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Susanne Lipps

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Oliver Breda Edition

A Botanical Pocket Guide with 166 Descriptions of Selected and Typical Plants on Madeira and the most Beautiful Gardens

A Botanical Melting Pot!

Madeira

Flora at the Roadside:

Flowers, Herbs, Trees,

Crops and Fruits

Flora at the Roadside:

Flowers, Herbs, Trees,

Crops and Fruits

Madeira - A Botanical Melting Pot!

Madeira definitely deserves its cognomen “Flower Island”. You will find plants from all regions of the earth growing in a very confined space. Wherever you go you will be surrounded by numerous familiar and unfamiliar plants. The botanical guide “Madeira - A Botanical Melting Pot!” contains plant descriptions that are organized in six typical groups: plants in gardens and parks, vegetation in coastal areas, flora of cultivated land and along the levadas, vegetation of the laurisilva forest, flora of the mountains and typical useful plants - altogether descriptions of 166 species, accompanied by colour photographs. You get to know interesting pieces of information that are directly or indirectly linked with the plant in question. Moreover there are enumerated these sites on Madeira where you may surely find them. The last chapter is dedicated to the island’s most beautiful gardens and parks; there you find information about the history of each garden, a detailed description and supplementary facts about opening hours, prices and how to get there by bus or by rented car.

Oliver Breda Edition

ISBN 978-3-938282-10-6

Madeira

A Botanical

Melting Pot!

Oliver Breda Edition

Susanne Lipps

Madeira

A Botanical Melting Pot!

Oliver Breda Edition

The Author

Dr. Susanne Lipps is successful author of a number of travel and walk-ing guides about Madeira, the Canary Islands, Spain and Portugal. After having studied Geography, Geology and Botany in Marburg (Germany), she graduated in 1985. Since 1988 she works as tour guide and freelance author and travels regularly to the island of Madeira.

All items in this book have been carefully enquired and checked to the best of our knowledge. The use of this book is at one’s owne risk. Author and publisher will not assume any liability for possible damages or prejudices of any kind.

Legal Notice

Layout: Günther Roeder, Oliver Breda

Photographs: Susanne Lipps, Oliver Breda

Type set in TheSans from LucasFonts

Production: Druckerei Hellendoorn, Bad Bentheim

Translation: Daniela Overkamp

www.bredaverlag.de

ISBN 978-3-938282-10-6 (ebook edition)

ISBN 978-3-938282-09-0 (print edition)

No part of this publication may be reproduced, recorded or processed by means of electronic systems without the prior permission of the publisher.

Table of Contents

The Author 6

Legal Notice 6

Table of Contents 7

Introduction 8

Hints for the Usage of this Book 9

In the Gardens 11

Vegetation in Coastal Areas 61

Along the Levadas 89

In the Laurel Forest 119

On Cliffs and in the Mountains 157

Crops and Fruits 171

Gardens and Parks 189

Introduction

Madeira definitely deserves its cognomen “Flower Island”. In a very confined space there are growing plants from all regions of the earth. Wherever you go numerous plants, both known and unknown will surround you. The botanical guide “Madeira- A Botanical Melting Pot!” is directed to everyone who visits the island and is interested in its flora. The format of the book was chosen to make it possible for everybody to carry it with him/her without being bothered.

Arriving on Madeira you will probably experience the sumptuous flora for the first time in the hotel garden. In the following days you can visit the numerous parks that are all well worth seeing. Colourful plants, most of them native to the tropics, thrive in all of them.

Definitely worth visiting regions with particular vegetation are to be found along the coast. You will find a more inconspicuous but nevertheless interesting flora. Outside the towns the indigenous flora is often well preserved and mixed with numerous foreign species from distant lands.

Eye-catching hotchpotches of different plants are to be found along the famous irrigation channels (levadas) and tiny terrace fields. Strollers and hikers will encounter exotic tropical and subtropical plants next to familiar ones that also grow in British

and Central European gardens

In contrast to the vegetation form described earlier, the laurel forest has remained a nearly unspoiled jungle. Apart from the various members of the Laurel family you will encounter numerous trees, shrubs and herbs that have adapted to the humid conditions. Ferns, mosses and lichens give this biotope its somehow primeval appearance. Hikers find a network of paths in the laurel forest.

