Flora of Galápagos

Scalesia is a genus in the family Asteraceae endemic to the Galapagos Islands. It contains fifteen species that grow as shrubs or trees. This is unusual, because tree species are uncommon in Asteraceae. The genus Scalesia resulted from a blunder by Arnott who named it in honour of "W. Scales Esq., Cawdor Castle, Elginshire" but discovered after publication that the name should have read 'Stables', after Scottish botanist, William Alexander Stables (1810–1890). All of the species have soft, pithy wood. Scalesia species have been called "the Darwin's finches of the plant world" because they

The lava cactus is a species of cactus, Brachycereus nesioticus, the sole species of the genus Brachycereus. The plant is a colonizer of lava fields – hence its common name – where it forms spiny clumps up to 60 cm (24 in) tall. Its solitary white or yellowish white flowers open in the daytime. It is endemic to the Galápagos Islands.

Jasminocereus (meaning "jasmine-like cereus", referring to the flowers) is a genus of cacti with only one species, Jasminocereus thouarsii, endemic to the Galápagos Islands, territorially a part of Ecuador. In English it is often called the candelabra cactus (a name used for other cacti with a similar appearance). At maturity it has a branched, treelike habit, and may be up to 7 m (23 ft) tall. The stems are made up of individual sections with constrictions between them. Its creamy white to greenish flowers open at night and are followed by greenish to reddish fruits.

Gossypium darwinii, or Darwin's cotton, is a species of cotton plant which is found only on the Galapagos Islands. Genetic studies indicate that it is most closely related to the native American species Gossypium barbadense, thus it is surmised that a seed arrived from South America on the wind, in the droppings of a bird or associated with debris by sea.

Solanum cheesmaniae is one of two main species of wild tomatoes found on the Galápagos Islands. This species is the one most commonly called the Galapagos tomato. It is a wild tomato that evolved on the Galapagos Islands. It often gets confused with the other native species, Solanum galapagense, which is similar but slightly different having more bushy smelly foliage and having smaller hairier orange fruits. It also gets confused with natural [Domestic tomato x S. cheesmaniae] hybrids and [Solanum pimpinellifolium x (S. cheesmaniae or S. galapagense)] hybrids because of introduction of

Opuntia galapageia is a species of cactus. It is endemic to the Galápagos Islands, part of Ecuador. Forms occurring on different islands have been treated as separate species and subtaxa of these species. Opuntia echios, Opuntia helleri, Opuntia insularis, Opuntia megasperma, Opuntia myriacantha and Opuntia saxicola are now sunk within O. galapageia.

Lecocarpus is a plant genus in the family Asteraceae, native to Galápagos Islands, part of Ecuador. Species Four species are accepted. Lecocarpus darwinii Adsersen Lecocarpus lecocarpoides (B.L.Rob. & Greenm.) Cronquist & Stuessy Lecocarpus leptolobus (S.F.Blake) Cronquist & Stuessy Lecocarpus pinnatifidus Decne.

Psychotria angustata is a species of plant in the family Rubiaceae. It is endemic to the Galápagos Islands.

Euphorbia amplexicaulis is a species of flowering plant in the family Euphorbiaceae and is endemic to the Galápagos, where it mainly grows in seasonally dry areas. It was first formally described in 1847 by Joseph Dalton Hooker in the Transactions of the Linnean Society of London.

Euphorbia abdita is a member of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae. It is endemic to the Galápagos Islands.

Linum cratericola, the Floreana Flax, is a species of plant in the Linaceae family. It was first discovered in 1966 by Uno Eliasson. Between 1981 and 1997 it was relatively unseen, but a population of 13 individuals was rediscovered at one of the original locations. It is endemic to the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador, and is critically endangered. Since, the population has recovered to 400, after protection against goats and feral donkeys was created using fences.

Jasminocereus (meaning "jasmine-like cereus", referring to the flowers) is a genus of cacti with only one species, Jasminocereus thouarsii, endemic to the Galápagos Islands, territorially a part of Ecuador. In English it is often called the candelabra cactus (a name used for other cacti with a similar appearance). At maturity it has a branched, treelike habit, and may be up to 7 m (23 ft) tall. The stems are made up of individual sections with constrictions between them. Its creamy white to greenish flowers open at night and are followed by greenish to reddish fruits.

Calandrinia galapagosa is a species of plant in the Montiaceae family. It is endemic to the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador.

Alternanthera echinocephala, known as spiny-headed chaff flower, is a shrubby plant in the family Amaranthaceae native to the Galápagos Islands, mainland Ecuador, and Peru. Its relatively large spiny "heads" of flowers distinguish it from other species of Alternanthera found in the Galápagos.

Scalesia pedunculata is a flowering plant species in the family Asteraceae, growing to a slender tree (20m tall, DBH 20 cm), and found in dense stands on the humid windward coasts of the islands of Santa Cruz, San Cristobal, Santiago and Floreana in the Galapagos Islands. The Galapagos archipelago lies in the southeast trade wind zone, so that climate and weather are dominated by the moisture-bearing trade winds and the topography of the islands. In general, the windward sides of the islands have a much higher precipitation than the leeward sides. Scalesia pedunculata is regarded as

Scalesia helleri is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is endemic to the Galápagos Islands.

Pleuropetalum darwinii is a species of plant in the family Amaranthaceae. It is native to the Galápagos Islands.

Nolana galapagensis , is a species of flowering plant in the Solanaceae (nightshade) family. It is endemic to the Galapagos Islands.

Justicia galapagana is a species of plant in the family Acanthaceae. It is endemic to the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador. Its flowers are a host to several insects, including the Dorantes longtail (Cecropterus dorantes), the little fire ant (Wasmannia auropunctata), and carpenter bees (Xylocopa spp).

Tournefortia pubescens is a species of plant in the family Boraginaceae. It is endemic to the Galápagos Islands.

Tiquilia nesiotica, known as gray matplant, is a species of plant in the family Ehretiaceae. It is endemic to the Galápagos Islands.

Scalesia villosa is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is found only in the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Scalesia incisa is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is found only in the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Scalesia affinis is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is endemic to the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. It is one of the most widely distributed Scalesia species and occurs on four major islands: Fernandina Island, Isabela Island (main distribution area), Santa Cruz Island and Floreana Island. Populations from Santa Cruz and Floreana display some morphological and genetic divergence from populations of Fernandina Island and Isabela Island.

Lecocarpus darwinii is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is found only in Galápagos Islands, Ecuador.

Alternanthera filifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae. It is native to the Galápagos Islands. This plant is limited to the Galápagos, but it is common there in lowlands and coastal shrublands. It is variable in morphology, forming shrubs 0.5 to 1.5 meters tall.

Tiquilia darwinii is a species of plant in the family Ehretiaceae. It is endemic to the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador.

Solanum galapagense is a wild tomato in the family Solanaceae section Lycopersicon and is one of two tomato species endemic to the Galápagos Islands, 500 miles west of Ecuador. Solanum galapagense and the similar Solanum cheesmaniae are recognized as distinct species, although S. cheesmanii is the one most commonly called the Galapagos tomato. The fruit of S. galapagense are smaller and hairier, with a distinct orange color. The foliage of S. galapagense is also more bushy and smelly.

Scalesia gordilloi is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is endemic to the Galápagos Islands, where it is limited to a single location on San Cristóbal Island.

Scalesia baurii is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is found only in the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador.