The Cape Verde Islands are an archipelago in The Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Africa, and form the island nation of Cape Verde. The islands are home to dozens of endemic species and subspecies of vascular plants.Endemic plants of Cape Verde, World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) checklist builder. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 18 February 2025. The Cape Verde Islands are part of Macaronesia, a biogeographical region which also includes the Azores, Canary Islands, Madeira, and the Selvagens.
Plants are listed alphabetically by plant family. Extinct and presumed extinct species are indicated with †.
Amaranthaceae Suaeda caboverdeana
Apiaceae Daucus carota subsp. annuus Daucus carota subsp. tenuissimus – Santo Antão and Fogo Daucus humilis Daucus insularis Daucus ribeirensis
Apocynaceae Cynanchum daltonii Periploca chevalieri
Arecaceae Phoenix atlantica
Asparagaceae Asparagus squarrosus Dracaena caboverdeana – Santo Antão, Sao Nicolãu, and Fogo
Asphodelaceae Asphodelus mariolousae – Fogo
Asteraceae Artemisia gorgonum Asteriscus daltonii – Santiago Asteriscus daltonii subsp. daltonii – Santiago Asteriscus daltonii subsp. vogelii Asteriscus smithii – São Nicolau Gymnanthemum bolleanum – São Nicolau Helichrysum nicolai Launaea gorgadensis Launaea picridioides Launaea thalassica – Brava Nidorella nobrei Nidorella varia Phagnalon melanoleucum Phagnalon melanoleucum var. luridum Phagnalon melanoleucum var. melanoleucum Pulicaria diffusa Pulicaria undulata subsp. fogensis – Fogo Sonchus daltonii Tolpis farinulosa Tolpis glandulifera
Boraginaceae Echium hypertropicum Echium stenosiphon – Santo Antão, São Nicolau, and São Vicente Echium stenosiphon subsp. glabrescens – São Nicolau Echium stenosiphon subsp. lindbergii – Santo Antão Echium stenosiphon subsp. stenosiphon – São Vicente Echium vulcanorum – Fogo
Brassicaceae Diplotaxis antoniensis – Santo Antão Diplotaxis brochmannii – Santo Antão Diplotaxis glauca – Boa Vista and Sal Diplotaxis gorgadensis – Santo Antão Diplotaxis gracilis – São Nicolau Diplotaxis hirta – Fogo Diplotaxis sundingii – São Nicolau Diplotaxis varia – Brava and São Tiago Diplotaxis vogelii – São Vicente Erysimum caboverdeanum – Fogo Lobularia canariensis subsp. fruticosa Lobularia canariensis subsp. spathulata
Campanulaceae Campanula bravensis – Brava, Fogo, and Santiago Campanula cochleromena Campanula feijoana – Santo Antão Campanula fransinea Campanula jacobaea – Santiago Campanula monteverdensis – São Vicente Campanula vicinituba
Caryophyllaceae Paronychia illecebroides Paronychia illecebroides var. illecebroides Paronychia illecebroides var. nicolauensis – São Nicolau Polycarpaea caboverdeana Polycarpaea gayi Polycarpaea gayi var. gayi Polycarpaea gayi var. halimoides Polycarpaea gayi var. lycioides
Cistaceae Helianthemum gorgoneum
Convolvulaceae Cressa salina
Crassulaceae Aeonium gorgoneum Umbilicus schmidtii
Cyperaceae Carex antoniensis – Santo Antão Carex hansenii Cyperus sieberianus – Santo Antão
Euphorbiaceae Euphorbia tuckeyana
Fabaceae Lotus alianus – Santo Antão and São Vicente Lotus brunneri Lotus chevalieri Lotus jacobaeus Fogo and Santiago Lotus oliveirae – Santo Antão Lotus purpureus Tephrosia gorgonea
Frankeniaceae Frankenia caboverdeana Frankenia montana – São Nicolau Frankenia pseudoericifolia
Gentianaceae Centaurium tenuiflorum subsp. viridense
Lamiaceae Lavandula rotundifolia Micromeria forbesii Micromeria forbesii var. altitudinum – Santo Antão Micromeria forbesii var. forbesii Micromeria forbesii var. inodora – Santo Antão and Fogo
Malvaceae Malva parviflora var. velutina – Santo Antão Sida coutinhoi
Orchidaceae † Habenaria petromedusa – Fogo. Last recorded in 1787.
Papaveraceae Papaver gorgoneum Papaver gorgoneum subsp. gorgoneum Papaver gorgoneum subsp. theresias – Santo Antão
Plantaginaceae Campylanthus glaber Globularia amygdalifolia Misopates orontium var. foliosum – Santo Antão Nanorrhinum dichondrifolium Nanorrhinum elegans Nanorrhinum webbianum – Santo Antão
Plumbaginaceae Limonium braunii Limonium brunneri Limonium jovibarba – São Vicente and São Nicolau Limonium lobinii – Santiago Limonium sundingii – São Nicolau
Poaceae Eragrostis conertii Hyparrhenia caboverdeana Urochloa caboverdiana
Polypodiaceae Dryopteris gorgonea – Fogo
Potamogetonaceae Potamogeton antaicus
Sapotaceae Sideroxylon marginatum
Scrophulariaceae Verbascum capitis-viridis Verbascum cystolithicum – Fogo
Solanaceae Solanum rigidum
Urticaceae Forsskaolea procridifolia
References