Rocks characterize the bleak landscape in the centre of the island where you will find heath forests and moors. A sparse, alpine flora populates both steep rocks around the highest mountain peaks and rocky sites at lower altitudes. Finally we should not forget the useful plants that are cultivated on Madeira. Many tropical fruits are grown and sold on the markets. Bananas and sugar cane are of special importance. Apparently familiar plants present themselves in different forms on Madeira.

All in all you will experience the abundance of most different plants on Madeira yourself when you visit the island. The plants that are described in this book can thus only be a selection, completeness can not be claimed. Anyway there are indicated most of the plants that you will encounter during your holiday on Madeira.

We wish you a pleasant stay!

Susanne Lipps and Oliver Breda

Hints for the Usage of this Book

The botanical guide “Madeira- A Botanical Melting Pot!” contains plant descriptions that are organized in six typical groups. The chosen order corresponds to the order in which the visitor will probably encounter the respective flora: exotic plants introduced from tropical and subtropical countries in gardens and parks, wild growing vegetation in coastal areas, flora of cultivated land and along irrigation channels (levadas), vegetation of the laurisilva / laurel forest, flora in the mountains and on rock faces, typical useful plants.

There may be plants that cannot be clearly assigned to one of the chapters. They will be described with the vegetation form that is their most typical habitat. In order to not oversize the book you will not find descriptions neither of plants that were introduced to Madeira from Europe (maples, oaks, firs) nor of ornamental plants that are commonly known (geranium, narcissus, etc.)

Within the different chapters the plants are organized from big to small. The details about the bloom time are guidelines. The climate on Madeira is very uniform; thus it is possible that several specimens of various species bloom at all times of the year (especially in years with an unusual weather development). You should be able to clearly identify the plants on the basis

of the images and the pieces of information that are given about their characteristics, even if you don’t have any special botanical knowledge. The site details offer information about sites where you can easily encounter the respective plants. The plant descriptions are completed with interesting facts that are directly or indirectly linked with the plant in question.

The last chapter is dedicated to Madeira’s most beautiful parks. There you find information about the history of each garden, a detailed description and supplementary facts about opening hours, prices and how to get there by bus or by rented car.

You will need a map of the island to find the parks and the sites that are indicated within the plant descriptions. Tour operators and hotels hand out general maps and a map of Funchal to their guests. It is also available free of charge in the tourist offices and will do for gaining a first overview. The Walking map of Madeira 1:50000 by Goldstadt is more detailed and also suited as a road map. It is available in many Madeiran bookstores.

The detailed register lists the botanical denomination and the common English names of the plants. In public parks and gardens, many plants are labelled with the botanical denomination; thus it will not be difficult to find already identified plants in the book.

In the Gardens

Madeira’s cognomen “Flower Island” is due to the tropical and subtropical flora that thrives in the gardens and parks and decorates avenues, roadsides and promenades. The cultivated plants were imported from all over the world and impress either with their outstanding flowers or with their conspicuous shape. The less spectacular endemic flora is only scarcely represented in the gardens. Exceptions prove the rule (e. g. the decorative dragon tree, the sumptuous endemic viper’s buglosses, Canary marguerites and Madeira stork’s bills). In the 16th century, Portuguese seafarers began to introduce plants from Africa, Asia and South America to Madeira that had been unknown in Europe until then. They intended to adapt the delicate, tropical species gradually to a chillier climate so that later they would be able to cultivate them outside in Portugal, e.g. in the royal gardens of Lisbon and Sintra. This aim was never achieved because many tropical plants do not tolerate temperatures of only several degrees above zero or lower. Anyway, Madeira’s flora was enriched. In the 18th and 19th century British wine merchants mostly impressed the island, both economically and culturally. They also imported numerous exotic plants. They used to construct villas at more dizzy altitudes of 500-700 m (550-765 yd.) where the climate

is less sultry than in the coastal areas and vied with each other to collect botanical rarities from all continents. They introduced mostly subtropical plants from South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Japan to Madeira and sometimes from there to England. Many trees and shrubs originate in the more moderate climate zones of North America and thrive in gardens at higher altitudes.

