a pleasant surprise to find your website whilst reading comments in the Forums of the Dig Rev site. At University (I started in 1945!!!) we had to make up a Herbarium of 100 wildflowers for our Botany classes. A group of us used to go out Sunday afternoons with some girlfriends (who brought sandwiches) and tramped in the then unsoiled and unbuilt lovely Malta countryside and collected the flowers. I well remember putting the flowers between sheets of blotting paper and weighing them down with mother's thick bound volumes of ""home & Garden. We also used to make visits to the Argotti Gardens in Floriana where we were lectured to by Mr. Penza. One plant stands out in my memory; but I must have the name wrong as I did not find it on your site; we were told that Centaura Melitenses was only found in Malta. Probably the name has been changed since then and that is why I did not find it in your index. Again thanks for your excellant work and for rekindling memories of past youth.
Perhaps you would be good enough to reply by e-mail as I would like to keep in touch re equipment and, perhaps swap pictures. I had a very good picture of capers in flower which I used to astonish my Canadian friends with when we had capers in salads; but I have lost it. Would you have such a picture? Ghawnhekk m'ghandi lil=hadd ma min nitkellem bil-Malti u ili ma nikteb bil-Malti xi hamsin sengha! - we were the first group who had to sit for Maltese in the Malta Matric. Sahha
"
Dr.Eddie Debono Turner,MD,FRCP.
Paediatrician
Canada
Nov 2006 |
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Great Site that shows ones knowledge and dedication in favour of preserving the Mediterranean biodiversity and in particular, Maltese Wild flowers Do keep up your good work
David Schembri
Group Scout Leader
Qrendi, Malta
Nov 2006 |
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Congrats. You have done a wonderful job and put our island in the 21st century.I was always interested in Maltese flora as I used to teach science and biology. In fact 40 years ago I had a collection of flower slides I took and developed myself.Both Guido and Edwin Lanfranco are my friends and both are pioneers in this field who deserve the highest praise. Their names add prestige to your work.
Good luck and keep up the good work.
Joe Busuttil
Retired teacher
Fgura, Malta
Nov 2006 |
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You have done a marvellous job - congratulations. A field book of wild flowers is really missing for this area and this is the next best thing. Keep up the good work. Good luck and be sure that I will visit this website again and again and again!
 Lesley Kreupl
Translater, travel guide, housewife, pensioner, etc. etc.
Austria (and Gozo)
Nov 2006 |
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Vera site interessanti ghalkemm ma studjajtx biology bil-mod kif is site hi ipressentata nifhima hafna, prosit.
Vincent Attard
Darkroom operator
Kalkara, Malta
Nov 2006 |
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What a mine of information this site is. I am so pleased I came across this site. Your obvious love and dedication is so evident. Malta and the Maltese are all the better for it. Grazzi.
Louis Aquilina
Malta
Nov 2006 |
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This website is a work of art, very imformaive and usefull. Well done. In my work I often meet people interested in the Flora of Malta. I shall certainly recommend it.
Doreen Sammut
Tourist guide
B'kara / Malta
Dec 2006 |
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I must say an informative, above standard and well designed website. I am sure it involves hard work and is very time consuming but is mostly appreciated. Keep the excellent work up.
Angela Vella
Student
Xaghra, Malta
Dec 2006 |
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I really loved looking at the pictures on your website. I was able to name Aster squamatus that I had found in Dublin, Ireland. A new species to Ireland. Please keep up the good work and I look forward to visiting the site again to help me name alien species turning up in Ireland
Paul R. Green
Wildlife tour guide
New Ross, Ireland
Dec 2006 |
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I came across this site quite by chance as I am looking for some information on endemic trees to possibly plant some of them in my garden . Although this site seems to be more specialised on plants rather than trees I would like to congratulte all concerned on the great amount of work involved in this site . Keep it up
Simon Ciantar
Accountant
Manikata, Malta
Jan 2007 |
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I loved the website and I just wanted u to know that it insspires alot of our young readers and also adults to make them want to visit ur website. Thanks.
