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| CC image by Tigerente |
This plant is endemic to the high altitude areas of Tenerife and La Palma. 'Supranubius' means 'above the clouds'.
The plant is leafless for much of the year, but the blueish-green stems can photosynthesise.
They're strong and wind-resistant, and grow rather vertically, which reduces the sun's direct radiation on them around mid-day.
These bushes can live for decades, finally collapsing outwards. The fallen branches can then reroot.
The plants flower prolifically in May / June, producing swathes of fragrant white flowers. They belong to the Leguminosae family so they have a pea-like appearance with petals that form wings and a keel. The arrangement of the stamens mean that visiting insects are enveloped in a cloud of pollen from all sides - with a short flowering season, pollination needs to be efficient!
Like many other members of the Leguminosae, this species has nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Soil taken from under one of the plants seemed to have a higher nitrate level than the surrounding area.
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| CC license photo by Rhiannon |
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| CC license photo by Rhiannon |
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