Gran Canaria

Plant recordings in March 2012

by Rutger Barendse and Jeroen Willemsen 

Gran Canarian plant life


The Canary Islands are a nice place to organize a Botanical Journey. In 2006 we visited Tenerife. This was during the era of analoge photography, so it was about time to extend our plant pictures collection with some digital images of the Canarian flora. In order not to be redundant we decided to go to another island this time. Gran Canaria is smaller than Tenerife and somewhat less high; the highest altitude is just under 2,000 meters above sea level. In general you can say that the south of Gran Canaria is very dry, whereas the in the north the air is somewhat more moist. There are several small areas that are relatively rich in water. Throughout the islands many "Barrancos" (ravines) can be found with an interesting flora consisting of endemic species. Some Barrancos in the surroundings of Fontanales, on the northern part of the island, still contain remains of the impressive Laurisilva-forest that once covered large parts of the Canary islands. We'll tell you more about that later.
 
Our goal was to record more than 600 different plant species on Gran Canaria. I am sorry to say that we failed; we did not get any further than 576. We noticed that there hadn't been much rain this year, so the island was much drier than usual. This probably had an effect on the number of species we could identify. Nevertheless, we were satisfied with the species we recorded. There were some new recordings for the island and we found many endemics as well.

On this page you will find (click to jump):

Useful identification keys

  • M. Ángel Cabrera Pérez: Native flora of the Canary Islands (Leon 1999).
  • A. Hohenester and W. Welss: Exkursionsflora für die Kanarischen Inseln (Stuttgart 1993).
  • J. Lid: Contributions to the flora of the Canary islands (Oslo 1967).
  • P. Sunding: The vegetation of Gran Canaria (Oslo 1972)


Report of this BotanicalJourney


7 and 9 March 2012: The surroundings of Moya and Carreteria (Google Map)

Cardospermum grandiflorum The first day of our BotanicalJourney we arrived at our holiday-home which was adjacent to the church in the town of Moya, on the north of Gran Canaria. It was already getting dark when we arrived, but nevertheless we made a small walk to warm ourselves up a bit and to get started with our species list. Two days later we repeated our walk during daylight and extended it towards the town of Carreteria. One of the first findings was Cyrtomium falcatum, a rare specie for the Netherlands, but in Moya we found it on a wall in the middle of the village.

The walk through the village produced several species that are very common to Gran Ganaria, such as Anagallis arvensis, Aster squamatus, Echium decaisnei, Malva nicaeensis, Pericallis webbii, Rumex lunaria and Stachys ocymastrum. In Moya Cardospermum grandiflorum (see picture) was VERY abundant. This garden-escapee covered almost every barren field we could find. There were more garden-escapees to be found, like Aptenia cordifolia, Cyperus rotundus and Ipomoea indica. Fortunately we also found some fallow fields with typical species such as Amaranthus hybridus, Amaranthus retroflexus and Picris echioides. Scattered through the village there were concrete tanks which apparently had been used in the past to collect rain water. They looked disused now and were almost dry. However some of them seemed to contain a little water permanently. There we found species of wet habitats like Typha domingensis and Lemna minor. The barranco between Moya and Carreteria could be crossed via a narrow footpath but this produced almost no other species than Arundo donax.

 

8 March 2012: Km 4 at the GC-75 from Moya to the coast (Google Map)

Fagonia cretica The next day we decided to go to the coast. So we drove down hill to the north of Moya. On two locations we parked our car next to the road GC-75 to look for plants. Both of the locations were not particularly interesting, but nevertheless we recorded some nice plant species. On the first location we found some decorative plants, like Convolvulus floridus, Campylanthus salsoloides and Fagonia cretica (see picture). The second stop was at the junction with the GC-752, where we found Aizoon canariense, Heliotropium ramosissimum, Volutaria canariensis and both Mesembryanthemum crystallinum and Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum.
 

 
8 March 2012: Coast at San Felipe (Google Map)

Salsola oratovensis The coast at San Felipe, north of Moya, is threatened by the sea: waves smash onto the coast with great strength. The boulevard is falling slowly into the sea as a result of it, but nevertheless the municipality tries to make something nice of it. We found Astydamia latifolia on the boulevard. At the west end of the boulevard we climbed across the remains of this boulevard and entered a small foot path along the shore. There was a significant salt spray, as the plants clearly indicated: Bassia tomentosa, Lycium intricatum, Salsola oratovensis (see picture) and Zygophyllum fontanesii were all near the shore. We had to use the identification key written by Hohenester to identify Limonium sinuatum and L. pectinatum, but in the end we managed to do so. A little higher on the cliffs was some sort of ancient field, near the remains of an old farm (?). Here, where the direct influence of the salt spray was a little bit less, we found Euphorbia aphylla, Ononis angustissima, Nauplius graveolens ssp. odorus and Schizogyne sericea. The area was dry and rocky.

 

8 March 2012: Amagro mountain (Google Map)

Ceropegia fusca We had read somewhere that the Amagro mountain near the town of Gáldar was a good place to localize Sideritis amagroi. You would think it isn't so difficult to find that specie, but unfortunately, we were not able to find it. We accessed the hill from the parking-area near a school and climbed up following a small stream. At first we passed a banana-farm but after that we climbed up the hill all the way. Although we didn't find that specific Sideritis, we did find several other nice plants like Asphodelus aestivus, A. tenuifolius, Calendula arvensis, Kickxia elatine, Kickxia scoparia, Lavandula multifida subsp. canariensis, Lobularia canariensis and Scolymus maculatus. One of the nicest plants however was Ceropegia fusca (see picture). Some trees and shrubs were present in the higher parts of the mountain, mainly Juniperus turbinata and Pinus canariensis, while several other species were planted in large numbers: for example Dracaena draco, Euphorbia canariensis and E. aphylla. In the shadow underneath some rocks we discovered Habenaria tridactylites and Scilla haemorrhoidalis (both without flowers but recognizable nevertheless). This was a very successful walk with breathtaking views over the ocean and numerous new plant species.

 

8 March 2012: Alongside the GC-700 west of Moya (Google Map)

When we drove back from Gáldar to Moya, we followed the GC-700. About half way we stopped at a mini-barranco without a name just before a curve in the road. We found Ageratina adenophora, Aichryson laxum, Arisarum vulgare, Bidens pilosa, Briza minor, Dracunculus canariensis, Evax pygmaea, Gnaphalium luteo-album, Trifolium subterraneum and several other species here. We also found a plant we identified as Sipthorpia europea, although the leaves seamed unusually smooth-edged. For further identification purposes we collected a voucher specimen, which will be sent to the public herbarium of the National Botanic Garden of Belgium.

