CASTELLO-PAIVAE Bolle, 1859 (engl./ fr.)
Synonyms :
Sempervivum castello-paivae (Bolle) Christ (1888)
Sempervivum paivae Lowe (1866)
Aeonium paivae (Lowe) Lemaire (1869)
Section Leuconium
Distribution : Canary Islands (La Gomera); 200 - 900 m.
Description by R. Nyffeler in IHSP, 2003) :
Perennial densely branched shrublets to 70 cm.
Branches ascending or pendent, tortuous, 3 - 8 mm in diameter, puberulent, smooth.
Rosette 3 - 7 cm in diameter, flattish, inner leaves ± erect.
Leaves 1.5 - 3.5 x 0.8 - 2 cm, 2 - 3 mm thick, obovate-spatulate, apically acuminate to caudate, basally cuneate, glaucous, glabrous, pale green to yellowish green, generally variegated with few reddish stripes, margin occasionally with some rather straight cilia (< 0.2 mm), often slightly longitudinally folded.
Inflorescences lax, semiglobose, 6 - 20 x 6 – 20 cm, peduncle 7 - 25 cm, pedicel 1 - 2 mm, puberulent.
Flowers 7- to 9-merous, sepals puberulent, petals 8 - 10 x 1 - 1.5 mm, lanceolate, acuminate, greenish-white, filaments puberulent.
Cytology : n = 18
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Synonymes :
Sempervivum castello-paivae (Bolle) Christ (1888)
Sempervivum paivae Lowe (1866)
Aeonium paivae (Lowe) Lemaire (1869)
Section Leuconium
Distribution : Iles Canaries (La Gomera) ; 200 - 900 m.
Description (par R. Nyffeler dans IHSP, 2003) :
Buisson vivace densément ramifié, haut de 70 cm.
Branches ascendantes ou pendantes, tordues, 3 - 8 mm de diamètre, duveteuses, lisses.
Rosette 3 - 7 cm de diamètre, aplatie, feuilles intérieures ± dressées.
Feuilles 1,5 - 3,5 x 0,8 - 2 cm, 2 - 3 mm d'épaisseur, obovales-spatulées, acuminées à l'apex ou avec une petite queue, à base cunée, pruineuses, glabres, vert pâle à vert jaunâtre, généralement nuancées de quelques stries rougeâtres, marge avec parfois quelques cils plutôt droits (< 0,2 mm), souvent avec un léger pli longitudinal.
Inflorescence lâche, semi-globulaire, 6 - 20 x 6 – 20 cm, pédoncule 7 - 25 cm, pédicelles de 1 - 2 mm, duveteux.
Fleurs hepta- à ennéamères (de 7 à 9 parties), sépales duveteux, pétales 8 - 10 x 1 - 1,5 mm, lancéolés, acuminés, blanc verdâtre, filaments duveteux.
Cytologie : n = 18
Hermigua :
![](/img/500/74411280b7cce45e6b853fdc5e6ec412_la gomera, hermigua, aeonium castello-paivae (21).jpg)
Barranco de Aguajilva :
![](/img/500/71a2815ca735813a1ac0b3f3d02746a1_la gomera, barranco de aguajilva, aeonium castello-paivae (10).jpg)
![](/img/500/302b425d5bbeb4dee90f62d571eeec4c_la gomera, barranco de aguajilva, aeonium castello-paivae (7).jpg)
![](/img/500/4c3ae0b308209a57160d1017d88aa5e0_la gomera, barranco de aguajilva, aeonium castello-paivae (3).jpg)
Photos Marco Cristini
Aeonium castello-paivae on La Gomera :
![](/img/500/e999cf08628dd53436b560b8d3348736_aeonium-castello-paivae-crassulaceae-1-barranco-de-las-rosas.jpg)
Barranco de las Rosas.
