Cistus chinamadensis | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Malvales |
Family: | Cistaceae |
Genus: | Cistus |
Species: | C. chinamadensis |
Binomial name | |
Cistus chinamadensis Bañares & P.Romero [2] | |
Cistus chinamadensis is a shrubby species of flowering plant in the family Cistaceae, with purple-pink flowers, first described in 1991. It is endemic to the Canary Islands, where three subspecies occur on three separate islands (Tenerife, La Gomera and El Hierro). The species has been assessed as endangered in the IUCN Red List, being known only from small separated areas and facing a variety of threats.
Cistus chinamadensis is a shrub, usually 25–70 cm (10 in – 2 ft 4 in) tall. The woody stems have dark brown bark that easily frays and strips off. The upper branches have a dense velvety covering of fine hairs (indumentum), beige to off-white in colour. The oppositely arranged leaves are light green (in subsp. gomerae) or greyish green (in subsp. chinamadensis), around 4.5–8.5 cm (1.8–3.3 in) long by 2.3–3 cm (0.9–1.2 in) wide, with a pointed tip. The leaves have three prominent veins. Opposite pairs of leaves are joined at the base by a 1 cm (0.4 in) long sheath, the outside of which is furrowed and the inside covered in hairs (as is the outside in subsp. gomerae). The upper sides of the leaves are more-or-less smooth, the lower sides rough and reticulate, to a varying degree between the subspecies. [3]
The flowers are arranged in open, slightly branched cymes, with 4–8 flowers to each inflorescence. The sepals have a short tooth, up to 3 mm (0.1 in) long, at the apex and are of two distinct sizes. Two outer sepals are around 7–9 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long by 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide; three inner sepals are considerably larger, around 12–15 mm (0.5–0.6 in) long by 9–12 mm (0.4–0.5 in) wide. The petals are pink with yellowish bases, more-or-less rounded, about 2.5 cm (1.0 in) long and wide. The yellow stamens are somewhat shorter than the sepals. The ovary is 4–5 mm (0.2–0.2 in) high, topped by a style about 9–12 mm (0.4–0.5 in) long. In its native habitat, C. chinamadenis flowers in May and produces seeds in June to July. [3]
Cistus chinamadensis was first described in 1991 by Ángel Bañares Baudet and Pedro Romero Manrique. [2] The species was first found at Roque de los Pinos near to the village of Chinamada in the Anaga region of Tenerife; [3] hence the specific epithet chinamadensis meaning "from Chinamada". Two subspecies were initially described, C. chinamadensis subsp. chinamadensis and C. ch. subsp. gomerae. [3] In 2005 a further subspecies, C. ch. subsp. ombriosus, was described by Jean-Pierre Demoly and M. Marrero. [4]
A 2011 molecular phylogenetic study placed C. chinamadensis as a member of the purple and pink flowered clade of Cistus species, along with some other Canary Island endemics ( Cistus asper , Cistus horrens , Cistus ocreatus , and Cistus symphytifolius ), although the three subspecies did not form a clade, with some analyses separating C. ch. subsp. ombriosus in particular from the other two subspecies. [5]
Species-level cladogram of Cistus species. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Species-level cladogram of Cistus species, based on plastid and nuclear DNA sequences. [5] [6] [7] [8] |
Cistus chinamadensis is endemic to the Canary Islands. The three subspecies are found on different islands: C. ch. subsp. chinamadensis in the north of Tenerife in three locations in the Anaga region at altitudes of around 400–700 m (1,300–2,300 ft); [1] [3] C. ch. subsp. gomerae in one natural location and several introduced locations in La Gomera at around 1,000–1,300 m (3,300–4,300 ft); [1] [3] and C. ch. subsp. ombriosus in one location in El Hierro at 1,250 m (4,100 ft). [1] [5]
In 2011 when its status was assessed as "endangered" according to the IUCN Red List criteria, Cistus chinamadensis was known from seven locations in the Canary Islands. C. ch. ssp. chinamadensis from Tenerife was present in three locations; its population appeared to be stable or increasing. C. ch. ssp. gomerae from La Gomera was found in two natural locations and has since been introduced to four others. Its range appeared to be decreasing. C. ch. subsp. ombriosus from El Hierro was present in a single location with an area of about 1 km2 (0.4 sq mi). Threats to the species include a variety of natural hazards, such as landslides, fires and drought, and biological hazards, such as grazing. [1]
The Cistaceae are a small family of plants known for their beautiful shrubs, which are profusely covered by flowers at the time of blossom. This family consists of about 170(-200) species in nine genera that are not very distinct, distributed primarily in the temperate areas of Europe and the Mediterranean basin, but also found in North America; a limited number of species are found in South America. Most Cistaceae are subshrubs and low shrubs, and some are herbaceous. They prefer dry and sunny habitats. Cistaceae grow well on poor soils, and many of them are cultivated in gardens.