 

9 March 2012: Los Tilos - Barranco de los Propios (Google Map)

Laurisilva is without any doubt the most interesting habitat of the Canary Islands. Unfortunately most of the original forests have disappeared in the last decennia due to all kinds of human influences. Calculations have been made that suggest that the current area of Laurisilva is less than 2% of the original surface. This is a shame. Fortunately the most intact pieces of Laurisilva are protected by law nowadays. At Los Tilos there is a visitor centre and a path which guides you through the Laurisilva. We will come to that later, because stubborn as we are, we refused to follow that path at first. A little to the north you can find the Barranco de los Propios. This is a Barranco without guided tours and marked paths. There is however a small path, which is easy to follow. It will lead you to several very nice plant species characteristic to Laurisilva.

Canarina canariensisBack in 1967 Johannes Lid wrote an interesting report on the Laurisilvas of Gran Canaria. According to this author you can define a forest as Laurisilva if it contains the following species: Ocotea foetens, Persea indica, Apollonias barbujana and Laurus novocanariensis. Well, Barranco de los Propios has them all! Underneath the trees this Barranco offers you Hypericum canariense, Hypericum reflexum, Ranunculus cortusifolius, Semele androgyna var. gayae, Smilax canariensis and Vinca major. But best of all: Canarina canariensis (see picture) in large numbers! Halfway along the path there was an open but damp place with Anagallis arvensis, Fumaria coccinea, Myosotis latifolia and Ranunculus sardous.

 

9 March 2012: Los Tilos - Barranco del Laurel (Google Map)

Solanum lidii OK - we found the real thing by ourselves, but we couldn't pass the Barranco del Laurel without following the path. It was very... well... "educational". We admit we learned new species because of the signs with species names that were everywhere, but seeing a planted Isoplexis chalcantha with a clear sign next to it is not the same as discovering it in some abandoned forest by your own. However Barranco del Laurel proved to be our only chance to see Solanum lidii (see picture), a very rare endemic specie that is planted in Barranco del Lauro in large numbers. Sometimes it was impossible to establish whether a specie was wild or planted.

Echium callithyrsum In this somewhat confusing circumstances we recorded Aeonium arboreum, Convolvulus siculus, Dendriopoterium menendezii, Echium callithyrsum (see picture), Geranium canariense, Gesnouinia arborea, Ixanthus viscosus, Sideritis discolor and Sonchus canariensis. In Laurisilvas many ferns can be found. It is unlikely that ferns are planted there - even in the Barranco del Laurel. So here is an impression of the ferns we found: Adiantum reniforme, Anogramma leptophylla, Asplenium hemionitis, Asplenium onopteris and Cheilanthes maderensis.

 

9 March 2012: Los Tilos - Camino Casa Encamada (Google Map)

We tried our luck south of the marked path through the Laurisilva, curious as we were to maybe find some more Laurisilva remains. But unfortunately this was not the case. For now Barranco los Propios was the nicest Laurisilva we found. For now. But we will come back to that later (save the best for last, they say). At Camino Casa Encamada we found some new species of which we will mention only Drusa glandulosa and Lavatera cretica here.

 

10 March 2012: Caldera de Bandama (Google Map)

Lavatera acerifolia The Caldera de Bandama is part of the Tafira Protected Landscape and is a location of both geological and botanical interest. The caldera is about 1,000 m wide and 200 m deep. The slopes consist of various types of volcanic stones and ashes. One of the many good reasons to go there is the occurrence of Parolinia glabriuscula at the bottom of the caldera. We were very anxious to see this specie and indeed we found it. We also recorded Allagopappus dichotomus, Bosea yervamora, Lavatera acerifolia (see picture), Olea cerasiformis and Retama monosperma in the Caldera de Bandama. The large palm trees were covered with Davallia canariensis.

 

10 March 2012: Punta de Jiramar (Google Map)

Sclerophylax spinescens Punta de Jiramar is a location you probably wouldn't visit if nobody told you that it is worth it. Believe us: it is. We parked our car at the back of a large commercial centre and followed the coast line. Soon we entered a sort of valley where a Barranco came to the sea. There were some concrete structures there, suggesting a flow of sewer water in wet times as we could smell very clearly. The nice thing about this location was that there were several plant species typical for areas with salt spray, like Argyranthemum frutescens, Frankenia boissieri, Sarcocornia fruticosa, Suaeda mollis and Traganum moquinii, but also plants of more ruderal inland habitats such as Asteriscus sericeus, Datura innoxia, Moricandia arvensis and Xanthium spinosum. There were two species on this location we found hard to identify. But we were able to do so afterwards, thanks to the pictures we took. The first turned out to be Sclerophylax spinescens (see picture). The other plant of which identification was troublesome at first was a strange fleshy plant that turned out to be Heliotropium curassavicum. This specie is recently described as a new neophyte for Gran Canaria by Filip Verloove, who found it on 3 places. His paper helped us to identify our plant.

 

10 March 2012: Tufia (Google Map)

Another location on the east coast of Gran Canaria. On this peninsula we hoped to find Convolvolus caput-medusae and Atractylis preauxiana. Unfortunately we didn't. The most interesting spot on the Tufia peninsula was an archaeological site which was closed off by a very high fence. The area was therefore inaccessible for good citizens like ourselves. On the peninsula almost no plants were present; it was only rock and ashes. However we managed to find three species that were new to our list: Amaranthus deflexus, Cyperus capitatus and Launaea nudicaulis.

 

10 March 2012: Around the lighthouse of Arinaga (Google Map)

Lotus arinagensis We went to Arinaga with the specific goal to find Lotus arinagensis. This time we succeeded! The area looked to us like we expect the landscape on the moon to be: cold, windy, rocky and dry. There were hardly any plants at all! You will be surprised how difficult it is to find a small plant like Lotus arinagensis in circumstances like this, but as we said, we managed quite well. You can see the result in the photo. Another good thing was that we discovered Atractylis preauxiana here. This is one of the species we failed to recognize in Tufia. So the visit to the lighthouse of Arinaga was very worthwile.

 

10 March 2012: Barranco de Guayadeque (Google Map)

Salvia canariensis At the end of the day we followed the road to Aguïmes and the road further west into the Barranco de Guayadeque. We stopped at several locations. Just west of Aguïmes we found Lotus sessilifolius and Salvia canariensis (see picture) and further on we discovered Crambe pritzelii, Teline microphylla, Erucastrum cardaminoides and Descurainia preauxiana. But by that time it was getting pretty dark, so we decided to head back to our house in Moya.

 

11 March 2012: Barranco de Agaete near San Pedro (Google Map)

Dipcadi serotinum The next day we made a trip to the surroundings of Parque Natural de Tamabada. We stopped at several locations. The first was the Barranco de Agaete near San Pedro. We parked our car and followed the road GC-231 by foot for a while. There were steep rocky slopes with some pine trees here and there. First we found several specimens of Scilla haemorrhidales with beautiful flowers. Right next to the Scillas we found a plant which was difficult to identify at first. Finally we discovered that it was Dipcadi serotinum (see picture). A nice plant to find! Furthermore we found Astragalus pelecinus, Medicago littoralis, Pancratium canariense and Vicia filicaulis. At a damp place we found Samolus valerandi and Scirpus supinus as well.

