Dendroseris litoralis, the cabbage tree, is a small evergreen tree species belonging to the daisy and sunflower family Asteraceae. It is found only on the Juan Fernández Islands, west of Chile, and is threatened by habitat loss. It is native only to tiny, volcanic Robinson Crusoe Island, one of the Juan Fernández Islands in the southeast Pacific, far off the coast of Chile, and home of the famed Juania australis and many other endemic plants. This strange, small tree has been brought back from the brink of extinction. It had been reduced to only a few individuals by feral goats on the island, and is still considered critically endangered.

Dendroseris litoralis
Conservation status
Critically Endangered  (IUCN 2.3)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Tribe:	Cichorieae
Genus:	Dendroseris
Species:	D. litoralis
Binomial name
Dendroseris litoralis Skottsb.

Description

Younger trunks are ringed with pale leaf scars and distinctive rubbery, leathery leaves up to 46 centimetres (18 in) long. It grows into a small, gnarled tree with several somewhat palm-like crowns of very large, ovate leaves on whitish, green-spotted leaf stalks and pendent inflorescences of bright orange, tassel-like 'flowers' (capitula). It is easy to cultivate and enjoys a cool, humid climate. It is hardy to light freezes and California coastal conditions.

Etymology

The generic name Dendroseris is a compound of the Greek elements δενδρον (dendron) 'tree' and σέρις (seris), meaning a type of endive and later, by extension, any type of potherb. The literal meaning ('the tree that yields a potherb') is thus very close to the English common name: cabbage tree. The Latin specific name litoralis signifies 'growing by the (sea) shore'. The binomial, in its entirety, thus means (approximately) 'the tree-cabbage that grows by the seashore'.[2] Endives (genus Cichorium) belong to the same tribe (Cichorieae) of the daisy family Asteraceae as the genus Dendroseris.

Edibility

The very large leaves are edible and formed part of the diet of voluntary castaway Alexander Selkirk - possible inspiration for Daniel Defoe's character Robinson Crusoe - during his sojourn on one of the Juan Fernandez Islands.[3][4]

Hummingbird pollination

In their recent studies Anderson et al. (2001) studied the reproductive biology of D. litoralis. They concluded that the large orange corolla capitula of D. litoralis were hummingbird pollinated, having observed hummingbird visitors on all plants observed. The same team also determined in 2000 that the nectar composition of Dendroseris litoralis has large quantities of sucrose (73%), 15% fructose and 10.9% glucose (Bernardello et al. 2000).[5]

Gallery

• 
  Seedling, cultivated plant
• 
  Canopy, viewed from beneath, of mature specimen flowering in Temperate House, Kew Gardens (flowers not visible in shot)
• 
  Crown of large, edible, cabbage-like leaves that earned D. litoralis the common name of cabbage tree (Temperate House, Kew Gardens)
• 
  Young stem, showing attachment of bases of long, deeply-grooved petioles (Temperate House, Kew Gardens)
• 
  View from above of base of single petiole, showing deep channel and attachment to stem by crescent-shaped base (Temperate House, Kew Gardens)
• 
  Crescent-shaped base of petiole of fallen leaf showing structure where formerly attached to young trunk (Temperate House, Kew Gardens)
• 
  Young trunk bearing distinctive pale, annular leaf scars (Temperate House, Kew Gardens): note bud in centre of image
• 
  Upper surface of leaf at junction of petiole and lamina, showing palmate venation
• 
  Detail of upper surface of leaf tip, showing glossy, rubbery texture and veins patterned with elongate spots (Temperate House, Kew Gardens)
• 
  Part of upper surface of single leaf, back-lit to reveal fine detail of venation (Temperate House, Kew Gardens)
• 
  Detail of upper surface of leaf midrib (back-lit), showing distinctive, elongate, green spots
• 
  Wild specimen, flowering profusely in its native Juan Fernandez Islands
• 
  Interior of pendent, yellow-orange 'flower' (capitulum) (Temperate House, Kew Gardens)

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sonchus brassicifolius.

• The Cabbage Tree - Dendroseris litoralis
• Royal Botanic Gardens: Dendroseris litoralis

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