Today both public authorities and private people continue the traditional garden culture. Every roadside and every traffic island is carefully planted with Oleander, Sword Aloe, Agapanthus and Hydrangea. All plants flower at different times of the year. Thus the visitor always feels like being “on a swimming garden in the middle of the Atlantic”. Every garden, whether big or small, is well tended by its owner. The most beautiful plantings are valued with prices and honours in all villages. Many ornamental plants that are also known in Central and West Europe nowadays, are decorating kitchen gardens (e.g. fuchsias, freesias, geraniums and petunias). A multitude of gardeners is continually working for the care and the (re)planting of plants in the big parks that are open to the public. Mostly at these sites people fond of botany will find magnificent trees, shrubs and flowering plants from tropical and subtropical countries.

In the Gardens

Australian Tree Fern,

Cooper’s Tree Fern

Sphaeropteris cooperi

Bloom time

None

Characteristics

The giant fern produces a thin trunk that grows up to 9 m (10 yd.) tall and thus reminds of a palm tree. The fronds branch from the top of the trunk; they are remarkably longer than 1 m (3,3‘) and bipinnate. You will easily observe scars on the trunk’s bark; they derive from elder fronds that have already fallen off.

Site:

Cooper’s Tree Fern is cultivated in moist regions up to an altitude of 800 m (875 yd.). It is frequently found in shady ravines as in the “Inferno” in Palheiro Gardens. Some remarkable specimens can also be found in the region of Ribeiro Frio, along the Levada da Serra superior to Camacha and on the central square of Camacha.

Interesting to know:

Cooper’s Tree Fern is native to Australia. Nowadays it has spread worldwide through tropical and subtropical regions because of its highly decorating character. Although you only find slight variations there are known about 900 species of tree ferns. They grow in mountain forests mainly on the southern hemisphere. To grow well they require a stable climate with a constantly high humidity and without frost. The trunks do no consist of wood; they are tubes that are supported by the surrounding stalks and aerial roots.

In the Gardens

King Sago Palm

Cycas revoluta

Bloom time

All year round.

Characteristics

The King Sago Palm looks like a crossbreed between a fern and a palm but only grows up to 3 m (10‘) tall. The trunk is sturdy and scaly. The fronds reach a length of about 2 m (6,6‘). In the centre of the crown are growing the plant’s brown blooms: female specimens develop a woolly hemisphere, males a cone.

Site:

On Madeira you will find the King Sago Palm in various gardens, mainly in regions at an altitude of 300-600 m (330-655 yd.). An impressing collection of Cycas, including a variety of other species than the King Sago Palm, is to be found in the Jardim Tropical Monte Palace(192).

Interesting to know:

Cycas are very old representatives of flowering plants. They already existed in the days of the dinosaurs, approx. 200 million years ago and thus are frequently referred to as “living fossils”. Today the majority of the 185 known species is threatened with extinction. The King Sago Palm, native to South-East Asia, is especially resistant and can even be grown in Mediterranean regions. Younger specimens are popular as houseplants. All Cycas are toxic. The seed of the King Sago Palm only becomes edible by roasting or drying it.

Norfolk Island Pine (middle-left)

Araucaria excelsa

Bloom time

March and April.

Characteristics

The Norfolk Island Pine is a giant conifer that can reach a height superior to 50 m (55 yd.). At each level, six branches emerge nearly horizontally from the trunk. The quite long distance between the various branch levels produces the picture of a relatively sparse crown.

Site:

The Norfolk Island Pine grows in many parks up to an altitude of 600 m (655 yd.); as a decorative specimen tree it often towers above all other plants. It is frequently cultivated next to the Bunya Pine (Araucaria bidwillii); this tree reaches a similar height but is characterized by a rounded off crown (right side of the picture).