Cistus is a genus of flowering plants in the rockrose family Cistaceae, containing about 20 species. They are perennial shrubs found on dry or rocky soils throughout the Mediterranean region, from Morocco and Portugal through to the Middle East, and also on the Canary Islands.
Cistus creticus is a species of shrubby plant in the family Cistaceae. Though it usually has pink flowers, of 4.5–5 cm diameter, this species is very variable. It is widely known as a decorative plant. It is frequently called "Cistus incanus".
Cistus ladanifer is a species of flowering plant in the family Cistaceae. It is native to the western Mediterranean region. Common names include gum rockrose, labdanum, common gum cistus, and brown-eyed rockrose.
Cistus salviifolius, common names sage-leaved rock-rose, salvia cistus or Gallipoli rose, is a shrub of the family Cistaceae.
Cistus monspeliensis is a species of rockrose known by the common name Montpellier cistus. It is native to southern Europe and northern Africa, in the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub ecosystems of matorral—maquis shrublands.
Aeonium urbicum is a succulent species of flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae. It is endemic to Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands, where it grows on the north of the island from Teno point to the Anaga peninsula. Until 1999, it was also considered a resident of La Gomera, another Canary Island, but that year the populations on that island were considered a new species and named Aeonium appendiculatum.
Cistus albidus, the grey-leaved cistus, is a shrubby species of flowering plant in the family Cistaceae, with pink to purple flowers, native to south-western Europe and western north Africa.
Cistus asper is a shrubby species of flowering plant in the family Cistaceae with purple-pink flowers. It was first described in 2005 and is endemic to El Hierro in the Canary Islands.
Cistus clusii is a shrubby species of flowering plant in the family Cistaceae, with white flowers, native to south west and south central Europe and north Africa. It has been wrongly called Cistus libanotis by many authors.
Cistus crispus is a shrubby species of flowering plant in the family Cistaceae, with pink to purple flowers, native to south-western Europe and western north Africa.
Cistus heterophyllus is a shrubby species of flowering plant in the family Cistaceae.
Cistus horrens is a shrubby species of flowering plant in the family Cistaceae, with purple to pink flowers. It is endemic to Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands. First described as a species in 2004, it was previously identified as Cistus symphytifolius, which it resembles.
Cistus inflatus is a shrubby species of flowering plant in the family Cistaceae, often known as Cistus psilosepalus, although this name is a synonym of the hybrid Cistus × laxus. It has white flowers.
Cistus libanotis is a shrubby species of flowering plant in the family Cistaceae, with white flowers. It has been confused with Cistus clusii, which it resembles, resulting in some uncertainty in its distribution. It is endemic to the Iberian Peninsula.
Cistus munbyi is a shrubby species of flowering plant in the family Cistaceae, with white flowers. Related to and resembling Cistus clusii, it is native to Morocco and Algeria in western north Africa.
Cistus ocreatus is a shrubby species of flowering plant in the family Cistaceae, with purple-pink flowers. It is sometimes treated as synonymous with Cistus symphytifolius or as its subspecies C. symphytifolius subsp. leucophyllus. Its name is sometimes spelt Cistus ochreatus. It is endemic to Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands.
Cistus osbeckiifolius is a shrubby species of flowering plant in the family Cistaceae, with pink to purple flowers.
Cistus parviflorus is a shrubby species of flowering plant in the family Cistaceae.
Cistus symphytifolius is a shrubby species of flowering plant in the family Cistaceae. It is endemic to the Canary Islands".