''Erysimum scoparium'' is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

in the family

Brassicaceae Brassicaceae () or (the older but equally valid) Cruciferae () is a medium-sized and economically important Family (biology), family of flowering plants commonly known as the mustards, the crucifers, or the cabbage family. Most are herbaceous pla ...

, native to the

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the cont ...

. It is a shrubby species of

wallflower ''Erysimum'', or wallflower, is a genus of flowering plants in the cabbage family, Brassicaceae. It includes more than 150 species, both popular garden plants and many wild forms. ''Erysimum'' is characterised by star-shaped and/or two-sided) tr ...

with purplish flowers found at high altitudes.

Description

''Erysimum scoparium'' is a small shrubby

perennial plant In horticulture, the term perennial (''wikt:per-#Prefix, per-'' + ''wikt:-ennial#Suffix, -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annual plant, annuals and biennial plant, biennials. It has thus been d ...

. It has stiff, linear to slightly pointed leaves. The flowers are arranged on upright stems. They darken to a purplish colour as they mature. The seed pods ( siliquae) are held more or less erect and have brown seeds. A subspecies, ''E. scoparium'' subsp. ''cinereum'' has been distinguished by its more erect habit and longer

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

s. Plants from

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

have broader leaves and dark brown rather than yellowish brown seeds, and have been separated as ''E. albescens'' by some sources. File:Erysimum scoparium.jpg, Flowers File:Erysimum scoparium kz6.jpg, Seedpods

Taxonomy

''Erysimum scoparium'' was first described, as ''Cheiranthus scoparius'', by Pierre Broussonet in 1809. It was transferred to the genus ''

Erysimum ''Erysimum'', or wallflower, is a genus of flowering plants in the cabbage family, Brassicaceae. It includes more than 150 species, both popular garden plants and many wild forms. ''Erysimum'' is characterised by star-shaped and/or two-sided) tr ...

'' by

Richard Wettstein __NOTOC__ Richard Wettstein (30 June 1863 in Vienna – 10 August 1931 in Trins) was an Austrian botanist. His taxonomic system, the Wettstein system, was one of the earliest based on phyletic principles. Wettstein studied in Vienna, where he wa ...

in 1889. ''Erysimum albescens'' has been distinguished from ''E. scoparium'' by some sources, but this is not accepted by others.

Distribution and habitat

''Erysimum scoparium'' is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only 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 foun ...

to the

. It is found in montane zones in

Tenerife Tenerife ( ; ; formerly spelled ''Teneriffe'') is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands, an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain. With a land area of and a population of 965,575 inhabitants as of A ...

, up to altitudes of 1600–2200 m in Las Cañadas, and 300–500 m in the Valle del Santiado del Teide (subsp. ''cinereum''). It is also found in mountainous regions of

La Palma La Palma (, ), also known as ''La isla bonita'' () and historically San Miguel de La Palma, is the most northwesterly island of the Canary Islands, a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in Macaronesia in the North Atlantic Ocean. La Pa ...

. When ''E. albescens'' is included in ''E. scoparium'', the latter's distribution extends to

, where it is found in dry habitats and pine forest at elevations of 1400–1800 m.

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q8777476, from2=Q15542622 scoparium Endemic flora of the Canary Islands Flora of Gran Canaria Flora of La Palma Flora of Tenerife