![](/img/500/eabbd4e670e7b834e25dda850c8dfeec_aeonium-castello-paivae-crassulaceae-2-barranco-de-monteforte-ca-240-m.jpg)
Barranco de Monteforte.
El Bailadero : Aeonium diplocyclum, A. castello-paivae and Monanthes laxiflora :
![](/img/500/50c30f1621fe6ed410f9e092e49083e1_sukkulentengarten-el-bailadero-la-gomera-2-a-diplocyclum-a-castello-paivae-m-laxiflora.jpg)
Aeonium cf. gomerense, A. diplocyclum, A. castello-paivae, A. canariense var. subplanum and Monanthes laxiflora :
![](/img/500/63b4ca6d6fbc84105abf68abf11a914c_sukkulentengarten-el-bailadero-la-gomera-3-a-cf-gomerense-a-diplocyclum-a-castello-paivae-a-canariense-ssp-latifolium-m-laxiflora.jpg)
Photos Stefan Neuwirth
![](/img/500/199c05acdb1272d55e51fb477751fa26_la gomera 02 (2).jpg)
![](/img/500/1d047436747dceb33d38be63421876bc_la gomera 05.jpg)
![](/img/500/57832e8fe15b7d3e140d64984c98e5e9_la gomera 04.jpg)
A variegated form :
![](/img/500/fabe32552de75b54bb7c65067439b8b8_9323.jpg)
![](/img/500/19aa3fe24fdef1568a264280810d6192_9324.jpg)
![](/img/500/3b6fa9d01cc000b6c6dfefdac766cd1a_11944.jpg)
![](/img/500/1c8044eddb72f3fc00a6ebf453846473_8669.jpg)
![](/img/500/bcb3849a74012b46f5803d42c0cf1a06_8670.jpg)
![](/img/500/abe5b08d4ad031859250cfe0294c50ce_9222.jpg)
![](/img/500/5f8fa9056491ad4db5b1fa7c4c8b4bf7_aeonium castello-paivae 1 3 29 nov 2022 8.32pm.jpg)
![](/img/500/69370e7177aa06e6db9e730d7c09365d_aeonium castello-paivae 2.jpg)
The next two photos show that not only the sepals are puberulent, but also the petals :
![](/img/500/8575cd56176c87996a13b9202844f359_aeonium castello-paivae flower up close 4 adult 2 (2).jpg)
Some of the anthers are still wrapped while the majority has lost their cover :
![](/img/500/32205aa0d3f3d21e074714c81d67ae13_aeonium castello-paivae flower up close 5 adult 2.jpg)
Photos Santino Rischitelli
![](/img/500/2b947a64495326910e52d0d852296fa3_007-6.jpg)
A much smaller and very localised form from north-western La Gomera (more exactly in the Barranco de La Nueva Era, 1 km NE of the town of Vallehermoso) with more reddish flowers will eventually be published as A. castello-paivae var. sarae :
Une plus petite forme, et très localisée du nord-ouest de La Gomera (plus exactement au Barranco de La Nueva Era, 1 km NE de la ville de Vallehermoso) avec des fleurs plus rougeâtres, et qui pourra éventuellement être publiée comme A. castello-paivae var. sarae :
![](/img/500/9e22264daa05135a074b5784c1481200_004-3.jpg)
![](/img/500/5dc8755fd0b8abff61b62adf70297cf6_10731.jpg)
Var. sarae at left / La var. sarae à gauche :
![](/img/500/d9d51975a335638c5c1640d507a8cf72_10732.jpg)
![](/img/500/05be6e6d582c9144b2dc8ffd53b965b5_10734.jpg)
Comparison of the rosettes - at left var. sarae :
Comparaison des rosettes - à gauche, var. sarae :
![](/img/500/1443fe05b507c4185ca3ab5742045abb_10733.jpg)
![](/img/500/9909cb07201300318ac751f28b77e6c7_aeonium-castello-paivae-v-sarae-von-camassel1-1.jpg)