Paul Harcourt Davies / Common earthball (Scleroderma citrinum) Campo Imperatore, Gran Sasso, Appennines, Abruzzo, Italy, May

Paul Harcourt Davies / Nice Milkwort (Polygala nicaensis) with Appennine treacle mustard (Erysimum pseudorhaeticum) in flower, Campo Imperatore, Gran Sasso, Appennines, Abruzzo, Italy, May

Paul Harcourt Davies / Eugenia's Violet (Viola eugeniaea) in flower, blue form Campo Imperatore, Gran Sasso, Appennines, Abruzzo, Italy, May

Paul Harcourt Davies / Basil Thyme (Acinos arvensis) with Viola (Viola eugeniae) and Forget-me-nots (Myosotis) Campo Imperatore, Gran Sasso, Appennines, Abruzzo, Italy, May

Paul Harcourt Davies / Eugenia's Violet (Viola eugeniaea) yellow form in flower, Campo Imperatore, Gran Sasso, Appennines, Abruzzo, Italy, May

Paul Harcourt Davies / Eugenia's Violet (Viola eugeniaea) yellow form in flower, Campo Imperatore, Gran Sasso, Appennines, Abruzzo, Italy, May 2011

Paul Harcourt Davies / Campo Imperatore, in late spring as the snow melts, Gran Sasso, Appennines, Abruzzo, Italy, May 2011

Paul Harcourt Davies / Spring Crocus (Crocus vernus) in flower in snow, Campo Imperatore,Gran Sasso, Appennines, Abruzzo, Italy, June.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Spring Crocus (Crocus vernus) in flower, Campo Imperatore, Gran Sasso, Appennines, Abruzzo, Italy, June.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Alpine storksbill (Erodium alpinum) in flower, Campo Imperatore, Gran Sasso, Appennines, Abruzzo, Italy, May

Paul Harcourt Davies / Campo Imperatore, as the snow melts Gran Sasso, Appennines, Abruzzo, Italy, June

Paul Harcourt Davies / Eugenia's Violet (Viola eugeniaea) in flower, yellow form Campo Imperatore, Gran Sasso, Appennines, Abruzzo, Italy, May

Robert Thompson / Santo Stefano di Sessanio and Campo Imperatore road, Gran Sasso Monti Della Laga National Park, Abruzzo, Italy, May 2011

