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Flora of Cape Verde

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Flora of Cape Verde includes the flowers and plants of Cape Verde, mostly native to the islands. There are about 240 species of plants.

Losna (Artemisia gorgonum), an endemic plant of Fogo Island
Prosopis juliflora tree
Cynanchum daltonii, an endemic plant found in the islands except Sal and Maio
Echium vulcanorum found only in Fogo's uppermost parts
Capeverdean sagebrush (Artemisia gorgonum)
Echium hypertropicum near Ribeira Principal in Santiago
Cape Verde date palm (Phoenix atlantica)
Lavandula rotundifolia
Asteriscus smithii (Nauplius smithii), an endemic plant
Tamarisk (Tamarix senegalensis), a tree plant grown mainly in sandy areas, places like Tarrafal on Santiago, Tarrafal de São Nicolau and Santo Antão's Tarrafal de Monte Trigo are named after the areas where the plant are found

About the flora

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In the process of development, many lands in the islands were converted to agricultural fields and several hundred varieties of herbaceous plant and tree species were introduced, resulting in depletion of the original vegetation. However, efforts are now underway at reforestation to improve the wildlife of Cape Verde, with reported planting of three million new trees every year (about 7000 per day), with pine, oak, sweet chestnut and acacia as the prominent varieties being planted.[1][2] Cape Verde is also one of the world's top ten coral reef Biodiversity hotspots.[3]

Historically, Cape Verde was probably not rich with greenery, although the evidence of the situation in earlier times is severely lacking.[4] When Cape Verde was first discovered and colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th century, the wildlife consisted mainly of dry forests and scrub habitat, which underwent a sea change under the influence of the inhabitants of this then isolated and uninhabited group of islands. The endemic flora and fauna of the islands were disturbed and have now remained confined mostly in the mountain peaks, steep slopes and other inaccessible areas.[4] Vegetation in the islands is basically of the savannah or steppe type. There are trees typical of both temperate and tropical climates, depending on elevation. The flatter parts of the islands sustain semi-desert plants while the higher lands have arid shrubland.[4] The leeward slopes tend to contain desert, with a very sparse shrub cover, mostly thorny or toxic.[5] A number of xerophilous plants grow in the brackish subsoil of Maio, Sal, and Boa Vista.[5]

There are 664 listed plant species, which include two threatened species.[6] Over 80 vascular plant taxa are reported to be endemic to Cape Verde; these include Tornabenea, Aeonium gorgoneum, Campanula bravensis (bellflower), Asteriscus smithii (Nauplius smithii), Artemisia gorgonum (sagebrush), Sideroxylon marginatum, Lotus jacobaeus, Lavandula rotundifolia, Cynanchum daltonii, Euphorbia tuckeyana, Polycarpaea gayi and Erysimum caboverdeanum (wallflower).[3] Several trees are indigenous such as the blue-green flat-topped dragon tree Dracaena draco, Tamarix senegalensis, Phoenix atlantica (tamateira), in the lagoons and deserts of Boavista, the ironwood tree and a species of fig tree and Prosopis juliflora which locally is simply called "acácia"[4]). As a result of extensive tree planting since 1975, there are pine trees, oaks and sweet chestnuts on the cool peaks of Santo Antao, eucalyptus on the heights of Fogo, multiple neem trees in São Vicente and forests of acacia on Maio.[5]

List of endangered flora

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Here is a list of endangered flora in Cape Verde, of which 97 are ranked species and 19 are ranked subspecies. They belong to 62 genera and 28 families. Of which 50 of them are in the island of Santo Antão, 45 in São Nicolau, 38 in Santiago and 37 in Fogo. 80% of them are in the highlands.[7]