 

11 March 2012: Alongside the GC-200 north of El Risco (Google Map)

Matthiola parviflora We followed the GC-200 and stopped at several locations, mostly at Barranco's, dried up water streams or any other location that seemed suitable to find new species for our list. South of Agaete we found Eragrostis barrelieri and near the Barronco Guyaydra we found Herniaria cinerea, Matthiola bolleana subsp. morocera (see picture), Orobanche ramosa and Reseda lancerotae. North of El Risco we stopped at a place where the rocky slopes were very steep. We followed the road by foot for a while to examine the plant species that were growing on the steep cliffs. Right next to the road we found Calendula bicolor, Carduus baeocephalus, Erodium chium and both Plantago afra and P. aschersonii (which is regarded to be a synonym of P. coronopus nowadays). A little more away from the traffic, but sometimes not easy to reach, we identified Allagopappus viscosissimus, Cheirolophus falcisectus and Lotus lancerottensis.

 
11 March 2012: Barranco Guyguy alongside the GC-200 south of El Risco (Google Map)

Euphorbia aphylla South of El Risco the Barranco Guguy offers some rocky cliffs with several nice plant species. Most of them were not new to our list, but right next to the road we managed to find inconspicuous species like Monanthes brachycaulos and Suteria canariensis as well as plants with more decorative value, such as Babcockia platylepis/Sonchus platylepis and Cynara cardunculus. A little further to the south we stopped at a place called Andén Verde, which offered stunning views over the ocean and some of the valleys of Gran Canaria. We found Epilobium tetragonum and Lotus lancerotensis here, but also several plant species we were already familiar with, like Euphorbia regis-jubae, Euphorbia canariensis and Euphorbia aphylla (see picture).


11 March 2012: Barranco Presa (GC-210) (Google Map)

Calotropis procera East of San Nicolás de Tolentino we followed the GC-210 towards some artificial lakes. This road lead through the Barranco Presa. It was a narrow road and we were lucky that there was not much traffic: it was sometimes impossible to park the car so we had to stop in the middle of the road. This was the case when we spotted Calotropis procera, a plant of well over 2 meters height which we couldn't identify at first (see picture). Luckily we were able to establish the name a few weeks later thanks to the pictures we took of the plant. We also found Campanula erinus, Chrysoprenanthes pendula, Lagurus ovatus, Micromeria tenuis, Paronychia argentea, Petrorhagia velutina and Phagnalon purpurascens in the Barranco Presa. In the Barranco we found a small but very deep pond with Goldfish in it and a large dragonfly hovering above it.

 

11 March 2012: GC-21 near Artenara (Google Map)

Orchis canariensis A little north of Artenara we stopped alongside the GC-21 because we noticed Aeonium simsii and Aichryson punctatum growing on a cliff next to the road. On closer look we also found Umbilicus heylandianus there as well as Sagina procumbens and Solanum alatum. A little further at a location named Paso Blanco we noticed Orchis canariensis (of which some people say it is Orchis patens subsp. canariensis) next to the road (see picture). There were several species of them in a narrow and nameless barranco. We found also found Erysimum bicolor, Greenovia aurea and Mentha longifolia there.

 

12 March 2012: Fontanales (Google Map)

Romulea bulbocodium From what we had seen of the Gran Canarian flora until now we concluded that the surroundings of Fontanales were by far the most interesting location for finding new plant species. So we decided to make a longer walk there. We started in the village of Fontanales and checked out the surroundings of the church, where we found several new species like Andryala pinnatifida. Then we followed a path towards the sporting area (tennis) where we found Adenocarpus foliosus, Silybum marianum and many other new species. We continued to follow that road up the hill. About half way we found Salvia microphylla (of which we first thought it might be Salvia coccinea, but we were wrong about that). At the highest point of our walk, there were many specimens of Romulea columnae (see picture). On the way down into the valley we noticed that Senecio mikanoides (a.k.a. Delairea odorata) was very abundant and covering large semi-human influenced areas.

 

11 and 12 March 2012: Paso Blanco (west of Artenara) (Google Map)

Yesterday we were pleasantly surprised by the flora of Paso Blanco, like Orchis canariensis. Because we were there at the end of the day while it was almost dark, we decided to go back there. We tried to follow a path up the small barranco but that proved not to be an easy task. Parts of the hill had suffered from landslides so some parts were just inaccessible. Nevertheless we managed to find some species that had been overlooked the previous day: Lathyrus setifolius, Neotinea maculata, Pterocephalus dumetorum, Tanacetum ptarmiciflorum and Veronica hederifolia.

 

12 March 2012: Tamabada (Google Map)

Pinar de Tamabada is an Natural Park. On Gran Canaria it is very remarkable that forests are high up the hills, whereas the lower altitudes are almost treeless. Tamabada is one of the few places where you can find a proper forest. Most of the trees are pine trees. There are also vast areas covered with Cistus monspeliensis and Cistus symphytifolius. We searched for Citinus species as well, but unfortunately we didn't succeed in that. We did find three different Micromeria species however: Micromeria benthamii, Micromeria lanata and Micromeria pineolens. Another known specie from Tamabada is Isoplexis isabelliana. Because it is not planted there (we hope), the finding was more rewarding than the Isoplexis in the Barranco del Laurel, which we described earlier. The location of this Isoplexis is easy to find: just park your car at the picnic area and walk around. You can't miss it, because it is right next to the path.

 

12 March 2012: alongside the GC-210 between Artenara and Tejeda (Google Map)

Lavandula minutolii The GC-210 again was one of these roads on which you can't really park a car. The views over the mountain ridges were stunning however, and luckily we managed to find a very small space in which we could squeeze our car. The view was the main reason to stop here but of course we looked for plant species as well. This resulted in the finding of Carlina canariensis and Juncus articulatus. A Lavandula specie proved to be hard to identify. However, due to the characteristic shape of the leaves we managed to make a positive identification of Lavandula minutolii (see picture).

 

13 March 2012: San Gregorio near Le Román (Google Map)

Salvia canariensis San Gregorio is located southwest of Las Palmas. An unpaved road leaves the town of San Lorenzo and heads west. We followed that road, leaving the small ponds behind us to visit at a later moment. Some large specimens of Salvia canariensis were present there (see picture). We zig-zagged somewhat across the hill, and found ourselves in yet another large-scale anti-erosion project: large numbers of (endemic) plant species had been planted here recently. We came across a fence with some signs asking us not to enter the area behind it. Naturally, we obeyed the request and walked all the way around the fence. On the other side were the remains of what once had been a pond. A small muddy pool was the only thing that was present at that time, but from a distance we could see a vaguely green color on the edges of the water. Some goats were drinking from the water and eating from the green color. Reason for us to go there, of course. We had to lay flat on the ground to be able to identify some of the plants here, because they were really small. Some of the species were Amaranthus blitum ssp. emarginatus, Coronopus squamatus, Verbena supina and Chamaesyce serpens. There was also a very tiny version of Cyperus pygmaeus present.