Chiniqual Mitchell
Zooology and Botany
Batesville (USA)
Jan 2007 |
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Well done,
Reminds me of the good old times when I used to go hiking and discovering all these marvellous plants in our countryside. If more locals realise the diversity of plant life our countryside harbours, they might appreciate more the Maltese outdoors. Keep up the good work!!
Noel Zahra
Graphic designer
Zurrieq, Malta
Jan 2007 |
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I really like your website, as it is very interesting. It helps me alot in the Biology projets! Keep it up ;)
Kimberly Cutajar
Student
Malta
Jan 2007 |
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It is an extremely exhaustive presentation of our natural plants' families of excellent beauty as the art of photography is at its best. Institutions and official bodies ought to contribute to keep this website at its best by financing or sponsoring the person behind it. I am pretty sure that no one without deep love for our country's natural heritage would dedicate so much time and research to offer to all nations the beauty of our archipelago in terms of wild plants. Our history and our archaeological remains do form part of our richness, but this website with all its contents is not an exception. My hearty thanks go to Stephen, still unknown to me, who indulged with all his might to offer us a beauty and a pleasure to discover what most of us do not know yet.
Thanks Stephen and please keep it up - hoping that someone, someday, who cares as much as you do in this sphere of the plant world, would be in a position to help you financially to keep on working on this website.
Oreste Mifsud
Head of School
Malta
Jan 2007 |
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I lived in Malta for a year and would have wished I already found your homepage while I was there. I would have loved to just print your pages and walk into the countryside (of course respecting the omnipresent hunters ;-)) and identify several plants. Very few of the people I met in Malta were able to tell me the name of any plant growing in the coutryside- except maybe, capers and prickly pears.
You do great work, thank you. If ever I come back to malta, I will definitely go through you page more thorougly again.
Katharina
Architect
Austria
Feb 2007 |
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Dear Stephen Mifsud of Malta Wild Plants,
I am in awe at the quality of your site. I have been researching inflorescences and came across it quite by chance (looking for examples of simple dichasial cymes). And let me tell you, you have more and better information than most sites I have come across. Your presentation is also very good.
Keep up the good work. It is always a delight to find such a gem.
Roch V. Rollin
Researcher
Montreal, Canada
Feb 2007 |
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Excellent web site. I goggled your site while looking for some info on Sonchus oleraceus. What I found on your web was of a very high standard one of the best botanic sites I have visted. It makes me proud to have Maltese ancectery, keep up the good work.
Joe Mifsud
Environmental Scientist
Adelaide, Australia
Feb 2007 |
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i am living at south west coast of turkey,antalya..i am trying to be gardener,and looking for drought tolerant plants,espectially perennials..as a coincides i saw your site and very amazed..it is really good designed and included very useful knowledges..as an amateur gardener, i wanted to thanks you a lot for.. with my best wishes..
Izzet Ergin
Retired
Turkey
Feb 2007 |
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Hi Stephen,
my name is david, well done i really enjoyed reading this site.I know it would be very difficult to update this site and looking after a family.I will be in Malta in June for 2 weeks and i would like the opportunity to meet with if that,s ok.please waiting for your reply. Thanks david
David Genuis
Food Factory Manager
Vic Melbourne, Australia
Mar 2007 |
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I found time to look up the work of one of my best loyal buddies through time, and to my astonishment i found myself navigating in a state of the art website with such a user friendly navigation engine that dragged me deeper till i realised that i have been addicted to the intelligent and technical review of such an infinite range and seduced by the photography and diagrams to such a precise scientific level. Well done and i must admit that you have surprised me yet again, i always knew you had it in you to synchronize thoughts with natter but maybe i have not yet known that you could go so huge and so deep and the tonnes of infromation that you have provided everybody inspires deep and sincere appreciation for such devotion and commitment
Well done buddy
Robert Chetcuti
Auto Dealer
Malta
Apr 2007 |
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Hi Stephen (if I may?)
