Nature hikes to explore the Portuguese flora

The new Comprehensive Plant Guide published by ITQB NOVA invited researcher Piet van der Linde offers several hiking options that allow the reader to be acquainted with the flora of Cabo da Roca and the Sintra region.

The coastal region from Praia Grande to Cascais is extremely sought out by tourists, as it includes mainland Europe’s most western point – Cabo da Roca – as well as many other nature-related attractions. This region is known for a very diverse mosaic of landscapes that originated a great plant diversity. Around 750 species of flowering plants have been recorded, some of them only occurring in this area.

The Comprehensive Plant Guide booklet presents itself as a tool that can be easily used to enrich the exploration of this region. The plants are organized firstly by colour of the flower, and secondly by the plant’s scientific name. All the plants are listed at the end by alphabetical order of scientific name, for a more purposeful consultation. Five different paths are proposed that can go from 1h to 3h, fitting both beginners and expert hikers, that allow to see many of the flowers depicted in the booklet. From April 8th onward, the book can be purchased at ITQB NOVA's treasury for the price of 15€. Discounts are available for school groups.

Piet van der Linde, GREEN-IT member, did his PhD on the molecular mechanisms of auxin action on cell division and has occupied research positions mainly in companies involved in plant propagation and breeding. He spends most of his free time by walking in nature and capturing photos of plants.