Verbena supina The next plant was a bit of a puzzle. It looked like a pink flowered Lythrum at first glance but it had big sepals and it was way to hairy. Thanks to the excellent work on the Canarian Flora and vegetation of Per Sunding we were pointed in the right direction. Sunding describes the plant community Verbenetum supinae in his Vegetation of Gran Canaria (1972). G. Kunkel had taken him to some dried up basins in the vincinity of Tamaraceite, back in 1966. It was the first time a plant named Petunia parviflora was mentoined for the Canary Islands. The plant originates from South America. For certain this was also the plant we found (see picture). The name of the plant community is based on the plant Verbena supina, which we found in considerable numbers. So we definitely were on the good spot.

We followed our way back over the hill, at first following an old water ditch. There was one tree present: it proved to be Quercus suber. Zig-zagging across the hill, we found Asparagus pastorianus, Centaurea calcitrapa and Euphorbia sulcata. Back at San Lorenzo we looked at the dried out basins we saw earlier. Some typical species here were Aster squamatus, Chenopodium anthelminticum (recently described by F. Verloove for Gran Canaria), Portulaca oleracea (s.l.), Gnaphalium luteo-album, Cyperus eragrostis, Lythrum junceum and Amaranthus blitum subsp. emarginatus. Unfortunately we scared the hell out of a group of 20 Night herons (Nycticorax nycticorax) who flew up into the air in great panic, making a lot of noise.

 

13 March 2012: Las Palmas GC near Collegio San Vincente de Paúl (Google Map)

On Google Maps we discovered a large barranco in Las Palmas, so we went there to check it out. This proved to be a big mistake: the Barranco was intensively used for all kinds of human activities, of which leaving waste was one of the less smelly. So we turned around and tried to leave the city as quickly as we could (which was not an easy task). Near Collegio San Vincente de Paúl we recorded some new species: Amaranthus muricatus, Festuca arundinacea, Pennisetum clandestinum and Spergula pentandra. Hip Hurray.

 

13 March 2012: San Andrés (Google Map)

Aeonium canariense ssp virgineum On our way home we decided to stop in San Andrés. This is a town that is very close to a highway. You can't really miss San Andrés because probably you have to wait for one of the pedestrian crossings when you pass it. At first we walked to the sea. There were no new plants present, and it was a rather uncomfortable place to be because of the heavy winds (which lead to impressive waves and an even more impressive salt spray). So we crossed the road and followed a small road up into the hills. We soon found out that a large part of the valley going south from San Andrés had been transformed into a banana orchard. By the looks of it the orchard was very much industrialized and impossible to enter. But there was a foot path going up the hill slopes at the eastern side of the valley. We followed that path, leading us to some old and not very well maintained banana orchards. We found some nice weed species there, like Arenaria leptoclados. Higher up the hill we found the more typical vegetation of the dry, rocky and erosive hills on Gran Canaria. For example there was a very nice specimen of Aeonium canariense ssp virgineum fully in flowers (see picture). We also found Aloe vera and -my favorite- Ceratopegia fusca. On the rocks Astydamia latifolia was present and on the path we found Asteriscus aquaticus. We continued our route along a water canal, where we found Thevetia peruviana (= Cascabela thevetia) abundantly present. Through a poorly maintained banana field we descended. On a wall next to the main road we found Hyoscyamus albus.
 


14 March 2012: Near Tenisas (Google Map)

Tragopogon porrifolius The next day we intended to go to the centre of Gran Canaria. We first drove to the south and left the highway at Arinaga. From there on we went northwest, following the GC-65. We stopped our car at the Barranco Cuevas Blancas because we thought we saw some water. Since this fluid is scarce on Gran Ganaria, it is always a good idea to check wet areas for plant species. Although the area wasn't particularly scenic we managed to find some new species next to a small stream: Tanacetum ferulaceum and Veronica anagallis-aquatica. In more dry habitats Tricholaena teneriffae and Echium onosmifolium were present. When we continued our journey we accidentally turned into the GC-550 towards the town of Tenisas. We soon realized that the area became much too dry to find some new plant species, so we turned around. At that point we saw Anchusa italica (=Anchusa azurea) and Tragopogon porrifolius (see picture). On closer look, we also managed to find Carduus pycnocephalus and Cichorium endivia here. As you can tell from these species: the area can be characterized in one word: DRY!

 

14 March 2012: Pico de las Nieves (Google Map)

Erysimum bicolor We had heard from the "white rock" or "Risco Blanco" in the area of La Culata. We hoped to find some calcareous plant species there so we followed the GC-654. This was a very narrow road but people in traffic were friendly and relaxed. The road forms a circle, so it doesn't really matter if you follow it clockwise or the other way around. We soon found out that the Risco Blanco was not easy accessible and stopped at the most northern point of the road. From there on we followed an even narrower road up north, which finally ended at some houses. We recorded Alcea rosea, Colocasia esculenta, Ruta chalepensis and Tolpis lagopoda here. We continued our route towards the Pico de las Nieves and stopped at Paso herradura, where we recorded Micromeria helianthemifolia, and at Llanos de Pez, where we found Sideritis dasygnaphala and Verbascum virgatum. Finally we reached the military base at Pico de las Nieves, where we recorded Urtica stachyoides and Erysimum bicolor (see picture). We drove up as far as we could and ended at a rocky area with a former military lookout. The area was well covered with Argyranthemum adauctum. When we descended we saw a large fence with Narcissus tazetta and Scilla dasyantha (= Scilla haemorrhoidalis).


14 March 2012: Junction of gc230 and gc400 west of Arinez (Google Map)

Greenovia aurea It was getting a little bit dark already when we discovered a rock next to the road somewhere west of Arinez. This rock was covered with many different Aeonium, Aichryson and Greenovia species, so this gave us an opportunity to look closely at the differences between the species. We recorded Aeonium undulatum, Aeonium percarneum, Aichryson punctatum and Greenovia aurea (see picture). Furthermore we found several ferns like Asplenium adiantum-nigrum, Asplenium obovatum and Asplenium trichomanes. Also Trifolium stellatum and Vicia hirsuta were present here. We identified a Tanacetum as T. oshanahanii, but one of the visitors to our site told us that the occurrence of this specie is limited to Guayedra. So our identification is probably wrong; it might not be Tanacetum at all, but Argyranthemum... (thanks for letting us know, André).

 

15 March 2012: Maspalomas (Google Map)

Neurada procumbens The dunes of Maspalomas are famous. Not only because they are the only dunes on Gran Canaria but also because they are truly spectactular. The sand dunes have typical curved forms due to the winds and they keep forming when you stand there: sand particles fly into your hair, your clothes, your bag and your camera. But nevertheless it is worthwhile to go there. Especially if you manage to find some places where there is a little less influence from the wind and a vegetation community has been able to form. The plant species present are well adjusted to the extreme circumstances (apart from the winds there is a continuous lack of rain water). One of the most spectacular species is Neurada procumbens (see picture), also known as "camel plant". This specie forms seeds which are very prickly and attach themselves to almost everything. In the Sahara desert the seeds are spread by the feet of camels. When we left the beach we found that there were several seeds stuck to our shoes as well! Other species in this surreal environment were Ononis serrata, Limonium tuberculatum, Neatostema apulum and Salsola kali. In more sheltered areas we found Argyranthemum filifolium, Frankenia pulverulenta and Turnera ulmifolia.

