Yerbamora, Hediondo (Bosea yervamora)

Very woody, branched shrub, to 3 m. Branches are thin, green and pendulous, occasionally spreading over a large area, supported by nearby plants. Leaves are ovate-lanceolate, herbaceous and light green, alternate, up to 8 cm long. Inflorescences form dense clusters of greenish-yellow flowers. Fruits are round, fleshy and reddish-purple or blackish-green, depending on ripeness. The fruits stain easily and are known locally as hediondo or filthy. This Canary Islands endemic is found on all the islands, except Lanzarote, but is very rare in Fuerteventura and El Hierro. A thermophile, it grows from 50-1,000 m, although it is more abundant in low-lying and mid-altitude areas. Populations are numerous in many locations, particularly on rocky crags and ravine walls, hillsides and old cultivated terraces. For this reason, it plays an important part in the natural regeneration of vegetation.