the plants and gardens of the canary islands. 65 
Indigenous Vegetation. 
The deep ravines, known locally as " barrancos," * that 
intersect the islands, often running many miles inland, are 
important features in the landscape. They may be volcanic 
fissures or formed by the wearing action of water. For a few 
weeks in winter they have a little water in them, or may even be 
rushing, roaring torrents. After that they are quite dry, and in 
some cases can be used as roads. When deep enough to afford 
shelter from the sun they are cool and agreeable places for 
afternoon rambles. To the botanist they are amongst the most 
interesting parts of the country. They give an asylum to 
numerous members of the native flora that would otherwise be 
ousted by cultivation. In the beds and along the sides of some 
of them there may be met with plants brought down by the 
winter floods from the highest mountains. For instance, in the 
Barranco San Filipe, near Puerto Orotava, plants from the 
Canadas at 8,000 feet brought down by the great flood of 1877 
were pointed out to me by Dr. George Perez as still existing 
there in 1893. 
Of plants truly wild in the Canaries there are enumerated 
about 800 species. Of these, 414, according to Dr. Christ, are 
peculiar to them and the neighbouring islands of Madeira and 
the Azores, while 392 are also found on the adjoining parts of 
Africa, and a few extending to the South of Europe. The Canary 
plants possess characters which distinguish them in many 
respects from the introduced plants. Those that inhabit the 
rocky coast have usually thick, fleshy leaves, a glaucous colour, 
and long tap-roots that reach immense depths into the cracks 
and crevices, where they obtain moisture. In these respects their 
vegetative characteristics enable them to hold their own against 
all intruders. Grisebach was of opinion that the endemic flora 
of the Canaries was dying out. This, happily, is not true. The 
native flora evidently survives in spite of the spread of cultiva- 
tion, and were it not for the wholesale cutting down of forests 
of Pine in the higher lands it is probable that the vegetation 
would be as extensive as it ever was. The Canary plants are 
slow in growth, and they lay up a large store of nutriment in 
* The word " barranco " literally means a mountain torrent. It is now 
generally applied to any ravine, gully, or deep glen. 
P 