 

15 March 2012: Barranco de Arguineguin (Google Map)

Convolvulus glandulosus The Barranco de Arguineguin is situated west of Maspalomas. This barranco is very dry but famous for its population of endemic Dragon Trees (Dracaena tamaranae). Unfortunately we missed this specie. We did record some other shrub species: Heliotropium messerschmidioides and Convolvulus glandulosus (see picture) could be found next to the road. We also found Euphorbia serrata, Argyranthemum filifolium and Parolinia ornata. In the dry valley sometimes water could be found in man-made canals. In one of these places we recorded Potamogeton nodosus. West of Soria we found Cistus symphytifolius subsp. leucophyllus.



15 March 2012: Barranco de Mogán (Google Map)

The Mogán valley is said to be more arid than the Arguineguin valley. This might be the case, but it didn't provide us with many new species. Asteriscus graveolens ssp. stenophyllus was in fact the only one.

 

Ruta oreojasme15 March 2012: GC-60 north of Arteara (Google Map)

The Barranco through which the GC-60 leads is more arid as well. We recorded Bupleurum salicifolium and Ruta oreojasme (see picture) here.

 

15 March 2012: Rock Bentayga (Google Map)

For plant hunters the Rock Bentayga is a well-known place. It is rich in endemic plant species and one of the very few locations on Gran Canaria where Crambe scoparia can be found. It is not hard to find: just follow the foot path from the road to the rock and you can't really miss it. When we were there, the place was very crowded with people putting up tents to see a next day's racing event. A part from Crambe scoparia we didn't find any new plants for our list but we did harvest a large bag of Prunus dulcis almonds. They were delicious to eat and we even brought a large quantity home (which was highly appreciated).

 

16 March 2012: Barranco Virgin / Barranco Obscuro (Google Map)

Hedera canariensis The last day of our visit to Gran Canaria was supposed to be the most spectacular for us. That is why we saved a visit to a Laurisilva for the 16th of March. As we previously have pointed out, Laurisilva is one of the most rich habitats of Gran Canaria which unfortunately is affected largely by human activities. The remaining parts are protected well - and for a good reason too! We went to the Barranco Virgin, parked our car in a village and followed the barranco by foot. It contained all the species that make it a Laurisilva: Ocotea foetens, Persea indica, Apollonias barbujana and Laurus novocanariensis. We also found Hedera canariensis (see picture). Some of the herbs in the valley were Bartsia trixago, Hypericum canariense, Bystropogon canariensis, Plantago arborescens, Senecio teneriffae, Limonium pectinatum, Galactites tomentosa, Echium callithyrsum, Pericallis webbii and Aichryson laxum. At damp places we found Carex paniculata, Conium maculatum and Wahlenbergia lobelioides. Other nice species were Bystropogon canariensis, Plantago arborescens and Senecio teneriffae.

Kickxia commutata The valley was not fully covered with forests. In fact, large parts were used for minor-scale agriculture. This provided us with species like Kickxia commutata (see picture), Medicago arabica, Galium scabrum, Papaver rhoeas, Moehringia pentandra and Paronychia canariensis. Near gardens we found many escaped plant species such as Agapanthus praecox, Aloe saponaria, Austrocylindropuntia subulata, Freesia refracta, Podranea ricasoliana and Solandra grandiflora. Probably they can be a threat to wild plant species? It was unclear to us if the specimen of Dracaena draco that we saw was wild or not.

One of the best preserved remains of Laurisilva can be found in the Barranco Obscuro. It is not very well accessible, but with a little help we managed to enter the forest. We had to descend the hill slopes using hand and feet, but it was worth the trouble. It was truly a Laurisilva-by-the-book, complete with Canarina canariensis. And so the Barranco Obscuro was a good place to end our BotanicalJourney on Gran Canaria!


Some comments on the recording of new species for Gran Canaria

The orginal flora and certainly the endemic plant species are well known on Gran Canaria. Maybe we found some of these plants on new spots. However we do not know the island and its flora, nor the efforts of other botanists, well enough to claim this. We could construct a list of the known flora of Gran Canaria combining Listada de especies silvestres de Canarias 2009 (hereafter; Listada), distribution records from Hohenester / Welss' Exkursionsflora für die Kanarischen Inseln and P. And I. Schönfelder's Die Kosmos Kanarenflora, edition 1997. On Gran Canaria a lot of plants are brought to the island by people. These species do not belong to the wild flora. It is of these plants we could note some 'new' records. A couple of them were earlier considered new to Gran Canaria and they are described by Filip Verloove in New xenophytes from Gran Canaria, 2012.

Agave attenuata Agave attenuata
Already known as a cultivated specie in the Canaries and recently described by Filip Verloove as a new neophyte for Gran Canaria. We found this specie on several places. Our first record was at Moya in a dried out basin.

Aloe maculata Aloe maculata (syn. Aloe saponaria)
In the Barranco Virgin, in the riverbed near the road in the middle of the barranco we found a lot of escaped plant species. Aloe maculata seemed to be new to the Island. It is easily distinguised from Aloe vera by its white spotted leaves. It was only found escaped on Tenerife (Hohenester / Welss), but the specie is not mentoined in the Listada.

Austrocylindropuntia subulata Ampelodesmos mauretanica cf.
We found one specimen in a flat riverbed close to the sea near Jiramar. The specie is probably also planted nearby.
   

Austrocylindropuntia subulata
In a road margin at Barranco Virgin. Found on the last day of our stay. We thought we had seen it before but payed no attention to it due to its resemblence with a small Opuntia.


Carex paniculata
In Hohenester/Welss we found a doubtful record of this plant for Gran Canaria, but we are certain we found the specie at the nature reserve Barranco Obscuro. It may have been named incorrectly by Per Sunding who described this forest in detail in The Vegetation of Gran Canaria (1972) and noted Carex vulpina. This specie is not accepted or named in any other plant list of Gran Canaria. Our plant was growing in a small cluster, had small leaves (4 mm), a long inflorescens (10-15 cm) and blackish fruits. The stem was sharpely triangular and rough on the top. The plant is not collected because we only saw one specimen.

Chenopodium anthelminticum
Recently described as a new neophyt for Gran Canaria by Filip Verloove. It looks like a Chenopodium ambrosioides. We saw this plant on several places. Our first record was on the bottom of the Caldera de Bandama.

Echium simplex Echium simplex
Just outside the nature reserve Barranco Obscuro near a garden. We found a record in Hohenester/Welss. It is not named in Listada de especies silvestres de Canarias (2009) for Gran Canria, so maybe this is a new record. We think the plant maybe is escaped from the nearby garden.


