J. Adelaidc Bol. Gard. 15(2): 87 .92 (1993)

TAGASASTE IN THE CANARY ISLANDS IN THE 17TH CENTURY

J. Francisco-Ortega*, H.J. Newbury & B.V. Ford-Lloyd

SchooI o[ Biological Sciences, The University o[ Birmingham. P.O. Box 363, B15 2TI, Birmingham, United Kingdom

O. Soriano

Museo de Ciencias Naturales, Calle José Gutiérrez Abascal Num. 2, E-28006, Madrid, Spain

Abstraet

A rcference found in Arch ivo Histórico Nacional (Madrid) 10 a place called "Hoya del Tagasaste" ("Tagasaste PHI!) on the island of El Hierro ror Ihe ye.·u l659, could represent the oldest known quotalion on Iypical tagasaste (ChanraCC}1isus prolifcms (L. fil.) Link ssp. prolifcms varo palmcnsis (Christ) H.1nsen & Sunding) in the Canary Islands. Ecogeographical studies have suggestcd Ihat tagasaste is endemic lO the island of La })alma. ThereCore this finding indicatcs thal eilher tagas.1sle was introduced from La Palma as a cul1ivaled spccies carHer than jt was previously bclieved or tbat it refcrs lo anotber endemic Chamacc)',;slIs oC El Hierro (esoobon oC El Hierro = C. prolifems ssp. prolifems varo hierre"sis (Pitard) J.R. Acebcs) which is 1l0W known as "tagasaste salvaje" (wild tagasaste) or "t.1gasastC de risco" (c1iff tagasaste) by pcasant farmers of Ih is island.

Introduction

Tagasaste (Chamaecytisus proliferus (L. fil.) Link ssp. pro/iferus varo pa/mellsis (Christ) Hanscn & Sunding) is a [odder shrub which is endem ic lO Ihe island of La Palma in the Canary Islands. Together with six other morphological types, it fOflTIS a species complex endemic to the Canary Islands (Table 1).

The word "tagasaste" is rcgarded as having a Berber derivat ion (Wolfel, 1965, p. 445), and Foucauld (1940, p. 85; 1951, p. 489) rcported the use by the native people of northern Africa of Ihe Berber word "tagscst" for eilher a grass w ith Ihick leaves or [or any perennial species. In the late 16th Cenlury, Frutuoso (1590, p. 121) reported the occurrence in La Palma of a bush known as rtlageles" which could have referred lO the actual tagasaste endemic lO Ihis island.

The younger Linnaeus (1781, p. 328) gave the first botanical description of C. pro/iferus as Cytisus proliferus, and Ihis was based on material gathered in Tenerife by the British plant collector F. Masson (Linnaeus fil. , 1781, pp. 27, 328). The work of the younger Linnaeus in I781 praduced the first type description for the C. proliferus complex. However, in 1694 and 1696 the Brilish herbalisl Leonard Plukenet reported as Cytisus arboreus Canariensis, what appear to have becn plants of whitc escobon of Tenerife (plukenet, 1694, tab. 277; 1696, p. 128). This English botanist reported it as a Cytisus, not previously described, fram the Canary Islands, which had white flowers aod sericcous leaves and which was known as "texo" by the natives of the archipelago (Fig. lA). A vouchcr fram Plukenet's herbarium (Fig. lB) at the Brilish Natural History Muscum (BM) (Sloane Herbarium Vol. 96) is of white escobon of Tenerife and is very similar 10 the plan! illuslrated in his work from 1694. AJthough Ihe specimen illuslraled in Figure lA is nOI [rom a plan! o[ Iypical tagasaste, il represents the oIdest known dried specimen of a morphological [onn o[ the C. proliferus complexo

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Figure 1: Plukenet's illuslralion (pointed in A) of 1696 is believed lo be ¡he oldest published reference concerning Chamaecytisus proliferus from the Canary Islands. lt refers lO a planl of white escobon of Tenerife (poinled in B) found in Plukenet's herbarium ( BM, Sloane Herbarium Vol. 96. Plge 2). Courtesy oC Department of Botany, British Museum (Natural Histo ry).

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The first reports 00 Ihe cultivation and use of typical lagasaste in La Palma were giveo by Pérez (1862) who has also been considered as the first persan to propaga te tagasaste from this island (pérez-Ventoso, 1892). Furthermore, Francisco-Ortega et al. (1991) suggested that it was likely Ihat Ihe oldest reference on tagasaste carne [rom an undated herbariurn specimen held in the Herbarium Webbianum in F10rence (Fl). The label of this specimen sta tes that planls of C. pro/irerus from La Palma were known as tagasasle. Moreover Ihe handwriting on Ihis label appears lo be thal of Ihe botanisl P.B. Webb (C. Nepi pers. comm.) which means Ihat il could have been mounled belween Webb's slay in Ihe Canary !slands in 1828 and his death in 1854 (Steam, 1937).