No. Species Family
1 Aeonium gorgoneum Crassulaceae
2 Aeonium webbii Crassulaceae
3 Arenaria gorgonea Caryophyllaceae
4 Aristida cardosoi Poaceae
5 Aristida funiculata var. paradoxa Poaceae
6 Artemisia gorgonum Asteraceae
7 Asparagus squarrosus Asparagaceae
8 Asteriscus daltonii Asteraceae
9 Asteriscus smithii Asteraceae
10 Asteriscus vogelii Asteraceae
11 Brachiaria lata subsp. caboverdiana Poaceae
12 Campanula bravensis Campanulaceae
13 Campanula jacobaea Campanulaceae
14 Campylanthus benthamii Plantaginaceae
15 Campylanthus glaber subsp. spathulatus Plantaginaceae
16 Carex antoniensis Cyperaceae
17 Carex paniculata subsp. hansenii Cyperaceae
20 Centaurium tenuiflorum subsp. viridense Gentianaceae
21 Chloris pilosa Poaceae
22 Conyza feae Asteraceae
23 Conyza pannosa Asteraceae
24 Conyza schlechtendalii Asteraceae
25 Conyza varia Asteraceae
26 Cuscuta nothochlaena Convolvulaceae
27 Cyphia stheno Campanulaceae
28 Diplotaxis antoniensis Brassicaceae
29 Diplotaxis gorgadensis Brassicaceae
30 Diplotaxis gracilis Brassicaceae
31 Diplotaxis glauca Brassicaceae
32 Diplotaxis harra subsp. harra Brassicaceae
33 Diplotaxis hirta Brassicaceae
34 Diplotaxis sundingii Brassicaceae
35 Diplotaxis varia Brassicaceae
36 Echium glabrescens Boraginaceae
37 Echium hypertropicum Boraginaceae
38 Echium stenosiphon subsp. lindbergii Boraginaceae
39 Echium vulcanorum Boraginaceae
40 Enteropogon rupestris Poaceae
41 Eragrostis concertii Poaceae
42 Eragrostis insulatlantica Poaceae
43 Erysimum caboverdeanum Brassicaceae
44 Fagonia mayana Zygophyllaceae
45 Fagonia sinaica var. albiflora Zygophyllaceae
46 Festuca gracilis Poaceae
47 Forsskaolea procridifolia Urticaceae
48 Forsskaolea viridis Urticaceae
49 Frankenia ericifolia subsp. caboverdeana Frankeniaceae
50 Frankenia ericifolia subsp. montana Frankeniaceae
51 Globularia amygdalifolia Plantaginaceae
52 Gongrothamnus bolleanus Asteraceae
53 Gossypium capitis-viridis Malvaceae
54 Helianthemum gorgoneum Cistaceae
55 Ipomoea sancti-nicolai Convolvulaceae
56 Ipomoea webbii Convolvulaceae
57 Kickxia brunneri Plantaginaceae
58 Kickxia elegans ssp dichondraefolia Plantaginaceae
59 Kickxia elegans ssp elegans Plantaginaceae
60 Kickxia elegans ssp webbiana Plantaginaceae
61 Launaea gorgadensis Asteraceae
62 Launaea intybacea Asteraceae
63 Launaea melanostigma Asteraceae
64 Launaea picridioides Asteraceae
65 Launaea thalassica Asteraceae
66 Lavendula stricta Lamiaceae
67 Limonium braunii Plumbaginaceae
68 Limonium brunneri Plumbaginaceae
69 Limonium jovibarba Plumbaginaceae
70 Limonium lobinii Plumbaginaceae
71 Limonium sundingii Plumbaginaceae
72 Linaria brunneri Plantaginaceae
73 Lobularia canariensis subsp. fruticosa Brassicaceae
74 Lobularia canariensis subsp. spathulata Brassicaceae
75 Lotus arborescens Fabaceae
76 Lotus brunneri Fabaceae
77 Lotus jacobaeus Fabaceae
78 Lotus latifolius Fabaceae
79 Lotus purpureus Fabaceae
80 Lythanthus amygdalifolius Plantaginaceae
81 Melanoselinum insulare Apiaceae
82 Nauplius daltonii Asteraceae
83 Nauplius smithii Asteraceae
84 Nervilia simplex Orchidaceae
85 Odontospermum daltonii Asteraceae
86 Odontospermum volgelii Asteraceae
87 Papaver gorgoneum Papaveraceae
88 Paronychia illecebroides Caryophyllaceae
89 Periploca laevigata Apocynaceae
90 Phagnalon melanoleucum Asteraceae
91 Phoenix atlantica Arecaceae
92 Pluchea bravae Asteraceae
93 Polycarpaea gayi Caryophyllaceae
94 Pulicaria burchardii Asteraceae
95 Pulicaria diffusa Asteraceae
96 Sarcostemma daltonii
syn. of Cynanchum daltonii
Apocynaceae
97 Satureja forbesii Lamiaceae
98 Sideroxylon marmulana var. marginata Sapotaceae
99 Sinapidendron decumbens Brassicaceae
100 Sonchus daltonii Asteraceae
101 Sporobolus minutus subsp. confertus Poaceae
102 Stachytarpheta cayennensis Urticaceae
103 Stoechas rotundifolia Lamiaceae
104 Tephrosia gorgonea Fabaceae
105 Tithymalus tuckeyanus Euphorbiaceae
106 Tolpis farinulosa Asteraceae
107 Tolpis glandulifera Asteraceae
108 Tornabenea annua Apiaceae
109 Tornabenea bischoffii Apiaceae
110 Tornabenea humilis Apiaceae
111 Tornabenea insularis Apiaceae
112 Tornabenea tenuissima Apiaceae
113 Umbilicus schmidtii Crassulaceae
114 Verbascum caboverdeanum Scrophulariaceae
115 Verbascum capitis-viridis Scrophulariaceae
116 Verbascum cystolithicum Scrophulariaceae

Extinct flora

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Species Family
Stachytarpheta fallax Verbenaceae
Habenaria petromedusa Orchidaceae

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Cape Verde Islands". Birdlife International. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
  2. ^ Aisling Irwin; Colum Wilson (25 March 2009). Cape Verde Islands. Bradt Travel Guides. pp. 38–41. ISBN 978-1-84162-276-7. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
  3. ^ a b "Cape Verde". Living National Treasures. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
  4. ^ a b c d "Cape Verde Islands dry forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
  5. ^ a b c "Cape Verde:Plant and animal life". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
  6. ^ "Biodiversity and Protected Areas – Cape Verde" (PDF). Earthtrends countryprofiles. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 January 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
  7. ^ The Cape Verde Islands // Sociedade Caboverdiana de Zoologia

Sources

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Further reading

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  • Brochmann, C., Rustan, O. H., Lobin, W. & Kilian, N. 1997. The endemic vascular plants of the Cape Verde Islands, W Africa. Sommerfeltia, 24: 1-356. (in English)
  • Isildo Gomes et al., Endemic plants and indigenous trees of the Cape Verde islands, Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Fishery and the Projects "Conservation and Exploration of the Natural Resources on the Island Fogo" (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeitand) and « Conservation of Biodiversity », 2003, p. 36
  • Duarte, M. C., Rego, F., Romeiras, M. M. & Moreira, I. 2008. Plant species richness in the Cape Verde Islands — eco-geographical determinants. Biodiversity and Conservation, 17: 453–466. (in English)
  • Sunding, P. 1973. Endemism in the flora of the Cape Verde Islands, with special emphasis on the macaronesian flora elements. Monogr. Biol. Canar. 4: 112–117. (in English)
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