May I add my congratulations on a hugely interesting and delightful website which must have taken months and months of painstaking work. The photographs and detailed descriptions are a joy for those of us who love nature and wonder about the names/origins of the wild plants we see on our country walks in Malta.
Incidentally, it's good to see that these and other plants are left to grow gracefully in their own habitat enriching Malta's natural beauty and environment.
Margaret Cox
Retired/Mature University Student
UK/Malta
Apr 2007 |
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Its quite a good website to look up maltese plants but i would have preffered that whoever goes on this website is allowed to copy and paste pictures because there are some brilliant pictures on this site.
Michelle
Student
Malta
Apr 2007 |
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Hi. I'm presently doing the diploma in agriculture at the university. One of the assignments is about 10 maltese plants to describe them etc...can I use some of the information and pictures of plants found in your very interesting site.10x
I have to say that the site you have done is very impressive about all those plants in detail!! Keep it up!
Siglio Borg
Diploma in Agriculture Student
Malta
May 2007 |
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Dear Stephen,
on behalf of my fellow class students at Savio College, I would like to thank you for your wonderful site and to say that it provided a great deal of help in our Biology project. Good job and keep it up!
Jonathan Pulis
Form 3G Savio College Student
Malta
May 2007 |
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Just to say Prosit and keep going. It reminds me of when I used to go walking in the countryside with my children, a long time ago! and they kept asking for the names of all the wild flowers around. Congratulations once again and keep it up.
Carmel Tonna
Pensioner
Malta
May 2007 |
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Congratulations for a very well prepared site on Malta's wild flowers/plants.
May i suggest that an area in the site would be dedicated for a quick reference by PICTURE (photo)to NAME search. This is because one would require a quick look only at a picture/photo to compare and see the name.
Keep it up, Joe.
Joseph Camilleri
Nursing
Sliema, Malta
May 2007 |
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Hi, i have been resident since August 2006. I cycle approximately 500km a month around the islands and have thus come across a lot more flora than the average tourist would. I find your website to be very usefull in understanding the types of fora i encounter, especially as to their revelence to a specific location.
I am particulary interested in the fact that, with so many microclimates on the island that certain plants and especially fruit trees (figs) flower and ripen at different times depending on their location.
Your site is extremely profesional and easy to navigate.
Keith Lewins
Self Employed - Retail Consultant
Sliema, Malta
May 2007 |
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Congratulations on your project.
This is unbelievable. I showed it to my wife,who loves plants and could not believe the content.Keep up the good work,it means a lot to us who are away from home.
Joe Zahra
Food Plant Manager
Canada
May 2007 |
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Hi Stephen,
I would like to congratulate you for a very informative and user friendly website. I am an avid hiker and if during my outings I come across a wild plant for the first time, I take pictures, and later visit your website for reference. Thanks to dedicated people like you, our heritage of Maltese flora (or what's left of it!) is much more appreciated and hopefully will be preserved for generations to come. Well done and keep it up!
Marija Micallef
Retired nursery school teacher
Hamrun, Malta
May 2007 |
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Well done on this beautiful and very important website.
I knew about it thanks to The Times, today. And I immediately browsed through it. Of course, I still have to spend hours IN it because I KNOW that it contains tons of information about nature in Malta. Also, well done on the beautiful layout of the website.
I, myself, am a keen animal lover, and it's not the first time I wrote in the press in favour of animal welfare. (I do believe that the natural environment goes hand in hand with animal awareness). I have a dream: that of having a website which would display ALL the animals - dogs and cats - which are being kept and housed by Maltese and Gozitan animal sanctuaries ... photos and info, so that people would be able to browse through them and be encouraged to go to these shelters and perhaps decide on choosing a dog or animal to adopt. However, building such a website is extremely expensive, so it is still a dream.
Again, well done and keep it up. Veru prosit tassew!
