From La Graciosa to Fuerteventura

Succulent Plants of the Eastern Canaries (Pt. 1)

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/TournamentEarth/ Jeff Schmaltz LANCE/EOSDIS MODIS Rapid Response Team, GSFC To give a scale: La Graciosa is the Münster smallest Canarian Island with only 9 km length. It has only been coun- Essen ted as an indepen- dent island since Düsseldorf 2018. With almost 100 km length, Fuerte- Köln ventura is the second biggest island of the Aachen Canaries. These three islands are the oldest and driest of the Canaries.

During the ice age they were also connected to form a single island due to the lower sea level. Thereby, there are some common features of it’s flora. But even on the driest islands from time to time there is some rain.

I managed to get three cloudbursts during my one- day hike on La Graciosa! Not too many tourists will have experienced this before … But they lasted only a short time, and soon the inflorescences of Euphorbia regis- jubae shine again in the sun. Remarkably large specimens of Zygophyllum fontanesii grow in sandy places on the east coast. Again and again there are speci- mens of Senecio kleinia in the open vegetation. The scenery of the Playa de las Conchas looks perfect. But one should not go swimming here - the currents are much too dangerous. So we botanise a little and come across the beach spurge Euphorbia paralias. No, it's not a jogger at the beach, it's an amazingly brave Canarian pipit Anthus berthelotii. Passing the strikingly colored volcanic stump La Aguja Grande, the round trip leads back to Caleta del Sebo, the only permanently inhabited village on the island. With its unpaved roads, the town could also be in Africa... But for the handful of cars on the island, these roads are completely sufficient.

The ferry port, the only connection to the rest of the world, also belongs to the village. Back in we stop at the north coast at a small strip of bright white sand with pitch black lava clumps, the Caleta del Mojón Blanco. Cactus friends of my local branch had recommended this almost surreal landscape to me.

A great tip! We already know the beach spurge Euphorbia para- lias from La Graciosa. Looks like a succulent, but is a “bluff package": The apparently thick leaves of Senecio leuc- anthemifolius actually have only downward rolled leaf margins. A real succulent is Polycarpaea nivea. However, it’s showing a quite limited blossom splendour only ... Other than this, the north of Lan- zarote shows a less barren aspect. A small mountain range provides that the few clowds accu- mulate a little here and bring some rain every now and then. Here, the village Haría is located in the so called ‘Valley of 1000 palms'. On a slope in the surroundings of Haría the only forest of the eastern is growing. Actually it is only a small group of pines. Where the soil is somewhat rockier, larger stands of Aeonium lancerot- tense thrive. The species often grows together with the widely spread Euphorbia regis-jubae and Senecio kleinia. One can see that the plants here must be well supplied.

Further south we will see that it's not the same everywhere... We also do not ignore non-succu- lent species. Here, for example, the arum plant Arisa- rum vulgare ssp. simorrhinum. Those who visit Lanzarote cannot miss the numerous and omnipresent works of César Manrique, a contemporary of Picasso, from wind chimes on roundabouts to his house in a lava tube. In his installations he often worked with succulents or used them as motifs. This is especially true of the Jardín de Cactus, which he created in an abandoned quarry. Beside the "usual suspects" ... … there are also unexpected rari- ties, … … or simply beautiful, well- kept specimens in sizes rarely seen in our collections, ... … very rarely seen in our collections ... ;-) More than 200 different succu- lents are said to have been planted, and the specialist garde- ners also know their names. So maybe you should ask! You will even encounter the plants where you least expect them! And on equal terms for Señoras … and Caballeros … In the surrounding area cacti must work properly: Here there are still large fields of Opuntia ficus- indica. The operating instructions are available in a tavern. Most of the remaining island has a completely different character: Although the island is more than 20 million years old, in the 18th century, a 6- year series of volcanic eruptions completely devastated the country here. This results in several hundreds of volcanic craters and bizarre, al- most vegetation- free landscapes covered either by lava flows or by fine lapilli material. The biggest part is under strict protection and is not allowed to enter. In the accessible area outside the Timanfaya National Park, it is worthwhile to make a round trip to the Caldera Blanca, the conspicuously bright volcanic crater in the background of the picture. A first view into the crater interior. The further way leads clockwise over the crater rim. The gentle ascent takes you over solid rock. Only very occasio- nally plant life can survive here, in this case a sun- flower Helianthe- mum canariense with a visitor.. Below the highest point of the crater roundabout a sur- prising discovery: A cushion of the Crassulacea grows here facing north, Aichryson tortuo- sum. Apart from some morning or eve- ning sun there is only shade - but also aridity. In any case, it's a growing site with a view that's hard to beat, right? Some Euphorbia regis-jubae can also survive here. The lava flows in the plains are mostly only covered with lichens. But in some places we also meet Aeo- nium lancerot- tense. The populations again consist of many individuals, but these are much smaller than in the north of the island. I know of no other Aeonium that can withstand such extreme living conditions. As is so often the case, "suffering" succulents, with their more compact growth form and stronger colouring, seem much more attractive to us than those that grow under more favourable conditions... I have not yet experienced the flowering of Aeo- nium lancerotten- se in the wild.

Here the picture of a plant in cultivation.

(Foto © Thomas Brand) The lapilli-covered areas near La Gería are littered with man-made funnels where wine and figs are grown. These species can reach the buried fertile soils at depth with their roots. The material is reminiscent of the pumice or lava granules in which many of us cultivate our plants. But in Lanzarote I have never found succulents on these soils. If it is only about succulents, La Graciosa and Lanzarote are certainly not the most rewarding destinations. But such a unique combination of fantastic land- scapes, plants in extreme places and last but not least art I do not know anywhere else. Comments, questions and hints are welcome, either under wolfgang. borgmann(at)gmx.net or in the DKG forum (https://www.kuas-forum.de/viewtopic.php?f=91&t=4555&p=33169&sid=c76a2575ca87d1b527dbf694bbe7322b#p33169).