Esteva-de-sagres / Gum Cistus and SW of Portugal

This species is classified as subspecies and it is an endemic plant to the southwest of the Algarve. It is hence a rare plant, considered vulnerable and for that reason protected. It can be differentiated by the Cistus ladanifer L. (Esteva/Gum Cistus) rather oblanceolate leaves and the plain white flower. Growing only in limestone and terra rosa. (Simões et al., 2014).

The C. ladanifer subsp. sulcatus range is expected to be significantly reduced as a result of climate change, in the future, despite the possibility of milder scenarios. This study confirmed the plant's close affinity for cliffed coastlines, which are an essential requirement for habitat suitability. No significant expansion events are anticipated because the region is constrained by long sands in the north and urban landscapes in the southeast, where the tranquil Mediterranean Sea replaces the Atlantic influence. In this way, it is important to carefully monitor population trends for this particular lineage of C. ladanifer in order to improve conservation policies aimed at protecting this subspecies and the taxa that coexist on the Vicentine coast, one of the most important hotspots for Iberian plant diversity and endemism. (Ferreira et al., 2021).

Bibliography

Simões, Ana Luísa; Cabrita, Ana Carla. (2014) 200 Plantas do SW Alentejano & Costa Vicentina. (1º Edição) Gesto – Grupo de Estudo do Território de Odemira.
Ferreira, M. R., Almeida, A. M., Quintela-Sabarís, C., Roque, N., Fernandez, P., & Ribeiro, M. M. (2021). The role of littoral cliffs in the niche delimitation on a microendemic plant facing climate change. Plos one, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0258976.
Photo: Sociedade Portuguesa de Botânica (2023/06/25) Cistus ladanifer L. subs. Sulcatus. Flora-On. https://flora-on.pt/#/h2hc0