Franco Farrugia
Teacher and Conference Interpreter
Malta
May 2007 |
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Deeply absorbed in your work and research, probably you do not realise enough how much you are contributing to the islands of Malta. Well done, keep it up and thank you.
Noe
Student film-maker
Malta
May 2007 |
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Hi,
Your website is full of information about maltese plants and I found it very good for school projects.Very nice and detailed photos. Keep it up!
Christian Spiteri
Student
Malta
May 2007 |
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Dear Mr Stephen Mifsud
I surfed into you excellent site on the Flora of Malta. It brought back memories of my RUM days when we had to make a collection of the HERBARIUM MELITENSE. After working as a pharmacist for several years I emigrated to Canada and later on taught High School Biology and Chemistry. As a former Biology teacher I have enjoyed the visit. So much so that I took the liberty of placing a link to it on my Malta Page on the net. I trust that it is okay with you and that I am not infringing on copyright - http://www.vella-zarb.com/thomas/angelfire/mlt.html
Thank you and good luck in your work.
Tom Vella-Zarb
Retired teacher
Canada
May 2007 |
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Really enjoyed this site, as we like to walk and look at the wild flowers, and often wonder what they are. Well done
Joan Walthon
Retired
St Pauls Bay, Malta
May 2007 |
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Firstly, I like to congratulate you, Stephen, for your website and data on the flora of the Maltese Islands. I was pleased to see someone tackling this difficult subject in details.
I was the first person who posted a site on this subject on the net. My pants and trees of the Maltese Islands had been circulating on the W W W since 1995, (see http://www.charbell.com/ Maltese Flora - Native Trees and Plants). This is not as complete as yours as at that time it was difficult to acquire information from any source known. My family members in Malta were dedicated gardeners which helped me to acquire many of the photos. Since then many of the data and pictures have been duplicated on other sites, but this practice does not worry me as it serves to advertise the Maltese Islands.
Thank you for your great effort and keep this site going.
Charles J. Belli
Retired
Melbourne, Australia
May 2007 |
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Prosett tassew!
What a wonderful gift to the Maltese people who can appreciate your work. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I think it ought to be followed up by some garden landscapers who can cultivate these beautiful unique plants and encourage people to use them in their front yard/ garden designs.
I hope to have time to explore your website in detail and figure out a good time in the year when I can bring my sons to enjoy the beautiful Maltese natural landscape (whatever is left of it!).
Rita Schaelicke
Social scientist
Colorado, USA
May 2007 |
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Briliant site, the depth of information is astounding, the work you have put in would be terrific it there had been a team working on the project. As a Nurseryman and plantsman based in South Wales (UK) I am only ever able to visit Malta in Jan/Feb so miss so much of the spectacle. Just wish this guide came in Pocket size.
David Hill
Abacus Nurseries
Skewen, Neath. UK
May 2007 |
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Prosit. Very nice site. I used to spend time collecting wild plants and butterflies in my younger days and this site is really neat. Good job well done.Keeo it up.
Anthony Cachia
Validation engineering Specialist
Cospicua/Malta
May 2007 |
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Only yesterday discovered your brilliant site - courtesy of article in THE TIMES. Surprised it has not been featured before (anyway not in my knowledge). ''Very well done & thank you for all the hard work involved!!'' It must have taken you a lifetime. God Bless,
GORDON HEWITT
Retired
ZEBBUG, MALTA
May 2007 |
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Hello jiena Malcolm, Savien, Melvin u Alberto li qeghdin nattendu liskola ta' Savio college. Mr. Vella qalilna li inti kon tattendi hemmhekk. Bhallissa qedin namlu project dwar xi pjanti u qed nuzaw il website ferm tajba tieghek. keep it up!
