Língua-de-vaca (Echium stenosiphon)

Small herb, up to 1 m tall, densely branched. Chestnut-coloured stem, covered in short stiff hairs, although it can be hairless. Leaves are obovate or lanceolate, up to 10 cm long and 5 cm wide, with a rounded apex; the subspecies E. lindbergii, typical of Santo Antão, has a pointed apex. An endemic of the Barlovento Islands, specifically Santo Antão, São Vicente and São Nicolau, it is found on rocky outcrops and hillsides, mainly from 200-1,300 m, although it thrives in damper north-facing areas above 500 m. It is used in traditional medicine and is gathered for firewood. This is an endangered species, particularly on São Vicente, where distribution is limited.