The grazing of cattle in the Highlands of Santa Cruz and San Cristobal has taken its toll on the Miconia, which is now endangered. The Miconia is endemic to the Galapagos, but since the arrival of man it has become the most endangered plant in the islands. Many of those seen near the road in the moist Highlands of Santa Cruz Island are bracken ferns, characterized by their large curving fronds. There are about 100 fern species in the Galapagos. The Bracken Ferns are common on the higher altitudes. The seed of this plant is so hard that only medium ground finches with relatively large beaks could crack them open, and it provided them with about the only available food during a very dry year on Daphne. Tiquilia is an endemic woody herb recognized by the dull grey colouring and mat-like growth. These trees are common along the trail at Punta Cormorant, Floreana Island and North Seymour. The arched branches have several extremely sharp spines, which have impaled many a juvenile blue-footed booby during an attempted flight. Palo Verde is characterized by long, green, leafless stalks, giving rise to its name. Palo Santo looses their leaves during the dry season to help stop water loss. The branches are shipped to the mainland where they are burned as incense in churches. The palo santo is related to frankincense, and the sap contains an aromatic resin. There are five species and 4 subspecies of this endemic plant in the Galapagos. This endemic plant looks more like a weed and is the most widely-distributed colonizer in the Galapagos it is seen growing on many the lava fields, especially at Sullivan Bay, Santiago Island. Grows on lava fields and the giant tortoise loves Manzanillo fruits. Touching the sap causes dermatitis, and eating the fruit can be lethal to humans. ManzanilloThis large fruit tree is the only indigenous toxic plant in the Galapagos and is called the "poison apple" tree. The net effect here is energy conservation, minimizing the leaf surface area exposed to the heal of the sun, also reducing water loss. LeafLeather Leaf is a large shrub or small tree with flat yellow green leaves. The indigenous species was once prolific on Punta Cormorant, Floreana, but is now in some danger an introduced Lantana species is winning the competition for the available water and taking over. Lantana is a endemic shrub that has beautiful little white flowers with a yellow centre and is readily observed on Genovesa Island. It is endemic and only found on Punta Cormorant, Floreana Island. The cutleaf daisy is named for the deeply and irregularly lobed margins of its leaves. The yellow flowers develop into an orange-red thorn covered fruit. The flat pads of the Opuntia shrubs are also covered with clusters of spines this armour notwithstanding, the prickly pear pads are a major food and water source of land iguanas as well as tortoises. The Prickly Pear Cactus is the staple of the Land Iguanas & Tortoises' diet. With its yellow flowers it grows like a shrub, except on islands where herbivores are threat then trunks can grow to 5 ft tall. Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia) is the most common cacti in the islands. Lava Cactus can be found on Fernandina, Genovesa, Isabela, Pinta, Santiago and Bartholomew Islands. New Growth is yellow, turning to brown, which darkens to gray with age. The plant has soft furry spines and grows in clumps to a height of about two feet (60 cm). With bright yellow tipped colouring and microphone shapes, the clumped formations. The lava cactus is considered a "pioneer" or coloniser plant. It is readily observed on the cliffs at Academy Bay, outside the town of Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island. The green or red flowers are 1 - 2 inches (2-6 cm), which open before dawn, develop into fruit of the same colours. The candelabra cactus is well-defended with a barrier of spines on its lower stem.
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