Malcolm & friends
Students
Malta
May 2007 |
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I am Joseph Sultana and I would like to congratulate you for your awesome website on maltese wild plants. I like this subject very much and I wrote a book about wild maltese plants 'Gmiel il flora maltija' with some of my paintings about the latter. Keep it up! Nice work! Joseph
Joseph Sultana
Draughtsman
Rabat, Malta
May 2007 |
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Congratulations for a very informative and researched website. Something similar exists in Mexico but not as researched. Once again, congrats, and keep it up!
Lawrence R.Bonello
Company Director
Attard, Malta
May 2007 |
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Hello Stephen,
I would like to congratulate you for this site. I am sure it took a lot of your time to built it up. Well done and keep the good work. Best regards,
Twanny Camilleri
Managing Director
Malta
May 2007 |
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I had the pleasure of staying on the Island of Malta at Mellieha this passed April and one of the trees I saw was some type of spruce tree.(I think) I could never find out the name of this tree while I was there and have found no information on it since. The ones I saw were about 30 plus feet tall and had branches coming off the trunk in all directions at the same level, then a large gap the the branch growth system would repeat its self all the way to the top. I would appreciate your help in identifying this tree if possible.
Thank you for your time.
Lorne Green
Retired
Canada
May 2007 |
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Thanks stephen for a wonderful site that helps me and other students in our studies. Not long ago I sent you an e-mail and you responded me back. Thx alot.
Matthew Paul Cutajar & Students of Savio College
Students
Malta
May 2007 |
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I'm growing some corn poppies indoors right now. I noticed that your info on them stated that the latex contained in the seed capsules is narcotic. I've looked on other sites for back up on this, but haven't had any luck. I was just curious as to if you knew for sure whether or not that information is true. I'm not trying to prove you wrong. I'm just curious and to be honest it wouldn't surprise me if you were right considering that the corn poppy is very closely related to the opium poppy.
[ The info is correct and referenced - MWP administrator]
Jonathan Shultz
Student
USA
Jun 2007 |
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Before sketching out the details of some oriental poppies, buds, leaves and stems I will be sewing/embroidering for a recreation of stage costume worn by a rock guitarist in 1977, I did an internet search for images of poppies. I just wanted to thank you for all the detailed work and splendid photographs you have so generously shared. I especially appreciate how very large and high quality your images are so that, indeed, each intricate detail can be studied! For my purposes, they were the best on the web, and really helped me get the proper details ingrained in my brain before I commence with the sewing.
Catherine
Artist
California, USA
Jun 2007 |
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Congratulations! Your webpage is a fabulous synopsis of the Maltese flora and the provided data are rather comprehensive. It is very easy to use, even for the laymen and so it is doubtless the first choice for identification of Maltese plants in the web, so far I know. I hope I will have the chance one day to fly to Malta to see the wild orchids in flower. Orchids are my passion.
Marc
Research assistent in the area of botany
Austria
Jun 2007 |
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This website was a godsend during our recent three-month stay on Gozo. It was wonderful to walk through the fields of spring flowers, spotting new ones on every walk, and knowing I had a hope of identifying them. The option to search by color is the best. Thank you and the very best wishes for your continued development of the site.
Jill Treadwell
College professor
USA
Jun 2007 |
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Your site is loaded with beautiful information, very nicely done and excellent photos. We sent the link to many of our friends.
Prosit Stephen.
Alfred and Jasmine Grech
Retired engineer
Mosta, Malta
Jun 2007 |
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With all sincerity I regard you as one hell of a National hero. While Rome is burning I feel very said as it seems that most appreciation for your monumental work is valued from abroad. I believe we met once while I was buying a camera in Valletta. I posses one of your books but your website is a fantastic reference library. Hope you will be rewarded to your satisfaction though I feel sure you must get a lot of satisfaction from what you achieved so far. Keep it up, proud of you and thank you.
Guze Spiteri
Retired prototype electronic engineer, amatuer photographer
Rabat, Malta
Jul 2007 |
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"Thanks for using the wonderful pictures in a scientific talk - ""Geographical versus ecological separation in the Mediterranean genus Carlina (Asteraceae)"" ."
