Echium wildpretii
Encyclopedia
Echium wildpretii is an herbaceous
biennial plant
that grows up to 3 m in height. The species is endemic to the island of Tenerife
, and is found mainly in Las Cañadas del Teide
. The common names are tower of jewels, red bugloss
, Tenerife bugloss or Mount Teide bugloss. The Spanish word for this plant is tajinaste.
zone of the ravines of Mount Teide
. It requires a lot of sun and is found in arid and dry conditions, but it tolerates frost down to -5 C.
of leaves during the first year and an erect inflorescence
between 1 and 3 m tall in the second year, and then dies, as is the case for monocarpic
plants.
ornamental but is intolerant of low temperatures. As are most buglosses, it is favoured by bee-keepers
for its high nectar and pollen
content.
Herbaceous plant
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
biennial plant
Biennial plant
A biennial plant is a flowering plant that takes two years to complete its biological lifecycle. In the first year the plant grows leaves, stems, and roots , then it enters a period of dormancy over the colder months. Usually the stem remains very short and the leaves are low to the ground, forming...
that grows up to 3 m in height. The species is endemic to the island of Tenerife
Tenerife
Tenerife is the largest and most populous island of the seven Canary Islands, it is also the most populated island of Spain, with a land area of 2,034.38 km² and 906,854 inhabitants, 43% of the total population of the Canary Islands. About five million tourists visit Tenerife each year, the...
, and is found mainly in Las Cañadas del Teide
Teide
Mount Teide , is a volcano on Tenerife, Canary Islands. Its summit is the highest point in Spain, the highest point above sea level in the islands of the Atlantic, and it is the third highest volcano in the world measured from its base on the ocean floor, after Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea located in...
. The common names are tower of jewels, red bugloss
Bugloss
Bugloss is a name used for several plants in the borage family :*Barrelier's bugloss *Bugloss or small bugloss *Bugloss fiddleneck...
, Tenerife bugloss or Mount Teide bugloss. The Spanish word for this plant is tajinaste.
Habitat
The plant grows in the subalpineSubalpine
The subalpine zone is the biotic zone immediately below tree line around the world. Species that occur in this zone depend on the location of the zone on the Earth, for example, Snow Gum in Australia, or Subalpine Larch, Mountain Hemlock and Subalpine Fir in western North America.Trees in the...
zone of the ravines of Mount Teide
Teide
Mount Teide , is a volcano on Tenerife, Canary Islands. Its summit is the highest point in Spain, the highest point above sea level in the islands of the Atlantic, and it is the third highest volcano in the world measured from its base on the ocean floor, after Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea located in...
. It requires a lot of sun and is found in arid and dry conditions, but it tolerates frost down to -5 C.
Description
It is a biennial, producing a dense rosetteRosette (botany)
In botany, a rosette is a circular arrangement of leaves, with all the leaves at a single height.Though rosettes usually sit near the soil, their structure is an example of a modified stem.-Function:...
of leaves during the first year and an erect inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
between 1 and 3 m tall in the second year, and then dies, as is the case for monocarpic
Monocarpic
Monocarpic plants are those that flower, set seeds and then die. Other terms with the same meaning are hapaxanth and semelparous. The term was first used by Alphonse de Candolle....
plants.
Uses
This plant can be found as a gardenGarden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
ornamental but is intolerant of low temperatures. As are most buglosses, it is favoured by bee-keepers
Beekeeping
Beekeeping is the maintenance of honey bee colonies, commonly in hives, by humans. A beekeeper keeps bees in order to collect honey and other products of the hive , to pollinate crops, or to produce bees for sale to other beekeepers...
for its high nectar and pollen
Pollen
Pollen is a fine to coarse powder containing the microgametophytes of seed plants, which produce the male gametes . Pollen grains have a hard coat that protects the sperm cells during the process of their movement from the stamens to the pistil of flowering plants or from the male cone to the...
content.