Interesting to know:

Initially the genus Araucaria was restricted to the southern hemisphere. Two of its species are native to South America; the remaining 16 species are native to Australia and the South-West Pacific. The Norfolk Island Pine’s natural habitat is Norfolk Island (Pacific Ocean, east of Australia). Today it is cultivated as an ornamental plant in parks in regions with a warm and humid climate. The high demand of wooden masts in times of giant sailing ships helped this species with its very straight growing trunk to spread worldwide.

In the Gardens

Blue Lawson’s Cypress

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana

Bloom time

April and May.

Characteristics

3-10 m (3-11 yd.) high, the light green conifer is known for growing evenly and conically. Younger specimens develop their needles right above the ground; elder specimens develop a short trunk. The inflorescences are inconspicuous and barely to be noticed. The spherical cones are slightly blue.

Site:

The Blue Lawson’s Cypress flourishes in all regions at 600-1300 m (655-1420 yd.) altitude that are the natural habitat of the laurel forest. You will find various specimens both in the parks (e.g. Quinta do Santo da Serra, 196) and along the roadside. Moreover it grows in exotic collections of trees that have been cultivated in projects by forest management services (e.g. lining the road from the Poiso pass to Ribeiro Frio).

Interesting to know:

This attractive conifer is native to North America, mainly to the northwest of the USA. There it grows in big populations and reaches a height up to 50 m (55 yd.). The conical or columnar species of these “false” cypresses are cultivated as ornamental plants in these regions that are not supported by the similar genuine cypresses. False cypresses are more resistant and grow faster. There have been grown more than 100 horticultural cultivars of Blue Lawson’s Cypress.

In the Gardens

Queensland Kauri

Agathis robusta

Bloom time

March.

Characteristics

The tree reaches a height of 10-20 m (11-22 yd.). Its crown is larger in height than in width. The tough leaves are slender and tapered and stick rigidly out from the twigs. The female blooms are light brown, longish and slightly curved cones that are shorter than the leaves. They disintegrate at maturity of the fruits.

Site:

The Queensland Kauri requires sunlight and warmth, thus you will mainly find it close to the southern coastal line. It barely grows in regions higher than 100 m (110 yd.) above sea level. It is frequently found in the parks and hotel gardens of Funchal and lines roads in the city centre; e.g. the Avenida do Mar or the Avenida do Infante.

Interesting to know:

The tree is native to Northeast Australia. Although seeming to resemble a deciduous tree, Queensland Kauri is a conifer and part of the Araucaria family. The natural habitats of the Araucariaceae can all be found on the southern hemisphere. Two species related to Queensland Kauri, the Borneo Kauri (Agathis dammara), native to the Philippines, and the New Zealand Kauri (Agathis australis), native to New Zealand, are providing wood and kauri resin. The amber-coloured, hard resin is for example used to produce varnishes.

In the Gardens

Weeping Fig

Ficus benjamina

Bloom time

All around the year.

Characteristics

The giant tree that may grow up to 20 m (22 yd.) tall can develop various trunks and spreading branches with aerial roots. The oval, tapered leaves are quite small and similar to amber leaves but dispose of a milky sap. The inconspicuous blooms develop fig-like, red fruits (Ø 1 cm (0,4‘‘)).

Site:

You will find the Weeping Fig in parks up to an altitude of 200 m (220 yd.) above sea lev-el. Either as a single tree or in groups it may decorate a square and provide shade simulta-neously (e.g. at Largo dos Milagres in Machico, at the viewpoint in Rua das Cruzes, close to the Quinta das Cruzes (Funchal)). It may also line avenues like the Avenida do Mar, Funchal.

Interesting to know:

The Weeping Fig is native to Malaysia; anyway it is cultivated today in many tropical and sub-tropical countries. Younger specimens are used as indoor trees in many Central European hous-es. It is closely related to the Indian Rubber Tree (Ficus elastica). The Common Fig Tree (Ficus carica), native to the Mediterranean region, is another representative of this species-rich ge-nus. Single specimens of the latter are cultivat-ed on Madeira as useful plants (mainly in the northeast close to Faial and São Roque do Faial).