Flora of the Canary Islands. Endangered flora of the Canary Islands. Flora and vegetation of the Canary Islands

Threatened Canarian flora

     Due to their geographical location and their oceanic, climatic and geological characteristics, the Canary Islands are home to a wide variety of native plants, a large proportion of which are endemic – that is to say, they are found only in our archipelago.
    However, their small land area of 7,492 km², their geographical isolation, and their topographical, soil and climatic characteristics – in addition to the specific characteristics of their flora, such as the fact that many species only grow in very limited areas – have meant that many Canarian plants are now at varying degrees of risk. In addition to these factors, there are others that also contribute to determining the degree of threat to a species, such as the reduction in its range, the degradation of its potential habitat, the existence of populations with low numbers of individuals, the presence of invasive species, etc.
     Although the main factor influencing the vegetation of the Canary Islands is the high population density of the islands – with over two million inhabitants – which exerts a progressive and unstoppable pressure on the natural environment, a process that began with the arrival of the first indigenous peoples, it increased very significantly following the Conquest of the Canary Islands, with human activity constituting the main cause of the deterioration of vegetation cover, whether through the creation of ever-larger human settlements or the development of agricultural and livestock farming activities.
     Added to all this is the significant pressure on the Canary Islands’ landscape and vegetation exerted by the millions of tourists who visit us every year, particularly that resulting from the uncontrolled development of leisure and sporting activities associated with nature, such as hiking, cycling and off-road motorcycling, off-road vehicle tours through natural landscapes, etc., which often cause significant damage to the land where these activities take place and to the plants growing there.

Lotus maculatus

     On the basis of all the considerations set out above, and others of a scientific, technical and environmental nature, etc., the Government of the Canary Islands, in its Law 4/2010 of 4 June on the Canary Islands Catalogue of Protected Species, establishes the following categories for the species to be included therein with a view to ensuring their conservation in the Canary Islands’ natural environment.
     Endangered species. This includes taxa or populations whose survival is unlikely if the factors causing their current situation continue to operate.
     Vulnerable species. These are species with a significant presence in the Canary Islands whose taxa or populations are at risk of being reclassified into the previous category in the immediate future if the adverse factors affecting them are not addressed, or because they are sensitive to changes in their habitat, due to their characteristic habitat being particularly threatened, in serious decline, fragmented or very limited.
     Species of interest to the Canary Islands’ ecosystems. This category comprises those species which, whilst not falling into either of the two threat categories set out in the previous section, merit special attention due to their ecological importance within areas of the Canary Islands Network of Protected Natural Areas or the Natura 2000 Network
     Wild species requiring special protection. This includes those wild species which, whilst not falling into either of the two categories mentioned above, deserve special attention anywhere within the territory of the Autonomous Community on account of their scientific, ecological or cultural value, or because of their uniqueness or rarity.

Caralluma burchardii

Extinct species

In addition to those included in the previous categories, there is a small group of species considered to be extinct in the wild, as, having been sighted and recorded in the past, they have not been found again for many decades. Such is the case with Pharbitis preauxii, a species of the Convolvulaceae family recorded for Gran Canaria. Others, such as Kunkeliella psilotoclada, Pulicaria undulata, Normania nava, and Aeonium mascaense, are plants that were found several decades ago in remote and very rugged areas; despite the considerable efforts of Canarian botanists, they have not been found again, although it cannot be ruled out that they may be rediscovered in the future.
Other cases of presumed extinction may be due to errors in taxonomic identification that have not been sufficiently clarified, such as Viola plantaginea from La Gomera or Silene canariensis from Gran Canaria, or to confusion with species from other regions of Macaronesia, as is the case with Clethra arborea and Pittosporum coriaceum, two plants that were recorded on the island of Tenerife but are currently found only in Madeira.

