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Madeira

In answer to Collette's question on Madeira, there are many very fascinating
places in which to find the native, indeed endemic, flora. Much of the S.
coast has been developed in recent years and is less attractive than it was
(though not unpleasant), but I believe the N. coast, and interior mountains
(Pico do Arieiro, Pico Ruivo, Paul da Serra, etc.) are still very much
unspoilt. Madeira also has the largest surviving tracts of Atlantic Island
laurel forest, most of which are strictly protected areas. There are some
very beautiful endemic plants, e.g. Geranium maderense, Musschia aurea and
M. wollastonii (endemic genus in Campanulaceae), and Isoplexis sceptrum. The
walk guide books in the "Landscapes of..." series, published by sunflower
books, include one on Madeira, and the definitive account of the flora is
"Flora of Madeira", by Press & Short, and published by (please excuse the
plug here!) my current employers. Get to the N. coast if you can -- there
are places to stay there, e.g. Porto do Moniz; also do try to do the walk
from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo in the central mountains (it's not very
hard, and is utterly spectacular).

Nick.

Nick Turland,
Department of Botany, The Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
Telephone/voicemail: + 44 171 938 8803  Fax: + 44 171 938 9260  Email:
n.turland@nhm.ac.uk
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