The Madeira Archipelago is a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago consists of Madeira, the largest island, as well as Porto Santo Island and the Desertas Islands (Deserta Grande, Ilhéu Chão, and Bugio). The islands are home to dozens of endemic species and subspecies of vascular plants, including the endemic genera Chamaemeles, Musschia, Parafestuca, and Sinapidendron.Endemic plants of Madeira, World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) checklist builder. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 17 February 2025. Although the Madeira archipelago is politically part of Portugal, the World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions treats Madeira as distinct botanical country. The archipelago is part of Macaronesia, a biogeographical region which also includes the Azores, Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands, and the Selvagens.
Plants are listed alphabetically by plant family. Extinct and presumed extinct species are indicated with †.
Amaranthaceae Beta patula – eastern Madeira incl. I. Chão
Apiaceae Bunium brevifolium Daucus decipiens Peucedanum lowei – central Madeira
Aquifoliaceae Ilex canariensis subsp. azevinho Ilex perado subsp. perado
Araliaceae Hedera maderensis
Asparagaceae Asparagus umbellatus subsp. lowei Ruscus streptophyllus – central Madeira Semele androgyna subsp. pterygophora Semele menezesii
Asphodelaceae Asphodelus fistulosus subsp. madeirensis
Aspleniaceae Asplenium lolegnamense
Asteraceae Andryala crithmifolia Andryala crithmifolia subsp. coronopifolia – southern Madeira Andryala crithmifolia subsp. crithmifolia – southern Madeira Andryala glandulosa – Madeira incl. Porto Santo I. and Desertas Is. Andryala subglabrata Argyranthemum dissectum Argyranthemum haematomma Argyranthemum pinnatifidum Argyranthemum pinnatifidum subsp. montanum Argyranthemum pinnatifidum subsp. pinnatifidum Argyranthemum pinnatifidum subsp. succulentum Artemisia argentea Calendula suffruticosa subsp. maderensis Carduus squarrosus Cheirolophus massonianus Cirsium latifolium Crepis noronhaea – Porto Santo I. Crepis vesicaria subsp. andryaloides Helichrysum devium Helichrysum melaleucum Helichrysum melaleucum subsp. melaleucum – Madeira incl. Deserta Grande Helichrysum melaleucum subsp. roseum – Porto Santo I. Helichrysum monizii Helichrysum obconicum – Madeira (incl. I. Chão) Pericallis aurita Pericallis menezesii – Porto Santo I. Sonchus fruticosus Sonchus latifolius Sonchus parathalassius – Porto Santo I. Sonchus pinnatus Sonchus ustulatus Sonchus ustulatus subsp. imbricatus Sonchus ustulatus subsp. ustulatus Tolpis macrorhiza Tolpis succulenta
Berberidaceae Berberis maderensis – eastern Madeira
Boraginaceae Echium candicans – central Madeira Echium nervosum – coastal Madeira Myosotis stolonifera subsp. hirsuta
Brassicaceae Crambe fruticosa Crambe fruticosa subsp. fruticosa – northern Madeira incl. Porto Santo I. and I. Chão Crambe fruticosa subsp. pinnatifida – southern Madeira Erysimum bicolor Erysimum maderense – southwestern Madeira Matthiola maderensis Sinapidendron Sinapidendron angustifolium Sinapidendron frutescens Sinapidendron frutescens subsp. frutescens Sinapidendron frutescens subsp. succulentum Sinapidendron gymnocalyx Sinapidendron rupestre – northern Madeira Sinapidendron sempervivifolium – Deserta Grande
Campanulaceae Musschia Musschia aurea – Madeira incl. Desertas Is. Musschia isambertoi – Deserta Grande Musschia wollastonii
Caryophyllaceae Cerastium vagans var. vagans – central Madeira
