Shrubs rather open, 10 [–20] dm, without prop-roots. Stems branched, 10–40 mm thick, fleshy; bark nearly smooth. Leaves: rosettes dense, concave or flattish, 50–75-leaved, 1–2 dm diam.; blade shiny, bright green [purple-black], oblong-oblanceolate, 5–9 (–15) cm, 1.5–3 mm thick, firm, marginal cilia spreading to ascending, wavy, surfaces glabrous. Cymes dense, conic to ovoid, 1–2+ dm, puberulent. Flowers rotate, 2 cm diam.; calyx puberulent; petals 9–11, spreading, bright-yellow. 2n = [36,] 72.
Phenology: Flowering spring.
Habitat: Cliffs and banks near sea
Elevation: 0-100 m
Distribution
Introduced; Calif., Atlantic Islands (Canary Islands [Gran Canaria]), also s Europe, n Africa (Mediterranean coast)
Discussion
The tetraploid race of var. arboreum is widely grown in areas of Mediterranean climate, including California. Although widely naturalized in the Mediterranean region, it is only local in Los Angeles and San Diego counties, southern California, on the coast and about trash heaps and old gardens.
Selected References
None.
Lower Taxa
"dm" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property."dm" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.