Tree at Mesquite Square, Mdina

Post by **MWP admin** » Sat Mar 07, 2015 7:03 am

Hi,

I am touring some relatives of my wife and happened to be at Mesquite Square, Mdina. Just behind the well, there was a tree (badly pruned!) consisting of two semi intertwined boughs and at this time of the year a couple of leaves. I could not examine properly in detail or even take a photo but the leaves were somewhat palmate with narrow triangular lobes. I kept thinking all day and night what it might have been. Do you happen to know what species it is?

It certainly deserves a visit in the warmer months. In the meantime, in front of St. Johns church, just at the outskirts of Rabat and border of Howard garden, I spotted a Raetama raetam which is pretty rare. There is another tree in a very good shape below the walls of Verdala.

Sigra · Post by **Sigra** » Sat Mar 07, 2015 11:33 am

maybe Crategus, Morus or Acer (campestre)?

RB · Post by RB » Sat Mar 07, 2015 10:58 pm

Should know, I think it's a Morus.

Post by **MWP admin** » Mon Mar 09, 2015 5:15 am

It could have been a Morus, but I am not 100% convinced. Possibly the few leaves remaining (from last year then?) lost their original morus-shape and gave me a wrong impression. On the other hand pruning badly a morus in a squara in Mdina makes sense because the fruit woul make a mess on the ground, and for many that might be considered not right to have a 'dirty' ground in a 'noble city'

((Hej a dozen of posts from 4 members in a week! - well done RB))

Post by **MWP admin** » Mon Mar 09, 2015 5:18 am

P.s. in the well there was one of those quite rare Crytomium ferms but I had no time to check which speceis, apart that it was completely out of reach.

RB · Post by RB » Mon Mar 09, 2015 12:46 pm

If the "default" species, as I suspect, they are not rare, just a bit "old skool" and more likely to be found in old houses possibly with old owners, they are typical house plants of days gone by together with "Felci", Aspidistra, and Galletti.

I once swiped a tiny one growing at the entrance to a cellar of a house in Siggiewi, grew to eventually fully occupy two 35cm pots...

RB

IL-PINE · Post by **IL-PINE** » Mon Mar 09, 2015 1:57 pm

probably Cyrtomium falcatum. have two growing spontaneously in my mother's garden in Qormi and saw one in a kantina in Pieta.

Post by **MWP admin** » Wed Mar 11, 2015 9:50 pm

We should go and check both the tree and the fern. Actually i know of a large specimen Crytomium sp. growing in almost full sunshine on its own.

IL-PINE · Post by **IL-PINE** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 6:30 pm

whenever you wish!

Post by **MWP admin** » Sun Mar 22, 2015 10:43 am

I haven't attempted any determination and taking the lazy road and posting here:

tree: one leaf left!

fern: just one good frond present in a well and unreachable.

RB · Post by RB » Sun Mar 22, 2015 8:51 pm

No mysteries there, Morus nigra and Cyrtomium falcatum.

http://crdp.ac-besancon.fr/flore/Morace ... _nigra.htm

http://www.baumkunde.de/Morus_nigra/Bild1/

Post by **MWP admin** » Mon Mar 23, 2015 8:21 pm

Yes that right.

Having one leaf, not typically morus (deeply lobed and pointed) and in a medivial city, this tree was a bit inquisitive. I know morus leaves vary a lot like figs, but usually are less lobed as shown in the links provided.

OK mystery vanished!

Thanks alot RB, for 'everyhting'

IL-PINE · Post by **IL-PINE** » Tue Mar 24, 2015 1:13 am

x'bicca ta tuta!