The third set of the Maltese Flora series will be issued on Friday 22 January 2016.

The set includes three stamps each bearing a face value of €0.26, €0.59 and €1.16 and respectively depict the Branched Asphodel (Maltese: Berwieq), the Common Pyramidal Orchid (Maltese: Orkida Piramidali) and the Maltese Spider Orchid (Maltese: Brimba Sewda ta' Malta) which are species found in the Maltese Islands.

The Branched Asphodel is a very common plant which grows in garrigues and rocky grasslands and flowers mainly from January till April. The Common Pyramidal Orchid is the commonest orchid in the Maltese Islands and is found mainly in garrigues and rocky pastures. It flowers in late April and in May. The Maltese Spider Orchid is a scarce orchid of garrigues, scrublands and dry rocky pastures and flowers mainly during March and April.

Photographer Guido Bonett captured the flowers featured on the stamps. The stamps will be issued in sheets of 10 with each stamp measuring 20mm x 38mm with a perforation of 13.6 x 14.0 (comb.) while the sheets measure 154mm x 110mm and are complemented by a tab showing a photo of the flowers. The stamps bear the Maltese Cross watermark while Printex Limited printed the set in offset process. The issue consists of 2,520,000 of the €0.26 stamp, 630,000 of the €0.59 stamp, and 90,000 of the €1.16 stamp.

This Philatelic Issue will be available as from Friday 22 January from all Post Offices in Malta and Gozo, online at www.maltaphilately.com or by mail from the Philatelic Bureau, MaltaPost p.l.c. 305, Qormi Road, Marsa MTP 1001; Telephone 2596 1740, email: info@maltaphilately.com.

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