Bernhard von Hagen
Botanist
Germany
Jul 2007 |
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Three years ago I lived in Malta for a couple of month ... there are so many different plants in Malta? Unbelievable! Every year I come to Malta and next time i will have a more detailled look for the plants. Because of Maltawildplants.com help, I found the name of my favourite plant in Malta!
Thank you a lot!
Susanne
Physiotherapist
Germany
Jul 2007 |
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Some very helpful advice given, when I was at a loss about what to do with my ailing Urginea Maritima. I am sure this information will help save my much loved plant.
Julie Devlin
Sales & Marketing
Australia
Jul 2007 |
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Dear Mr. Mifsud,
I came across your website as I was searching the internet for information for my M.Sc thesis which deals with Olive trees (Olea europaea)in Malta. You have a very attractive and informative website and the fact that you obtained your information from qualified people like Dr. Edwin Lanfranco and Mr. Dandria shows that your information is reliable. Dr. Lanfranco also happens to be my tutor for the thesis. However as my thesis is on olive trees I was a bit disappointed not to find anything about this particular tree.
Congratulations and keep it up
{Note from the administrator: It takes time to feature all 700-800 native plants of Malta on the website. I'll give priority to the Olive tree}
Giselle Galea
M.Sc Biology student
Malta
Jul 2007 |
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Good work. I stumbled on the site accidentally while looking for trees that ony grow in Malta. The flash display is a good hook. Congratulations on a wonderful project.
George Bane
Physician
USA
Sep 2007 |
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Useful and comprehensive plant-guide, attractively laid out.
 Claire M Jordan
Small Business Owner
Scotland
Oct 2007 |
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Wonderful website! I could spend days browsing through this website without getting bored! There is so much useful information and interesting facts about our Maltese flora and fauna. Right now I am attending University and I'm taking the BSC Biology & Chemistry course. This site has helped me in a lot of my queries on flowers. Hope that we can see more information updates in the future on other plant and tree species in Malta such as the carob tree, the prickly pear, the olive tree and the maltese hawthorn(zaghrun)! Congratulations and keep up the good work!
Daniel Borg
University Student
Malta
Oct 2007 |
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"Thank you and congratulations for this wonderful website.
The good pictures (photos and scans) are very helpful for study maltese plants when we are far away from your island.
This work is probably better more than the ""Herbari virtual de les illes Balears"" (very good yet) and with a complementary biogeography.
Hope you will continue in this way..."
Eroll Vela
Lecturer and Researcher
Marseille, France
Oct 2007 |
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My hobby is medicinal herbs, and like to go and search for wild plants in most places in malta, visisting valleys, fields and rocky plans. When I take samples of herbal plants I don,t destroy the roots and so i carry and use a special sciccors where ever i go, so i make a clean cut and the plant will grow again. But to those of you who see any one dumping any rubbish and any other material should phone up the closest police station and report the matter and if so they are caught in the act by the police.
Keep up the good work going as Malta needs guys like all of you who visit this site. Well done
Louis Henwood
Sea farer
Senglea, Malta
Oct 2007 |
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Thank you for your interesting site on the web, which l receintly found, l wonder if you can help me ,as i am very interested in Herbs and medical plants whether if l will be able to buy dictionary book in maltese / english regarding the names of plants As l grow a herb garden and find it difficult to understand what type of plant, as most of them have eighter a greek or latin names and come from the same family and yet it will be the same plant but different name.
Thank you for your attention,
Marlene Borg
Herbalist
Wardija, Malta
Oct-07 |
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Great website, wonderful pictures. Really enjoyed seeing it and more to explore which I will, great work.
Beautiful nature we have
Silvana
Student
Malta
Oct 2007 |
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| Please keep up the work which you so professionally have put together. It was nice to see you at the recent tree planting activity. We are working hard to recreate a Maltese forest as it was....your |
Visitor Comments (Total : 177 entries)