Hedera azorica
Encyclopedia
Hedera azorica is a species of Ivy
(genus Hedera) which is native to the Atlantic coast in Azores Islands. Its common name is Ivy. It is an evergreen
climbing plant, growing to 20–30 m high where suitable surfaces (tree
s, cliff
s, wall
s) are available, and also growing as ground cover where there are no vertical surfaces. It climbs by means of aerial rootlets which cling to the substrate.
s rock, soil, trunks of tree
s especially in Laurel forest
of Barbusano
. The species is typical in cloud forest
laurissilva. The natural habitat is forest or dense bush which are cloud-covered for much of the year, where the dense moisture
from the sea or ocean, is precipitated by the action of the relief, causing it to condense part of the moisture that falls as rain or fog, creating an habitat tropical or subtropical especially cool, saturated with moisture in the air and soil, with no seasonal changes, wetter climate, annual oscillation of the temperature moderated by the proximity of the ocean.
The species has great differences from island to island. Very plentiful on the rocky slopes of the Fire Lake (Lagoa das Fogo), Sao Miguel Island, Azores. It is an woody climber shrub
or bush
perennial, with aerial roots. It growing to 20–30 m high where suitable surfaces (tree
s, cliff
s, wall
s) are available, and also growing as ground cover where there are no vertical surfaces. It climbs by means of aerial rootlets which cling to the substrate.
Stem
s are green. The leaves
are alternate, they are of two types, with palmately lobed juvenile leaves on creeping and climbing stems, and unlobed cordate adult leaves, lauroide type, on fertile flowering stems exposed to full sun, usually high in the crowns of trees or the top of rock faces.
The leaves are rounded and large with shiny dark green, color medium matt green, sometimes a paler green. This plant has broad lobed leaves greenish, have three to seven points sometimes unlobed to very shallowly lobed with a sinus only 2-4mm deep, often nearly round (obtuse) lobes consist many times in points rounded.
Flowers are in small umbels, tight and erect with a long peduncle. Gathered in large numbers in umbrella
s, and the fruit
s, are small, globular and black when ripe. Over time it was cultivated in gardens and used in floral arrangements.
Ivy
Ivy, plural ivies is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and across central-southern Asia east to Japan and Taiwan.-Description:On level ground they...
(genus Hedera) which is native to the Atlantic coast in Azores Islands. Its common name is Ivy. It is an evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
climbing plant, growing to 20–30 m high where suitable surfaces (tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s, cliff
Cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...
s, wall
Wall
A wall is a usually solid structure that defines and sometimes protects an area. Most commonly, a wall delineates a building and supports its superstructure, separates space in buildings into rooms, or protects or delineates a space in the open air...
s) are available, and also growing as ground cover where there are no vertical surfaces. It climbs by means of aerial rootlets which cling to the substrate.
Ecology
The plant has an attractive and elegant aspect. It is quite common in Azores islands and lives in slopeSlope
In mathematics, the slope or gradient of a line describes its steepness, incline, or grade. A higher slope value indicates a steeper incline....
s rock, soil, trunks of tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s especially in Laurel forest
Laurel forest
Laurel forest is a subtropical or mild temperate forest, found in areas with high humidity and relatively stable and mild temperatures. They are characterized by tree species with evergreen, glossy, enlongated leaves, known as laurophyll or lauroide...
of Barbusano
Apollonias
Apollonias is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the laurel family, Lauraceae. The genus includes from one to ten species of evergreen trees and shrubs from laurel forest habitat mainly in Macaronesian islands.-Description:...
. The species is typical in cloud forest
Cloud forest
A cloud forest, also called a fog forest, is a generally tropical or subtropical evergreen montane moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud cover, usually at the canopy level. Cloud forests often exhibit an abundance of mosses covering the ground and...
laurissilva. The natural habitat is forest or dense bush which are cloud-covered for much of the year, where the dense moisture
Moisture
Humidity is the amount of moisture the air can hold before it rains. Moisture refers to the presence of a liquid, especially water, often in trace amounts...
from the sea or ocean, is precipitated by the action of the relief, causing it to condense part of the moisture that falls as rain or fog, creating an habitat tropical or subtropical especially cool, saturated with moisture in the air and soil, with no seasonal changes, wetter climate, annual oscillation of the temperature moderated by the proximity of the ocean.
The species has great differences from island to island. Very plentiful on the rocky slopes of the Fire Lake (Lagoa das Fogo), Sao Miguel Island, Azores. It is an woody climber shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
or bush
Bush
-Nouns:* Shrub, a type of woody plant, smaller than normal trees. Usually grows in the soil. Most bushes are low to the ground and have branches which rise up from the bottom of the plant....
perennial, with aerial roots. It growing to 20–30 m high where suitable surfaces (tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s, cliff
Cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...
s, wall
Wall
A wall is a usually solid structure that defines and sometimes protects an area. Most commonly, a wall delineates a building and supports its superstructure, separates space in buildings into rooms, or protects or delineates a space in the open air...
s) are available, and also growing as ground cover where there are no vertical surfaces. It climbs by means of aerial rootlets which cling to the substrate.
Stem
Stem
-Science:* Plant stem, the above ground structures that have vascular tissue and that support leaves and flowers Also see similar:**Stipe **Stipe * Stem cell...
s are green. The leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are alternate, they are of two types, with palmately lobed juvenile leaves on creeping and climbing stems, and unlobed cordate adult leaves, lauroide type, on fertile flowering stems exposed to full sun, usually high in the crowns of trees or the top of rock faces.
The leaves are rounded and large with shiny dark green, color medium matt green, sometimes a paler green. This plant has broad lobed leaves greenish, have three to seven points sometimes unlobed to very shallowly lobed with a sinus only 2-4mm deep, often nearly round (obtuse) lobes consist many times in points rounded.
Flowers are in small umbels, tight and erect with a long peduncle. Gathered in large numbers in umbrella
Umbrella
An umbrella or parasol is a canopy designed to protect against rain or sunlight. The term parasol usually refers to an item designed to protect from the sun; umbrella refers to a device more suited to protect from rain...
s, and the fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
s, are small, globular and black when ripe. Over time it was cultivated in gardens and used in floral arrangements.