Senecio kleinia
Encyclopedia
Kleinia neriifolia also known as Verode or Berode and previously known as Senecio kleinia is one of flowering plant
species of the genus Kleinia
and in the daisy family (Asteraceae
). It is native endemic
to the Canary Islands
and it used to be in the genus
Senecio
Senecio, S. kleinia has articulated branches (constrictions that make them look like rows of sausages)
and thick, stubby, elongated leaves which rest directly on the main stem or branch without a petiole
or footstalk. Leaves growing clustered in crowded circles at the tops of the branches. Trunk a meter high, and lanceolate leaves up to 12 centimetres (4.7 in) long. Fragrant grey white flowers, blooms at any time between March and October. Deciduous
, the leaves fall at the beginning of the dry season.
As with most arid habitat plants, reproduction is by reseeding only..
, Ethiopia
, Arabia and Iran
and is typical of the steppe
in the Africa
n continent.
Observations have been made about the relationships or communities that are formed between plants in such challenging conditions. In the case of the Canary Islands, the dominant Succulent tree (Euphorbia canariensis
) with a supporting community of fellow halophile
s: Verode (Senecio kleinia), Salt (Schizogyne sericea), Orijama (Cneorum pulverulentum), the Rubiaceae "Balo" (Plocama pendula) and also Tasaigo "typical" (Rubia fruticosa). It is indisputable that the tabaibales and cardonales are not climax
(the highest point of anything conceived of as growing or developing or unfolding), but more like stadiums (a large structure for open-air sports or entertainments) or tessera
e degradation of a former climax in harmony with its peculiar arid
climate. For topographical
position of cardonales, always in displaced situations, and the more open and typical serial or subserial of tabaibales, it seems close to the first climax potential. Species that are integrating communities also inclined to such subordination.
S. Kleinia has been successfully cultivated as a houseplant and as landscaping. It is on a list of suggested fire safe landscaping.
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
species of the genus Kleinia
Kleinia
Kleinia is a genus of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family.It contains the following species:It used to contain the following species:* Senecio articulatus Sch. Bip.**Kleinia articulata Haw....
and in the daisy family (Asteraceae
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
). It is native endemic
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
to the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
and it used to be in the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Senecio
Senecio
Senecio is a genus of the daisy family that includes ragworts and groundsels. The flower heads are normally rayed, completely yellow, and the heads are borne in branched clusters...
Description
One of the succulentSenecio, S. kleinia has articulated branches (constrictions that make them look like rows of sausages)
and thick, stubby, elongated leaves which rest directly on the main stem or branch without a petiole
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
or footstalk. Leaves growing clustered in crowded circles at the tops of the branches. Trunk a meter high, and lanceolate leaves up to 12 centimetres (4.7 in) long. Fragrant grey white flowers, blooms at any time between March and October. Deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
, the leaves fall at the beginning of the dry season.
As with most arid habitat plants, reproduction is by reseeding only..
Habitat
Berode grows abundantly in the Tabaibal-Cardonal zone or the arid, subtropical with steep and eroded substrates which are more pronounced and dominant in the eastern archipelago. The vegetation can be compared with that of the arid areas of SudanSudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, Arabia and Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and is typical of the steppe
Steppe
In physical geography, steppe is an ecoregion, in the montane grasslands and shrublands and temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biomes, characterized by grassland plains without trees apart from those near rivers and lakes...
in the Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n continent.
Observations have been made about the relationships or communities that are formed between plants in such challenging conditions. In the case of the Canary Islands, the dominant Succulent tree (Euphorbia canariensis
Euphorbia canariensis
Euphorbia canariensis, commonly known as the Canary Island Spurge or as Hercules Club to horticulturalistsis a succulent member of the family Euphorbiaceae and genus Euphorbia that grows natively in the arid and humid environment of the lowest areas in the Canary Islands where it is also endemic...
) with a supporting community of fellow halophile
Halophile
Halophiles are extremophile organisms that thrive in environments with very high concentrations of salt. The name comes from the Greek for "salt-loving". While the term is perhaps most often applied to some halophiles classified into the Archaea domain, there are also bacterial halophiles and some...
s: Verode (Senecio kleinia), Salt (Schizogyne sericea), Orijama (Cneorum pulverulentum), the Rubiaceae "Balo" (Plocama pendula) and also Tasaigo "typical" (Rubia fruticosa). It is indisputable that the tabaibales and cardonales are not climax
Climax vegetation
Climax vegetation is the vegetation which establishes itself on a given site for given climatic conditions in the absence of anthropic action after a long time ....
(the highest point of anything conceived of as growing or developing or unfolding), but more like stadiums (a large structure for open-air sports or entertainments) or tessera
Tessellation
A tessellation or tiling of the plane is a pattern of plane figures that fills the plane with no overlaps and no gaps. One may also speak of tessellations of parts of the plane or of other surfaces. Generalizations to higher dimensions are also possible. Tessellations frequently appeared in the art...
e degradation of a former climax in harmony with its peculiar arid
Arid
A region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available water, to the extent of hindering or even preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life...
climate. For topographical
Topography
Topography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
position of cardonales, always in displaced situations, and the more open and typical serial or subserial of tabaibales, it seems close to the first climax potential. Species that are integrating communities also inclined to such subordination.
Horticulture
The plant is used in gardens with dry conditions. The plant requires a minimum exposure of the sun. The minimum winter temperature it can endure is -2 °C.S. Kleinia has been successfully cultivated as a houseplant and as landscaping. It is on a list of suggested fire safe landscaping.