Flowers on the volcano

Following yesterday's journey we have now arrived close to the summit of El Teide. The landscape is a vast expanse of bleak volcanic rock, including obsidian, phonolite and trachyte, which form when lava solidifies according to different physico-chemical criteria.

El Teide volcano

Teide's most recent eruption dates back to 1909, and some tremors have been recorded in 2004, indicating a dormant volcano may become active in a few years' time.

El Teide's 1909 eruption, live (photo stolen from here)

In any case, the plants seem quite happy about their choice of habitat. A large number of endemic species characterize Tenerife and many of these species are abundant high above the pine forest. The southern side of the Teide, in the Las Cañadas caldera, is a habitat known as subalpine scrub, dominated by shrubs of the legume Spartocystus supranubius L., together with bushes of the beautiful Pterocephalus lasiospermum Link.

dark green shrubs of Spartocystus supranubius L., with Pterocephalus lasiospermus Link in the foreground

Spartocystus supranubius L. with seed-pods

Pterocephalus lasiospermus Link

flowers of Pterocephalus lasiospermus Link

Amongst these one can also find the very interesting Cheirolophus teydis (C.Sm.) G.López, an endemic plant of Teide that is a very close relation of Malta's national (and also endemic) plant, Cheirolophus crassifolius (Bertoloni). Unfortunately all plants were only on the verge of flowering during this visit. Flowers of C. teydis are pale yellowish.

Cheirolophus teydis (C.Sm.) G.López

Adenocarpus viscosus (Willd.) Webb & Berthel. and several species of Echium are also very characteristic inhabitants of El Teide, characterizing landscapes with their yellow flowers and tall spikes respectively.

Adenocarpus viscosus (Willd.) Webb & Berthel.

Echium sp.

Echium sp. flowers

lycaenid butterfly resting on Echium sp.

Above the clouds of El Teide

The third largest volcano on earth (according to some sources, but not to others - it depends on how you go about measuring volcanoes) is found off West Africa, on Tenerife.

To see the majestic peak of this volcano, El Teide, one must traverse a height of about two kilometres of pine forest, dominated by the endemic Canarian pine Pinus canariensis C.Sm. This pine has developed an extraordinary way of utilizing the water available in the mist enveloping these forests - its leaves are tall and thin, allowing condensation of water droplets on their large surface area. This water trickles down, dropping into the soil and providing roots with much-needed hydration.

Pinus canariensis C.Sm., 2.5km up east El Teide

In some places, violent storms some years back have ripped the trees down, the trunks of which together with the flowing clouds produce an eerie atmosphere reminiscent of any horror film worth its salt:

wind-battered pine forest, c. 2km up east El Teide

After the ascent of about another kilometre one can see the forest spread below and a wide swathe of cloud enveloping it:

About 3km up El Teide, the volcano in the background

Coming up next: some local flora.