Aeonium mascaense

Plants at risk of extinction

     Among the most threatened plants in the Canary Islands, which are classified as endangered species, are some endemic species found on just a single island, such as three species of the genus Lotus, commonly known as ‘pico paloma’ or ‘pico cernícalo’. Two of these, Lotus berthelotii and Lotus maculatus, are found exclusively on the island of Tenerife, whilst the other, Lotus eremiticus, is found on the island of La Palma. However, the survival of these species can be said to be assured, as they are cultivated in gardens in various parts of the islands due to their ornamental value.
     There are very few examples of threatened plants found on more than one island, the most significant being Bencomia exstipulata, of which only a few specimens survive on the peaks of Tenerife and La Palma.
     In addition to those mentioned above, the most endangered plants in the Canary Islands include species such as the Herrenos codeso (Adenocarpus ombriosus), the sea pineapple (Atractylis preauxiana), the cuernúa (Caralluma burchardii), the El Cabrito ‘cabezón’ (Cheirolophus dariasi), the Majorcan colino (Crambe sventenii), the cliff clover (Dorycnium broussonetii), the Gran Canaria dragon tree (Dracaena tamaranae), the Jandía tajinaste (Echium handiense), the mountain tabaiba (Euphorbia mellifera), the Tamadaba globularia (Globularia ascanii), the Anaga rockrose (Helianthemum aganae), the hairy rockrose (Helianthemum bystropogophyllum), the Aluce everlasting (Helichrysum alucense), the Guayadeque broom (Kunkeliella canariensis), the Masca broom (Kunkeliella psilotoclada), the giant sea lavender (Limonium dendroides), the Tejeleche sea lavender (Limonium relicticum), the Herreña myrtle (Myrica rivas-martinezii), the Tenteniguada thistle (Onopordon carduelium), the woody May flower (Pericallis hadrosoma), the Jandía thistle (Onopordon nogalesii), the Guayedra tansy (Tanacetum osanahanii), the Doramas nightshade (Solanum vespertilio doramae), the Sabinosa campion (Silene sabinosae), the Doramas white sage (Sideritis discolor), etc.

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Solanum vespertilio doramae

Vulnerable plants

Within the category of Vulnerable Species – that is, those plants with a significant presence in the Canary Islands whose taxa or populations are at risk of being reclassified into the next higher category in the immediate future if the adverse factors affecting them are not addressed – there are species such as the rock gold (Anagyris latifolia), the Jandía daisy (Argyranthemum winteri), the Jandía anise (Bupleurum handiense), the cardonal pennyroyal (Bystropogon odoratissimus), the Majorca thistle (Carduus bourgeaui), the tree-like cabezón (Cheirolophus arboreus), the Gran Canaria cabezón (Cheirolophus arbutifolius), the Canary Islands bindweed (Convolvulus caput-medusae), the Famara bindweed (Convolvulus lopezsocasi), Wilson’s fern (Hymenophyllum wilsonii), the blue sea lavender (Limonium sventenii), the spiny sea lavender (Limonium tuberculatum), the Inagua sea lavender (Limonium vigaroense), the dolphin plant (Pleiomeris canariensis), the Canary Island willow (Salix canariensis), the white sage (Sideritis guayedrae), the bat-winged nightshade (Solanum vespertilio vespertilio), the summit pansy (Viola palmensis), etc.
Many of the plants included in this group are species found along the coast, where agricultural expansion and urban development have a very negative impact on their natural populations.

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Convolvulus lopezsocasi

Plants of interest to the Canary Islands’ ecosystems
Within the group of species of interest to the Canary Islands’ ecosystems – that is, those not included in the previous categories but deserving of particular attention due to their ecological importance within the Canary Islands Network of Protected Natural Areas or the Natura 2000 Network – we find species such as the Gomera bejeque (Aeonium gomerense), the red bejeque (Aeonium nobile), the Tenteniguada gongarillo (Aichryson bituminosum), the Las Nieves gongarillo (Aichryson brevipetalum), the Famara daisy (Argyranthemum maderense), the ribbon fern (Asplenium septentrionale), the lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina), the Tenguía ‘cabezon’ (Cheirolophus junonianus), the Sataratá ‘cabezon’ (Cheirolophus satarataensis), the mattress fern (Culcita macrocarpa), the dragon tree (Dracaena draco), the serrated penco fern (Dryopteris guanchica), the Palmeran mountain viper’s bugloss (Echium gentianoides), the pininana (Echium pininana), the Jandía cardon (Euphorbia handiense), the Palmeran broom (Genista benehoavensis), the red everlasting (Helichrysum monogynum), the tree-like everlasting (Limonium arborescens), the Masca everlasting (Limonium perezii), the Masca lotus (Lotus mascaensis), and the Chinamada ballflower (Monanthes wildpretii).

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Euphorbia handiense

Species requiring special protection

Finally, the category of species requiring special protection – which includes those wild species that, whilst not falling into either of the two previous categories, deserve special attention due to their scientific, ecological or cultural value, or because of their uniqueness or rarity – comprises species such as the Teror spleenwort (Asplenium terorense), the ‘pata de gallo’ (Asplenium hemionitis), the white tojía (Asteriscus schultzii), the Fuencaliente pennyroyal (Bystropogon wildpretii), the yellow tabaiba (Euphorbia lambii), the ‘yesquera’ (Helichrysum gossypinum), the Icod thistle (Carduus volutarioides), the Jandía mesemb (Mesembryanthemum terkauffii), the purple pulicaria (Pulicaria canariensis), the marmolán (Sideroxylon canariensis) and the píjaro (Woodwardia radicans).

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