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| CC image by Gabriele Kothe-Heinrich |
This plant is endemic to the high altitude areas of Tenerife and La Palma.
It belongs to the Asteraceae family, and may remind you of the knapweeds in Britain.
In the summer this species produces large numbers of thistle-like flowers: in January you will see the long brown stalks with the straw-coloured dry remains of the scaled flowerheads (the latter are rather good under a hand lens).
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| CC image by Gabriele Kothe-Heinrich |
Perhaps the elevated position of the flowers helps carry their scent on the winds, or makes them more visually obvious to pollinating insects: important as the Teide flowering season is very short (April to June).
The leaves are narrow with a slightly serrated outline and a paler central vein. They are borne in close whorls around the stems, and the stems form a tight clump: adaptations of the evergreen foliage against the harsh conditions in winter?
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| CC image by Scott.zona |
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