Coastal Habitat
Introduction
The
species growing in these surroundings are well evolved
and do not suffer from the influence of the sea either
directly or by the sea aerosol carried on the winds.
The coasts are usually of two kinds: low and sandy with
salty ponds or mountainous and rocky. The first kind
is characterised by shrubs between 30 and 100 centimeters
high, with succulent small branches and almost no leaves
or with hardly visible leaves turned into juicy squamae.
This succulence is due to the great storage of water
used to dilute the salt present in the substratum solutions.
The typical species of this habitat are mostly the same
of the species existing in a large part of the Mediterranean:
among them a special attention must be paid to Zygophyllum
fontanesii as it is a species that is distributed across
the Canary Islands and the Sahara desert and whose presence
in the archipelago progressively diminishes moving from
east to west. On the second type of coastal habitat
there is a special ecosystem in direct contact with
the spray from the sea where there are coenosis dominated
by Astydamia latifolia.
In this habitat one can find species of the genus Limonium
among which Limonium fruticans and L. arborescens are
of particular interest. In the highest part of the coast
there are communities characterised by Argyranthemum
frutescens subspecies succulentum, Frankenia encifalia
and F. laevis subspecies capitata. This kind of coenosis
tends to disappear as we move from the area subject
to the spray of the sea and the habitat instead permeates
itself with the genus of the Euphorbia of Euphorbia
cananiensis or E. balsamifera - plants that are able
to come down from the rocks as far as the sea level.
Moreover, among the rocks there are small areas where
the sand accumulates. In these areas a micro-habitat
is formed and provides a home for those species able
to stand both the salt and the aridity. These species
are called psammoalophyte. Among them is the Lotus glaucus,
a small grass with striking yellow flowers. Many plants
living in these coastal habitats are endemic in the
Canary Islands. Such habitats are therefore of great
importance for the European Community and deserve protection.
ZYGOPHYLLUM
FONTANESA
(Zygophyllaceae) Babosa
It is a shrub up to a meter high, with opposite branches
and leaves. The leaves are succulent, juicy, trifoliate.
The flowers are small and solitary. It is a halophyte
species, which means it is able to live using water
with the same or higher saline concentration than sea
water.
ASTYDAMIA
LATIFOLIA
(Umbelliferae) Acelga del Mar
This herbaceous plant with small yellowish flowers
lives on the. rocky coasts of all the islands. It can
be recognised by the leaves which are quite big, succulent,
pinnate, and more or less deeply dentate. Its flowers
are grouped in umbelliform inflorescences with about
15 rays.
LIMONIUM ARBORESCENS
(Plumbaginaceae) Perpetuas
marinas
It is a small shrub characterised by a wooden base,
very strong, and by long and narrow herbaceous branches
carrying ramose inflorescences in the highest parts.
The plant is up to 2,5 meters high, its leaves are big,
ovate, hairless, with a long petiole and succulent blade.
The floral branches are very ramose but close. They
have lateral growths all along their length. The flowers
are pink. It is an endemic species of Tenerife, very
rare and in regression owing to the great diffusion
of man in the coastal areas.
LIMONIUM
FRUTICANS
(Plumbaginaceae) Perpetuas
marinas
Some authors consider this plant as a local variety
of the previous with smaller dimensions. This plant
too is very rare and it is in danger of becoming extinct.
It is an endemic plant of Tenerife where it can be observed
at El Fraile and Los Silos. It is a shrub characterised
by the presence of succulent and juicy leaves as in
the other species living in the same sort of habitat.
The margarita succulenta is up to 80 centimeters high
and its branches are thin and carry in the highest part
the small flower-heads typical of the composite family.
The flower-heads consist of central yellow flowers and
lateral ones with white ligulas.
ARCYRANTHEMUM FRUTESCENS
(Compositae) Margaritas
It is a shrub characterised by the presence of succulent
and juicy leaves as in the other species living in the
same sort of habitat. The margarita succulenta is up
to 80 centimeters high and its branches are thin and
carry in the highest part the small flower-heads typical
of the composite family. The flower-heads consist of
central yellow flowers and lateral ones with white ligulas.
It is endemic in Tenerife.
FRANKENIA
LAEWS
(Frankeniaceae) Sapera
ISmall creeping shrub characterised by small and juicy
leaves which are often reddish like the branches. It
has opposite leaves. They are pubescent owing to the
presence of tiny smooth hairs. The flowers are arranged
at the apex of the small branches and their colour varies
from light pink to whitish.
FRANKENIA ERICIFOLIA
(Frankeniaceae) Albohol
This plant is very similar to the previous and to which
it is often related, but from which it differs by its
smaller flowers which are usually white and arranged
all along the branches. The general impression is of
a more or less closely related plant.
LOTUS
GLAUCUS
(Leguminosae) Corazoncillo
It is a perennial grass with compound leaves formed
by five leaflets not longer than 5 millimeters. The
auxiliary light yellow flowers are arranged on long
stalks, both individually and in couples. It is an endemic
plant of Macaronesia.
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