Canary island foxglove

Description

Digitalis canariensis is a member of the genus Digitalis. Individuals of these species are small, evergreen plants growing into rounded shrubs up to 150 cm tall.The plant has lanceolate-ovoid leaves with toothed margins. The leaves are spirally arranged. The inflorescence is a cluster of orange-reddish, 3 cm large flowers with short petals and noticeable upper lip and lower lip. Bird pollination by the island populations of Phylloscopus species has been documented. The fruit is a capsule. This species is part of section Isoplexis, which was temporarily accepted as an own genus. The synonym Isoplexis canariensis also continues to be used. In general, as of 2017, opinions concerning the taxonomic status of Isoplexis species differ depending on the source. Digitalis canariensis is endemic to the Canary Islands where it occurs on the islands of Tenerife, La Gomera and La Palma. It grows in wooded areas in laurel forest and Erica arborea-covered woods. Digitalis is a genus of about 20 species of herbaceous perennial plants, shrubs, and biennials, commonly called foxgloves. Digitalis is native to Europe, western Asia, and northwestern Africa. The flowers are tubular in shape, produced on a tall spike, and vary in colour with species, from purple to pink, white, and yellow. The scientific name means "finger". The genus was traditionally placed in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae, but phylogenetic research led taxonomists to move it to the Veronicaceae in 2001. More recent phylogenetic work has placed it in the much enlarged family Plantaginaceae. The best-known species is the common foxglove, Digitalis purpurea. This biennial is often grown as an ornamental plant due to its vivid flowers which range in colour from various purple tints through pink and purely white. The flowers can also possess various marks and spottings. Other garden-worthy species include D. ferruginea, D. grandiflora, D. lutea, and D. parviflora. The term digitalis is also used for drug preparations that contain cardiac glycosides, particularly one called digoxin, extracted from various plants of this genus. Foxglove has medicinal uses but is also very toxic to humans and other animals, and consumption can even lead to death.