Ensaião, saião (Aeonium glandulosum)

One of the two native species of the genus Aeonium found in the archipelago of Madeira. Unlike A. glutinosum, which is branched, this species has a barely perceptible stem or none. This plant is perennial or biennial, succulent and pubescent. Leaves are obovate or spathulate, arranged in a rosette, green or reddish-orange. Flowers are yellow and clustered in a terminal raceme, emerging from the centre of the plant, as occurs in other similar species found in the Canaries. Fairly common in rocky areas of the islands of Madeira, Porto Santo and Desertas, especially on the north-facing flank of Madeira, at low- to mid-altitude, where it is a characteristic feature among the rupicolous vegetation.