Bencomia de monte (Bencomia caudata)

Evergreen shrub, very woody and branched, up to 3-4 m. Leaves composite (7-11 leaflets), up to 30 cm long; leaflets ovate, dentate and dark green, glabrous on top and tomentose beneath. Inflorescence usually simple. Fruits subglobose, fleshy, 4-5 cm in diameter and light green. This species is native to the Canaries and is present in La Palma, Tenerife and Gran Canaria. Although it has also been considered a native of Madeira, it has only been recorded in the 19th century and in just one locality, where it was apparently planted. This is a forest species that usually grows in evergreen and damp Canary pine forests, from 500-1,500 m. It thrives on waysides, rocky outcrops and woodland clearings because it prefers sunlight. It can be locally common, as in the mountain regions of Tenerife.