Canary Islands Candle-Plant

kleinia neriifolia

The Canary Islands Candle-Plant is an iconic succulent shrub endemic to the Canary Islands archipelago. Looking remarkably like a desert candelabra, this resilient plant is a prime example of convergent evolution, adapting to arid volcanic landscapes by mimicking the appearance of unrelated cacti or spurges. Belonging to the daisy family, it spends the hot, dry summer months in a dormant state, dropping all its leaves to conserve water. This leaves behind naked, sausage-shaped branches that resemble pale green candles. When the autumn rains arrive, the plant quickly springs to life, crowning its branches with narrow, lance-shaped leaves and clusters of fragrant, pale yellow-green blossoms.

Lebensraum: Found on dry, rocky volcanic slopes, cliffs, and arid coastal scrub zones across the Canary Islands, often growing alongside succulent Euphorbia species.

Aussehen

This deciduous succulent shrub typically grows between 1 and 3 meters tall, displaying thick, cylindrical, grayish-green branches that are highly jointed and marked with distinctive scars from fallen leaves. During its active winter growing season, clusters of long, narrow, lanceolate leaves form at the tips of the branches. In late summer and autumn, terminal clusters of small, brush-like, tubular white-to-yellow flowers appear, which later mature into fluffy, dandelion-like seed heads designed for wind dispersal.

ReichPlantaeStammTracheophytaKlasseMagnoliopsidaOrdnungAsteralesFamilieAsteraceaeGattungKleinia

Canary Islands Candle-Plant

Kategorie

Pflanzen

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

Despite looking like a cactus or a succulent spurge, this plant is actually a member of the daisy and sunflower family (Asteraceae).

Its sap is a thick, sticky latex that was historically used in traditional island medicine, although it can cause skin irritation.

The scientific species name 'neriifolia' translates to 'oleander-leaved', referring to the lance-like shape of its foliage.

Besondere Fähigkeiten

Drops all of its leaves during the arid summer months to drastically reduce moisture loss through transpiration.

Utilizes chlorophyll within its thick, fleshy green stems to perform photosynthesis even when completely leafless.

Stores significant volumes of water within its thick, articulated branches to survive prolonged periods of drought.

Maße und Details

Länge: 100-300 cm
Lebenserwartung: 30-100 Jahre

Ernährung und Fütterung

As a photosynthetic plant, it manufactures its own sugars using sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water, supplemented by minerals absorbed from volcanic soil.

Hauptnahrung

Sunlight
Carbon Dioxide
Water
Volcanic Minerals

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

mutualism

Canary Island Bumblebee

Bombus canariensis

Pollinated by this endemic bee species during the plant's autumn flowering period.

eaten by

Gallot's Lizard

Gallotia galloti

Feeds on the fallen leaves and yellow flowers, occasionally assisting in seed dispersal.

competitor

Canary Island Spurge

Euphorbia canariensis

Grows alongside this plant as a dominant competitor in the xerophytic cardonal-tabaibal plant communities.

Merkmale

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Sicherheit

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Noch keine besonderen Sicherheitshinweise.

Häufig gestellte Fragen

Wie identifiziert man Canary Islands Candle-Plant?

Der einfachste Weg, Canary Islands Candle-Plant zu bestimmen, ist die Verwendung der Naturführer-App Snappit.

Was ist der/die/das länge von Canary Islands Candle-Plant?

100-300 cm

Was ist der/die/das lebenserwartung von Canary Islands Candle-Plant?

30-100 Jahre

Was frisst Canary Islands Candle-Plant?

As a photosynthetic plant, it manufactures its own sugars using sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water, supplemented by minerals absorbed from volcanic soil.

Wo findet man Canary Islands Candle-Plant normalerweise?

Found on dry, rocky volcanic slopes, cliffs, and arid coastal scrub zones across the Canary Islands, often growing alongside succulent Euphorbia species.