Polycarpaea tenuis (Rabbit's paw)

CC image by Gabriele Kothe-Heinrich

This plant is endemic to the high altitude areas of Tenerife and La Palma.

I found one of these plants benefitting from the microclimate of a rock crevice: perhaps where temperatures fluctuate less, and where any nutrients and moisture might accumulate.

This species is highly branched and has tiny silvery leaves and dense groups of chaffy grey-pink flowers.

Some members of the genus Polycarpaea are known to use C4 photosynthesis (and perhaps this one does too). This adaptation is an advantage in hot dry environments where plants may prefer to keep their stomata closed during the day to avoid water loss. C4's mechanism guards against photorespiration even though oxygen levels increase and CO2 levels decrease inside the leaf.

This plant belongs to the pink/carnation family, the Caryophyllaceae. Another member of this family, Colobanthus quitensis, is one of only two flowering plants endemic to Antarctica and must also have developed effective adaptations to a very harsh environment.