BRISSEMORETII Hamet, 1925
Distribution : Endemic to the western and northern coastal regions of Madeira, 0 - 500 m.
Description (by 't Hart & Bleij in IHSP, 2003) :
Glabrous perennial herbs, non-flowering shoots slender, branched, ascending or erect, basally somewhat woody, to 16 cm tall, young branches often mamillate, scabrous, turning reddish-brown.
Leaves alternate, sessile with a short spur, subovate, 2,5 - 8 mm, rounded, terete to subterete, green.
Inflorescences : Flowering branches ascending or erect, to 8 cm, sparingly leafy, inflorescences few-flowered cymes with 2 - 3 few-flowered monochasial branches, bracts 2.
FIowers 5-merous, subsessile, sepals basally free, spurred, unequal, subovate, 3,5 - 5 mm, obtuse to rounded, semiterete, green, petals basally connate for 0,6 mm, oblong-elliptic, 4,5 - 7 mm, acute, yellow, filaments yellow, anthers oblong, yellow.
Cytology: 2n = 22
Closely resembling S. nudum, but differing by its habit, larger leaves and larger more showy flowers; each flower is wider than the stem with its leaves and sepals are fleshy and very large. In addition, S. brissemoretii differs in ecological préférence (wet rocks exposed to the north). It belongs to the comparium of Ser. Macaronesia Fröderström.
Along the coastal road east of São Vicente :
São Vicente seen from the old coastal road :
Photos Marco Cristini
Porto do Moniz, north coast of Madeira :
Paul de Mar, south coast of Madeira :
Plant in cultivation :