Festuca arundinacea
Lawn weed at Las Palmas together with lots of Medicago lupulina. A voucher specimen of this plant shall be given to the public herbarium of the National Botanic Garden of Belgium.

Filago minima = Logfia minima
In an heavily grazed meadow south of Fontanales. Mixed with other tiny plants like Romulea columnae, Myosotis discolor and Cotula australis.

Helianthus annuus
In a extensive Banana-plantation with lots of other weeds.
   

Heliotropium curassavicum Heliotropium curassavicum
We found 1 plant in a flat riverbed close to the sea near Jiramar. It was a strange fleshy plant which we could not name for some time. The specie is also recently described as a new neophyt for Gran Canaria by Filip Verloove, who found it on 3 places. His paper helped us to indentify our plant.

Jasminum officinale
In Maspolamas on the edge of a garden, growing over native plants.

Lathyrus setifolius cf.
We could not find records for Gran Canaria. The specie is already known from Tenerife. We found it in a road margin at Paso Blanco, west of Artenara.

Lonicera etrusca
We found this specie in Moya on a wasteland in the village. A voucher specimen of this plant shall be given to the public herbarium of the National Botanic Garden of Belgium.

Medicago lupulina
Growing in large numbers as a lawn weed on several places at Las Palmas and Maspalomas. In Las Palmas it was growing together with Festuca arundinacea. A voucher specimen of this plant shall be given to the public herbarium of the National Botanic Garden of Belgium.

Podranea ricasoliana
Big area (25 x 25 meter) in a riverbed near the village Valsendero (Barranco Virgen). Probably naturalized and escaped from a nearby garden.

Physalis peruviana
We found several specimens in a flat riverbed close to the sea near Jiramar. Sewage sludge was nearby, whisch probably contributed to the distribution of this plant. It is known for its edible fruits. The specie is also recently described by Filip Verloove as a new neophyt for Gran Canaria.

Salvia microphylla Salvia microphylla
We found 1 plant south of Fontanales. We called it at first Salvia coccinea, based on its red flowers and the identification in the exkusionsflora. Salvia microphylla is not named by Hohenester/Welss. Filip Verloove described this specie as a new neophyt for Gran Canaria, not coincidentally also found near Fontanales. Filip saw our photo's and concluded we found the same specie.

Turnera ulmifoliaThevetia peruviana
Escaped from a nearby garden in the Barranco Virgen.

Turnera ulmifolia
At Maspalomas in plantbeds, in pavement cracks and on walls. The specie is also recently described by Filip Verloove as a new neophyt for Gran Canaria.



List of the recorded plant species

PLEASE NOTE:
Only the first finding of species is displayed. So species that were recorded, let's say, both on the 13th and the 15th of March ONLY are noted on the 13th.

7 and 9 March 2012: The surroundings of Moya and Carreteria (Google Map)

Achyranthes aspera
Adiantum capillus-veneris
Agave americana
Allium nigrum
Amaranthus hybridus
Amaranthus retroflexus
Anagallis arvensis
Antirrhinum majus
Apium nodiflorum
Aptenia cordifolia
Arundo donax
Aster squamatus
Atalanthus capillaris = Sonchus leptocephalus
Atalanthus pinnatus
Coronopus didymus
Cymbalaria muralis
Cynodon dactylon
Cyperus rotundus
Cyrtomium falcatum
Davallia canariensis
Echium decaisnei
Erodium malacoides
Euphorbia peplus
Euphorbia pubescens
Euphorbia regis-jubae
Galium aparine
Hedera helix
Hyoscyamus albus
Ipomoea indica
Juniperus phoenicea
Lemna minor
Lolium perenne
Lonicera etrusca
Malva nicaeensis
Malvastrum coromandelianum
Oxalis corniculata
Oxalis pes-caprae
Patellifolia patellaris
Pericallis webbii
Picris echioides
Piptatherum miliaceum
Plantago lagopus
Poa annua
Polycarpon tetraphyllum
Polycarpon tetraphyllum ssp. diphyllum
Polypogon monspeliensis
Polypogon viridis
Prunus dulcis
Rumex lunaria
Salix canariensis
Senecio vulgaris
Sisymbrium irio
Sonchus oleraceus
Stachys ocymastrum
Stellaria media
Stipa capensis
Taraxacum officinale
Typha domingensis
 

8 March 2012: Km 4 at the GC-75 from Moya to the coast (Google Map)

Aeonium undulatum
Asparagus arborescens
Bituminaria bituminosa
Campylanthus salsoloides
Convolvulus floridus
Euphorbia balsamifera
Euphorbia canariensis
Fagonia cretica
Ficus carica
Nicotiana glauca
Opuntia dillenii
Opuntia ficus-indica
Patellifolia webbiana
Pelargonium inquinans
Periploca laevigata
Phagnalon saxatile
Phoenix canariensis
 

8 March 2012: Alongside the GC-75 at Junction with GC-752 to Cabo Verde (Google Map)

Abutilon grandifolium
Aizoon canariense
Artemisia reptans
Cenchrus ciliaris
Chenopodium murale
Conyza bonariensis
Datura stramonium
Dittrichia viscosa
Galactites tomentosa
Heliotropium ramosissimum
Hordeum murinum ssp. leporinum
Launaea arborescens
Lavandula dentata
Mesembryanthemum crystallinum
Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum
Rubia fruticosa fruticosa
Volutaria canariensis
 

8 March 2012: Coast at San Felipe (Google Map)

Argyranthemum frutescens
Astydamia latifolia
Bassia tomentosa
Carpobrotus edulis
Centaurea melitensis
Euphorbia aphylla
Frankenia ericifolia
Limonium pectinatum
Limonium sinuatum
Lotus glaucus
Lycium intricatum
Lycopersicon esculentum
Nauplius graveolens ssp. odorus
Ononis angustissima
Polycarpaea nivea
Ricinus communis
Salsola oratovensis
Schizogyne sericea
Sonchus tenerrimus
Tamarix canariensis
Zygophyllum fontanesii
 

8 March 2012: Amagro mountain (Google Map)

Acacia cyclops
Ajuga iva
Allium subhirsutum
Asphodelus aestivus
Asphodelus tenuifolius
Calendula arvensis
Carlina salicifolia
Ceropegia fusca
Cuscuta planiflora
Dracaena draco
Ferula linkii
Forsskaolea angustifolia
Fumaria capreolata
Geranium rotundifolium
Glebionis coronaria
Habenaria tridactylites
Hirschfeldia incana
Juncus acutus
Juniperus turbinata
Kickxia elatine
Kickxia scoparia
Lactuca serriola
Lavandula multifida subsp. canariensis
Lobularia canariensis
Medicago laciniata
Micromeria varia
Papaver somniferum
Parietaria judaica
Pinus canariensis
Pittosporum undulatum
Reseda scoparia
Rosmarinus officinalis
Scilla haemorrhoidalis
Scolymus maculatus
Scorpiurus muricatus
Selaginella denticulata
Sonchus congestus
Tamus edulis
Theligonum cynocrambe
Torilis arvensis
Urginea maritima
 

