''Arbutus canariensis'', known in Spanish as ''madroño canario'', is a species of shrub or tree in the heath family. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

to the

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, :es:Canarias, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

, specifically

Tenerife Tenerife (; ; formerly spelled ''Teneriffe'') is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands. It is home to 43% of the total population of the Archipelago, archipelago. With a land area of and a population of 978,100 inhabitant ...

La Gomera La Gomera () is one of Spain's Canary Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. With an area of , it is the third smallest of the eight main islands of this archipelago. It belongs to the province of Santa Cruz de Tene ...

Gran Canaria Gran Canaria (, ; ), also Grand Canary Island, is the third-largest and second-most-populous island of the Canary Islands, an archipelago off the Atlantic coast of Northwest Africa which is part of Spain. the island had a population of that ...

El Hierro El Hierro, nicknamed ''Isla del Meridiano'' (the "Meridian Island"), is the second-smallest and farthest-south and -west of the Canary Islands (an autonomous community of Spain), in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa, with a populatio ...

, and

La Palma La Palma (, ), also known as ''La isla bonita'' () and officially San Miguel de La Palma, is the most north-westerly island of the Canary Islands, Spain. La Palma has an area of making it the fifth largest of the eight main Canary Islands. The ...

. It is threatened by

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

Hybrids

''Arbutus'' x ''thuretiana'' Demoly is a hybrid between ''A. canariensis'' and '' A. andrachne''. Named after Gustave Thuret, it is naturalised at

Jardin botanique de la Villa Thuret The Jardin botanique de la Villa Thuret () is a renowned botanical garden located on the grounds of the Villa Thuret, 90, chemin Raymond, Antibes Juan-les-Pins, Alpes-Maritimes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France. It is open weekdays without ...

. ''A.'' x ''thuretiana'' is renowned for its perfectly smooth, reddish-brown bark, exfoliating in the spring to show a new, surprisingly pistachio-green bark, which gradually darkens and turns reddish again.

Gallery

File:Arbutus canariensis (Jardín Botánico Canario Viera y Clavijo).jpg, Foliage File:Arbutus canariensis kz7.JPG, Flowers File:Arbutus canariensis kz03.jpg, Fruits File:Arbutus canariensis kz4.JPG, Bark File:Arbutus x thuretiana2-Clapiers-7636~2020 03 23.jpg, Flowers of the hybrid ''Arbutus'' x ''thuretiana''

References

External links

Wildscreen ArkiveNational Arboretum Canberra (Australia), ''Arbutus canariensis'', Canary Madrone
photos and informal information

photos * ttp://tropical.theferns.info/image.php?id=Arbutus+canariensis Useful Tropical Plants, ''Arbutus canariensis'' Imageshigh-quality photos canariensis Endemic flora of the Canary Islands Trees of Africa Trees of Mediterranean climate Vulnerable flora of Africa Plants described in 1800 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Ericaceae-stub