Paul Harcourt Davies / Woodlark (Lullula arborea) eggs in nest, Campo Imperatore, Abruzzo, Italy. June.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Elder flower orchid (Dactylorhiza sambucina) yellow form, in flower with mountains in background, Campo Imperatore, Apennines, Abruzzo, Italy. April.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Black-veined white butterfly (Aporia crataegi) caterpillars, resting on communal larval web, Campo Imperatore, Gran Sasso, Abruzzo, Italy. May.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Black-veined white butterfly (Aporia crataegi) nectaring on Hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) flower, Campo Imperatore, Gran Sasso, Abruzzo, Italy. May.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Round-head leek (Allium sphaerocephalon) in flower, Campo Imperatore, Abruzzo, Italy. July.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Hepatica (Hepatica nobilis) in flower, Campo Imperatore, Abruzzo, Italy. May.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Apennine trumpet gentian (Gentiana dinarica) flowering on the limestone slopes around Campo Imperatore, Abruzzo, Italy. May.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Lady's bedstraw (Galium verum) in flower, Campo Imperatore, Abruzzo, Italy. July.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Lady's bedstraw (Galium verum) in flower, Campo Imperatore, Abruzzo, Italy. July.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Mezereon (Daphne mezereon), a rare species of mountain woodlands and pastures always on limestone, in flower, Campo Imperatore, Abruzzo, Italy. May.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Neapolitan crocus (Crocus neapolitanus) in flower on mountainside, high in the Apennines after the snow melt, Campo Imperatore, Abruzzo, Italy. May.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Neapolitan crocus (Crocus neapolitanus) in flower on mountainside, high in the Apennines after the snow melt, Campo Imperatore, Abruzzo, Italy. May.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Neapolitan crocus (Crocus neapolitanus) in flower on mountainside, high in the Apennines after the snow melt, Campo Imperatore, Abruzzo, Italy. May.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Neapolitan crocus (Crocus neapolitanus) in flower high in the Apennines after the snow melt, Campo Imperatore, Abruzzo, Italy. May.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Mezereon (Daphne mezereon) in flower, Campo Imperatore, Abruzzo, Italy, May.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Tanfani's bellflower (Campanula tanfanii) flowering on mountainside, Campo Imperatore, Abruzzo, Italy. June.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Esper's marbled white butterfly (Melanargia russiae) resting on flower, Campo Imperatore. Abruzzo, Italy. July.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Esper's marbled white butterfly (Melanargia russiae) resting on flower, Campo Imperatore. Abruzzo, Italy. July.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Elderflower orchid (Dactylorhiza sambucina) an orchid of high mountains occurring in both yellow and magenta varieties, in flower, Campo Imperatore, Abruzzo, Italy. May.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Elderflower orchid (Dactylorhiza sambucina) an orchid of high mountains occurring in both yellow and magenta varieties, in flower, Campo Imperatore, Abruzzo, Italy. May.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Neapolitan crocus (Crocus neapolitanus) in bloom after the snow melt, high in the Apennines, Campo Imperatore, Abruzzo, Italy. May.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Sad stock (Matthiola fruticulosa) in flower, Campo Imperatore, Abruzzo, Italy. June.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Golden flax (Linum flavum) in flower, Abruzzo, Italy. June.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Hoary rockrose (Helianthemum oelandicum) in flower forming loose cushions in limestone mountains, Abruzzo, Italy. June.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Cypress Spurge (Euphorbia cyparissias) in flower growing in rocky soil, Abruzzo, Italy. June.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Broad-leaved thyme (Thymus pulegioides) in flower, Abruzzo, Italy. June.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Snowy mespilus (Amelanchier ovalis) branch in flower, Abruzzo, Italy. June.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Alpine thrift (Armeria alpina) in flower, Abruzzo, Italy. June.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Alpine soapwort (Saponaria bellidifolia) in flower, Abruzzo, Italy. June.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Alpine soapwort (Saponaria bellidifolia) in flower, Abruzzo, Italy. June.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Golden flax (Linum flavum) in flower, Abruzzo, Italy. June.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Golden flax (Linum flavum) in flower, Abruzzo, Italy. June.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Mountain cowslip (Primula auricula) seed heads, Abruzzo, Italy. June.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Cypress spurge (Euphorbia cyparissias) flowerheads, Abruzzo, Italy. June.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Greater milkwort (Polygala major) in flower, Abruzzo, Italy. June.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Apennine treacle mustard (Erysimum pseudorhaeticum), endemic to central Apennines, in flower, Abruzzo, Italy. June.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Frederick Augustus' lousewort (Pedicularis friderici-augusti), endemic to limited region of the Apennines, flowers in stony meadows, Abruzzo, Italy. June.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Close up of Sad stock (Matthiola fruticulosa) flower, Abruzzo, Italy. June.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Alpine toadflax (Linaria alpina) in flower in gravel, Abruzzo, Italy. June.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Maiella bedstraw (Galium magellense) flower clump, endemic to the central Apennines, Abruzzo, Italy. June.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Maiella bedstraw (Galium magellense) flower clump, endemic to the central Apennines, Abruzzo, Italy. June.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Maiella bedstraw (Gallium magellense), endemic to the central Apennines, in flower growing with Sad stock (Matthiola fruticulosa), Abruzzo, Italy. June.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Greater milkwort (Polygala major) clump in flower, Abruzzo, Italy. June.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Hoary mullein (Verbascum pulverulentum) in flower, Abruzzo, Italy. June.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Alpine plantain (Adenostyles alpina) in flower, Abruzzo, Italy. June.