List of endemic plants of Cape Verde

The Cape Verde Islands are an archipelago in The Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Africa, and form the island nation of Cape Verde. The islands are home to dozens of endemic species and subspecies of vascular plants. The Cape Verde Islands are part of Macaronesia, a biogeographical region which also includes the Azores, Canary Islands, Madeira, and the Selvagens.

Plants are listed alphabetically by plant family. Extinct and presumed extinct species are indicated with †.

Amaranthaceae

• Suaeda caboverdeana

Apiaceae

• Daucus carota subsp. annuus
• Daucus carota subsp. tenuissimus – Santo Antão and Fogo
• Daucus humilis
• Daucus insularis
• Daucus ribeirensis

Apocynaceae

• Cynanchum daltonii
• Periploca chevalieri

Arecaceae

• Phoenix atlantica

Asparagaceae

• Asparagus squarrosus
• Dracaena caboverdeana – Santo Antão, Sao Nicolãu, and Fogo

Asphodelaceae

• Asphodelus mariolousae – Fogo

Asteraceae

• Artemisia gorgonum
• Asteriscus daltonii – Santiago
• Asteriscus daltonii subsp. daltonii – Santiago
• Asteriscus daltonii subsp. vogelii
• Asteriscus smithii – São Nicolau
• Gymnanthemum bolleanum – São Nicolau
• Helichrysum nicolai
• Launaea gorgadensis
• Launaea picridioides
• Launaea thalassica – Brava
• Nidorella nobrei
• Nidorella varia
• Phagnalon melanoleucum
• Phagnalon melanoleucum var. luridum
• Phagnalon melanoleucum var. melanoleucum
• Pulicaria diffusa
• Pulicaria undulata subsp. fogensis – Fogo
• Sonchus daltonii
• Tolpis farinulosa
• Tolpis glandulifera

Boraginaceae

• Echium hypertropicum
• Echium stenosiphon – Santo Antão, São Nicolau, and São Vicente
• Echium stenosiphon subsp. glabrescens – São Nicolau
• Echium stenosiphon subsp. lindbergii – Santo Antão
• Echium stenosiphon subsp. stenosiphon – São Vicente
• Echium vulcanorum – Fogo

Brassicaceae

• Diplotaxis antoniensis – Santo Antão
• Diplotaxis brochmannii – Santo Antão
• Diplotaxis glauca – Boa Vista and Sal
• Diplotaxis gorgadensis – Santo Antão
• Diplotaxis gracilis – São Nicolau
• Diplotaxis hirta – Fogo
• Diplotaxis sundingii – São Nicolau
• Diplotaxis varia – Brava and São Tiago
• Diplotaxis vogelii – São Vicente
• Erysimum caboverdeanum – Fogo
• Lobularia canariensis subsp. fruticosa
• Lobularia canariensis subsp. spathulata

Campanulaceae

• Campanula bravensis – Brava, Fogo, and Santiago
• Campanula cochleromena
• Campanula feijoana – Santo Antão
• Campanula fransinea
• Campanula jacobaea – Santiago
• Campanula monteverdensis – São Vicente
• Campanula vicinituba

Caryophyllaceae

• Paronychia illecebroides
• Paronychia illecebroides var. illecebroides
• Paronychia illecebroides var. nicolauensis – São Nicolau
• Polycarpaea caboverdeana
• Polycarpaea gayi
• Polycarpaea gayi var. gayi
• Polycarpaea gayi var. halimoides
• Polycarpaea gayi var. lycioides

Cistaceae

• Helianthemum gorgoneum

Convolvulaceae

• Cressa salina

Crassulaceae

• Aeonium gorgoneum
• Umbilicus schmidtii

Cyperaceae

• Carex antoniensis – Santo Antão
• Carex hansenii
• Cyperus sieberianus – Santo Antão

Euphorbiaceae

• Euphorbia tuckeyana

Fabaceae

• Lotus alianus – Santo Antão and São Vicente
• Lotus brunneri
• Lotus chevalieri
• Lotus jacobaeus Fogo and Santiago
• Lotus oliveirae – Santo Antão
• Lotus purpureus
• Tephrosia gorgonea

Frankeniaceae

• Frankenia caboverdeana
• Frankenia montana – São Nicolau
• Frankenia pseudoericifolia

Gentianaceae

• Centaurium tenuiflorum subsp. viridense

Lamiaceae

• Lavandula rotundifolia
• Micromeria forbesii
• Micromeria forbesii var. altitudinum – Santo Antão
• Micromeria forbesii var. forbesii
• Micromeria forbesii var. inodora – Santo Antão and Fogo

Malvaceae

• Malva parviflora var. velutina – Santo Antão
• Sida coutinhoi

Orchidaceae

• † Habenaria petromedusa – Fogo. Last recorded in 1787.

Papaveraceae

• Papaver gorgoneum
• Papaver gorgoneum subsp. gorgoneum
• Papaver gorgoneum subsp. theresias – Santo Antão

Plantaginaceae

• Campylanthus glaber
• Globularia amygdalifolia
• Misopates orontium var. foliosum – Santo Antão
• Nanorrhinum dichondrifolium
• Nanorrhinum elegans
• Nanorrhinum webbianum – Santo Antão

Plumbaginaceae

• Limonium braunii
• Limonium brunneri
• Limonium jovibarba – São Vicente and São Nicolau
• Limonium lobinii – Santiago
• Limonium sundingii – São Nicolau

Poaceae

• Eragrostis conertii
• Hyparrhenia caboverdeana
• Urochloa caboverdiana

Polypodiaceae

• Dryopteris gorgonea – Fogo

Potamogetonaceae

• Potamogeton antaicus

Sapotaceae

• Sideroxylon marginatum

Scrophulariaceae

• Verbascum capitis-viridis
• Verbascum cystolithicum – Fogo

Solanaceae

• Solanum rigidum

Urticaceae

• Forsskaolea procridifolia

References