8 March 2012: Alongside the GC-700 west of Moya (Google Map)

Agave attenuata
Ageratina adenophora
Aichryson laxum
Ammi majus
Arisarum vulgare
Artemisia thuscula
Bidens pilosa
Brachypodium sylvaticum
Briza minor
Capsella bursa-pastoris
Cerastium glomeratum
Cotula australis
Cyperus laevigatus
Dracunculus canariensis
Echium plantagineum
Erodium moschatum
Euphorbia helioscopia
Evax pygmaea
Geranium dissectum
Geranium molle
Geranium purpureum
Glebionis segetum
Gnaphalium luteo-album
Juncus inflexus
Juncus striatus
Marrubium vulgare
Mercurialis annua
Phalaris aquatica
Pisum sativum
Pteridium aquilinum
Rubus ulmifolius
Rumex pulcher
Scirpus holoschoenus
Sherardia arvensis
Silybum marianum
Solanum nigrum
Spergularia diandra
Trifolium campestre
Trifolium subterraneum
Tropaeolum majus
Urospermum picroides
Urtica urens
Verbena officinalis
Vicia sativa ssp. macrocarpa
Withania somnifera
 

9 March 2012: Los Tilos - Barranco de los Propios (Google Map)

Aeonium percarneum
Bromus diandrus
Bryonia verrucosa
Canarina canariensis
Cardamine hirsuta
Carduus clavulatus
Carex divulsa
Carex otrubae
Cassia cf.
Convolvulus althaeoides
Convolvulus canariensis
Crepis vesicaria ssp. taraxacifolia
Echium strictum
Ehrharta longiflora
Equisetum ramosissimum
Eriobotrya japonica
Fumaria coccinea
Galium murale
Hedypnois cretica
Hypericum canariense
Hypericum reflexum
Lamarckia aurea
Laurus novocanariensis
Leucaena leucocephala
Medicago minima
Misopates orontium
Myosotis latifolia
Ocotea foetens
Parietaria debilis
Plantago major
Polypodium cambricum ssp. cambricum
Polypodium interjectum
Populus alba
Ranunculus cortusifolius
Ranunculus sardous
Raphanus raphanistrum
Sedum rubens
Semele androgyna var. gayae
Silene gallica
Silene vulgaris
Smilax canariensis
Solanum tuberosum
Teline rosmarinifolia
Tetrapogon villosus
Tradescantia fluminensis
Trifolium dubium
Umbilicus gaditanus
Urtica membranacea
Veronica arvensis
Veronica persica
Viburnum rigidum
Vicia cirrhosa
Vinca major
Zantedeschia aethiopica
 

9 March 2012: Los Tilos - Barranco del Laurel (Google Map)

Acanthus mollis
Adiantum reniforme
Aeonium arboreum
Andryala pinnatifida
Anogramma leptophylla
Apollonias barbujana
Argyranthemum adauctum
Asplenium hemionitis
Asplenium onopteris
Bencomia caudata
Brachypodium distachyon
Briza maxima
Bufonia paniculata = Bufonia teneriffae
Calamintha nepeta ssp. nepeta
Cheilanthes maderensis
Chenopodium album
Convolvulus siculus
Crassula argentea = Crassula ovata
Cynosurus echinatus
Dendriopoterium menendezii
Echium callithyrsum
Erica arborea
Geranium reuteri = Geranium canariense
Gesnouinia arborea
Hyparrhenia hirta
Hypericum grandifolium
Ilex canariensis
Isoplexis chalcantha
Ixanthus viscosus
Kleinia neriifolia
Lolium rigidum
Malva parviflora
Persea indica
Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum
Scrophularia calliantha
Sideritis discolor
Solanaceae spec.
Solanum lidii
Sonchus canariensis
 

9 March 2012: Los Tilos - Camino Casa Encamada (Google Map)

Brassica oleracea
Drusa glandulosa
Lavatera cretica
Lolium multiflorum
Quercus robur
Rumex obtusifolius
 

10 March 2012: Caldera de Bandama (Google Map)

Allagopappus dichotomus
Asparagus plocamoides
Bosea yervamora
Carduus tenuiflorus
Centranthus ruber
Chenopodium anthelminticum
Lavatera acerifolia
Maytenus canariensis
Olea cerasiformis
Parolinia glabriuscula
Pennisetum setaceum
Pistacia lentiscus
Retama monosperma
Rumex bucephalophorus
Urtica stachyoides
Withania aristata
 

10 March 2012: Punta de Jiramar (Google Map)

Ampelodesmos mauretanica
Argemone ochroleuca
Asteriscus sericeus
Atriplex glauca
Ceratochloa cathartica
Chamaesyce prostrata
Datura innoxia
Frankenia boissieri
Heliotropium curassavicum
Moricandia arvensis
Physalis peruviana
Pistacia atlantica
Plantago coronopus
Portulaca oleracea s.l.
Sarcocornia fruticosa
Senecio glaucus ssp. coronopifolius
Setaria verticillata
Suaeda mollis
Traganum moquinii
Washingtonia robusta
Xanthium spinosum
Sclerophylax spinescens
 

10 March 2012: Tufia (Google Map)

Amaranthus deflexus
Cyperus capitatus
Launaea nudicaulis
 

10 March 2012: Around the lighthouse of Arinaga (Google Map)

Atractylis preauxiana
Lotus arinagensis
Polycarpaea aristata
 

10 March 2012: Just outside Aguïmes (Google Map)

Lotus sessilifolius
Salvia canariensis
 

10 March 2012: Barranco de Guayadeque (Google Map)

Arabidopsis thaliana
Asterolinon linum-stellatum
Chamaecytisus proliferus
Crambe pritzelii
Crassula tillaea
Descurainia preauxiana
Echium onosmifolium
Endeem
Erodium cicutarium
Erucastrum cardaminoides
Lamium amplexicaule
Logfia gallica
Papaver hybridum
Teline microphylla
Todaroa montana
Vulpia bromoides
 

11 March 2012: Barranco de Agaete near San Pedro (Google Map)

Apium graveolens
Astragalus pelecinus
Bougainvillea glabra
Centaurium tenuiflorum
Dipcadi serotinum
Medicago littoralis
Pancratium canariense
Parolinia platypetala
Plocama pendula
Rumex vesicarius
Samolus valerandi
Scirpus supinus
Trifolium arvense
Vicia filicaulis
 

11 March 2012: Alongside the GC-200 south of Agaete (Google Map)

Eragrostis barrelieri
 

11 March 2012: Alongside the GC-200 near Barranco Guyaydra (Google Map)

Herniaria cinerea
Matthiola bolleana subsp. morocera
Orobanche ramosa
Reseda lancerotae
 

11 March 2012: Rocky slope alongside the GC-200 north of El Risco (Google Map)

Allagopappus viscosissimus
Bromus rubens
Calendula bicolor
Carduus baeocephalus
Cheirolophus falcisectus
Erodium chium
Lolium temulentum
Lotus lancerottensis
Pallenis spinosa
Plantago afra
Plantago aschersonii (syn. for P. coronopus)
Senecio flavus
Seseli webbii
Setaria viridis
 