Celastraceae Maytenus umbellata
Convolvulaceae Convolvulus massonii
Crassulaceae Aeonium glandulosum Aeonium glutinosum Aeonium × lowei (A. glandulosum × A. glutinosum) Aichryson divaricatum Aichryson dumosum – southwestern Madeira Aichryson villosum Sedum brissemoretii Sedum farinosum Sedum fusiforme Sedum nudum
Cyperaceae Carex lowei – northern and central Madeira Carex sequeirae
Ericaceae Erica maderensis Erica platycodon subsp. maderincola Vaccinium padifolium
Euphorbiaceae Euphorbia piscatoria
Fabaceae Anthyllis lemanniana – eastern Madeira Genista maderensis Genista paivae Genista tenera Lotus glaucus var. floridus – Porto Santo I. Lotus glaucus subsp. glaucus Lotus loweanus Lotus macranthus Ononis costae Vicia capreolata Vicia costae Vicia ferreirensis Vicia micrantha Vicia pectinata Vicia sativa subsp. devia
Geraniaceae Geranium maderense – Madeira (north-facing rocky areas) Geranium palmatum – Madeira (near Levadas) Geranium yeoi
Hymenophyllaceae Hymenophyllum maderense
Juncaceae Luzula seubertii
Lamiaceae Bystropogon maderensis Bystropogon punctatus – northern and western Madeira Bystropogon × schmitzii (B. maderensis × B. punctatus) – Madeira (Ribiero Frio) Lavandula pedunculata subsp. maderensis – southeastern Madeira incl. Porto Santo I. Micromeria maderensis Sideritis candicans Sideritis candicans var. candicans Sideritis candicans var. crassifolia – eastern Madeira incl. Desertas Is. Sideritis candicans var. multiflora – Porto Santo Teucrium abutiloides Teucrium betonicum Teucrium francoi Teucrium heterophyllum subsp. heterophyllum – southern Madeira incl. northern I. Chão
Lycopodiaceae Lycopodiella veigae
Oleaceae Jasminum azoricum Olea europaea subsp. cerasiformis
Orchidaceae Dactylorhiza foliosa Goodyera macrophylla – northern and central Madeira Orchis mascula subsp. scopulorum – eastern Madeira
Orobanchaceae Odontites hollianus
Plantaginaceae Digitalis sceptrum Plantago arborescens subsp. costae – central Madeira Plantago malato-belizii – Madeira (Caldeirão do Inferno) Plantago subspathulata Sibthorpia peregrina
Plumbaginaceae Armeria maderensis – central Madeira Limonium lowei – Porto Santo I.
Poaceae Anthoxanthum maderense – central Madeira Avenella flexuosa subsp. maderensis Deschampsia argentea Festuca donax – central Madeira Holcus pintodasilvae Koeleria loweana Parafestuca Parafestuca albida Phalaris maderensis
Polygonaceae Rumex simpliciflorus subsp. maderensis southern Madeira
Polypodiaceae Arachniodes webbiana subsp. webbiana Dryopteris aitoniana Dryopteris × furadensis (D. aitoniana × D. intermedia subsp. maderensis) Dryopteris intermedia subsp. maderensis Polypodium × encumeadense (P. macaronesicum × P. vulgare) Polystichum drepanum Polystichum falcinellum Polystichum × maderense (P. falcinellum × P. setiferum)
Ranunculaceae † Delphinium maderense – Madeira (Vale da Alegria). Last recorded in 1956.
Rosaceae Chamaemeles Chamaemeles coriacea Marcetella maderensis Rosa mandonii Rubus serrae Rubus suspiciosus Rubus vahlii Sorbus maderensis
Rubiaceae Galium productum – central and southern Madeira
Sapotaceae Sideroxylon mirmulano
Saxifragaceae Saxifraga maderensis Saxifraga maderensis var. maderensis Saxifraga maderensis var. pickeringii Saxifraga portosanctana
Scrophulariaceae Scrophularia hirta Scrophularia lowei Scrophularia moniziana Scrophularia pallescens Scrophularia racemosa
Solanaceae Solanum trisectum
Viburnaceae Sambucus lanceolata
Violaceae Viola paradoxa Viola sequeirae
References