11 March 2012: Barranco Guyguy alongside the GC-200 south of El Risco (Google Map)

Babcockia platylepis = Sonchus platylepis
Cynara cardunculus
Monanthes brachycaulos
Suteria canariensis
Valantia hispida
 

11 March 2012: Andén Verde alongside the GC-200 south of El Risco (Google Map)

Diplotaxis muralis
Epilobium tetragonum
Lotus lancerotensis
 

11 March 2012: Barranco Presa (GC-210) (Google Map)

Calotropis procera
Campanula erinus
Chrysoprenanthes pendula
Lagurus ovatus
Micromeria tenuis
Paronychia argentea
Petrorhagia velutina
Phagnalon purpurascens
 

11 March 2012: GC-21 near Artenara (Google Map)

Aeonium simsii
Aichryson punctatum
Sagina procumbens
Solanum alatum = Solanum luteum subsp. alatum
Umbilicus heylandianus
 

12 March 2012: Fontanales (Google Map)

Adenocarpus foliolosus
Aichryson parlatorei
Andryala pinnatifida
Aphanes microcarpa
Buglossoides arvensis
Bystropogon origanifolius
Capsella rubella
Castanea sativa
Cheilanthes pulchella
Daucus carota
Dryopteris oligodonta
Erigeron karvinskianus
Filago minima
Fumaria muralis
Iris albicans
Lathyrus odoratus
Lathyrus tingitanus
Melilotus indicus
Myosotis discolor
Petroselinum crispum
Rhagadiolus stellatus
Romulea columnae
Rumex acetosella
Sagina apetala
Salvia microphylla
Salvia spec.
Scandix pecten-veneris
Senecio angulatus
Senecio mikanoides = Delairea odorata
Sinapis alba
Sisymbrium officinale
Stachys arvensis
Tuberaria guttata
Vicia faba
Vicia lutea
Vicia tetrasperma
Viola odorata
 

11 and 12 March 2012: Paso Blanco (west of Artenara) (Google Map)

Lathyrus setifolius
Erysimum bicolor
Greenovia aurea
Mentha longifolia
Neotinea maculata
Orchis canariensis = Orchis patens subsp. canariensis
Pterocephalus dumetorum
Tanacetum ptarmiciflorum
Veronica hederifolia
 

12 March 2012: Tamabada (Google Map)

Cistus monspeliensis
Cistus symphytifolius
Isoplexis isabelliana
Lotus spartioides
Micromeria benthamii
Micromeria lanata
Micromeria pineolens
 

12 March 2012: alongside the GC-210 between Artenara and Tejeda (Google Map)

Carlina canariensis
Juncus articulatus
Lavandula minutolii
 

13 March 2012: San Gregorio near Le Román (Google Map)

Amaranthus blitum ssp. emarginatus
Asparagus pastorianus
Bromus hordeaceus
Centaurea calcitrapa
Chamaesyce serpens
Coronopus squamatus
Cyperus pygmaeus
Euphorbia sulcata
Galium parisiense
Linum bienne
Lythrum junceum
Quercus suber
Ruscus hypoglossum
Verbena supina
 

13 March 2012: Small ponds near Le Román (Google Map)

Cyperus eragrostis
Petunia parviflora
 

13 March 2012: Las Palmas GC near Collegio San Vincente de Paúl (Google Map)

Amaranthus muricatus
Festuca arundinacea
Pennisetum clandestinum
Spergula pentandra
 

13 March 2012: San Andrés (Google Map)

Aeonium canariense ssp. virgineum
Aloe vera
Arenaria leptoclados
Asteriscus aquaticus
Helianthus annuus
Thevetia peruviana = Cascabela thevetia
 

14 March 2012: Barranco Cuevas Blancas near Tenisas (Google Map)

Echium onosmifolium
Tanacetum ferulaceum
Tricholaena teneriffae
Veronica anagallis-aquatica
 

14 March 2012: Near Tenisas (Google Map)

Anchusa italica = Anchusa azurea
Carduus pycnocephalus
Cichorium endivia
Tragopogon porrifolius
 

14 March 2012: La Culata near Pico de las Nieves (Google Map)

Alcea rosea
Colocasia esculenta
Ruta chalepensis
Tolpis lagopoda
 

14 March 2012: Paso Herradura near Pico de las Nieves (Google Map)

Micromeria helianthemifolia
 

14 March 2012: Llanos de Pez near Pico de las Nieves (Google Map)

Sideritis dasygnaphala
Verbascum virgatum
 

14 March 2012: Military base near Pico de las Nieves (Google Map)

Narcissus tazetta
Scilla dasyantha = Scilla haemorrhoidalis
 

14 March 2012: Junction of gc230 and gc400 west of Arinez (Google Map)

Argyranthemum spec.
Asplenium adiantum-nigrum
Asplenium obovatum
Asplenium trichomanes
Descurainia preauxiana
Luzula elegans
Trifolium stellatum
Ulmus minor
Vicia hirsuta
 

15 March 2012: Maspalomas (Google Map)

Acacia farnesiana
Agave sisalana
Argyranthemum filifolium
Dactylis glomerata
Frankenia pulverulenta
Jasminum officinale
Limonium tuberculatum
Neatostema apulum
Neurada procumbens
Ononis serrata
Salsola kali
Setaria adhaerens
Turnera ulmifolia
 

15 March 2012: Barranco de Arguineguin (Google Map)

Heliotropium messerschmidioides
Convolvulus glandulosus
Digitaria sanguinalis
Euphorbia serrata
Nicandra physalodes
Parolinia ornata
Potamogeton nodosus
Raphanus sativus
 

15 March 2012: just outside Barranco de Arguineguin: west of Soria (Google Map)

Cistus symphytifolius subsp. leucophyllus = Cistus ocreatus
 

15 March 2012: Barranco de Mogán (Google Map)

Asteriscus graveolens ssp. stenophyllus
 

15 March 2012: GC-60 north of Arteara (Google Map)

Bupleurum salicifolium
Ruta oreojasme
 

15 March 2012: Rock Bentayga (Google Map)

Crambe scoparia
 

16 March 2012: Barranco Virgin / Barranco Obscuro (Google Map)

Agapanthus praecox
Aloe saponaria = Aloe maculata
Austrocylindropuntia subulata
Bartsia trixago = Bellardia trixago
Bystropogon canariensis
Carex paniculata
Conium maculatum
Echium simplex
Freesia refracta
Galium scabrum
Hedera canariensis = Hedera helix subsp. Canariensis
Kickxia commutata
Medicago arabica
Moehringia pentandra
Papaver rhoeas
Paronychia canariensis
Plantago arborescens
Podranea ricasoliana
Senecio teneriffae
Solandra grandiflora
Sonchus asper
Triticum aestivum
Wahlenbergia lobelioides