Díaz-Padilla & Rodríguez-Yanes (1990, p. 217), in Iheir work concerning Ihe hislory of Ihe islaods of La Gomera and El Hierro fram Ihe conquest unlil the 18th century, claimed Ihat in Ihe Archivo Histórico Nacional (AHN) in Madrid, there was a reference daled 1659 to a locatioo 00 the island of El Hierro named I1Hoya del Tagasaste" ("Tagasaste Pit" = "Tagasaste Depression"). They menlioned Ihal Ihe reference was found in Ihe book 2557, sheels 455 and 516 of Ihe IIsección del clero" (clergy seclion) of the AHN.

Figure 2: Page o( Ihe will of Hel'na udo D(az de Aguiar (AHN, Book 2557, rcvcl'sc side of sheet 458, Sección del C lero) (rom 1659 where Ihe oldest known referencc lO tagasaste (poillted) in the Canary Islands is found. Courlcsy of Archivo Histórico Nacional, Madrid, Spain.

As Ihe work of Díaz-Padi lla & Rodríguez-Yanes (1990) was concemed mainly wilh Ihe history of these two islands Ihey did nm discuss Ihe possible relevanee of Ihis finding lo the history of lagasaste as a eultivated speeies. We there[ore aim to confinn thal Ihis is the oldest known reference on lagasaste, and lo provide a brief discussion on Ihe possible occurrenee of this fodder legume in Ihe island of El Hierro.

Details of !he earlies! description

The carHest known evidence for the use of the word tagasaste is found in doeumenls held al AHN, and refers lo a locality of the island of El Hierro. An exlraet of Ihis document is illustrated in Figure 2 which elearly indicales Ihal a place from Ihis island received Ihe name of "Hoya del Tagasaste" C'Tagasaste Pil ") in 1659. lt is found on the reverse side of sheel 458, in book 2557 of Ihe clergy seclion, and it is parl of the will of Hemanda Díaz Aguiar. The locality "Hoya del Tagasaste" is mentioned twice 0 11 this page. Une 14 fram Ihis page sta tes that this part of Ihe will refers to the island of El Hierro. The whole doeumenl was wrilten on March 20lh, 1659 and is six pages tong, [rom sheet 455 lo sheel 460. On lines 21 and 22 of the reverse side of page 458 il is stalcd " ... declaro que en un cercado de Amador Fernández que tiene en la hoya que dicen del tagasasle ... " ( ... J declare thal in a place of Amador Fernández which is loeated in the pi! which is known as tagasaste ... ), furthermore on line 31 from the same page, is stated " ... por haber puesto los linderos en la hoya del tagasaste ... " ( ... becausc the boundaries

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Figure 3: Map of Ihe island of El Hierro showing ¡he dislributioll of cu ltivalcd tagasaste inside Ihe markcd areas (_.)j localitics where C. prolifems varo hierrensis is reporlcd (.)j and ¡acalion of Ihe two places wh ich nowadays nx:e ive Ihe llame of "Hoya del Tagasaste" tAi. Adaplcd from Pérez de paz el al. (1986) and Francisco-Orlega (1992). were eslablised in tagasasle pit..). It is also slated (I ine 27) that Ihis localily was elose lo a place known as "Los Cercaditos de Marco Antonio". The faet that this reference is recorded in a wi1l, which can be regarded as an official document, suggesls a degree of aulhenticily. Allhough Díaz-Padilla & Rodríguez-Yanes (1990) indicaled that references lo "Hoya del Tagasaste" could be found on sheels 455 and 516; il is not recorded on Ihese Iwo pages. Furlhermore sheel 516 is part of anOlher will of Leonor Peraza. A1though we have nol fou nd any local ily wi lh Ihe names of "Hoya del Tagasaste" or "Los Cercaditos de Marco Antonio" on any known maps of El Hierro, J.R. Acebes-Ginovés (pers. comm.) has slated Ihat there are al least two places in Ihe isIand known as "Hoya del Tagasaste" (Fig. 3). One is found in El lulan, in the south, and the olher on the eastem plateau of San Andrés. BOlh localilies are oulside the recognised distribulion range of escobon of El Hierro (e. proliferus ssp. proliferus var. hierrellsis) bul Ihey are within the presenl zone of eullivated lagasasle (Fig. 3).

Despile the fael Ihal the word lagasaste is commonly used in the arehipelago for C. proliferus varo palmensis, peasant farmers fram El Hierro aIso know escoban of El Hierro as "tagasaste salvaje" (wild tagasaste) or "tagasaste de risco" (eliff tagasaste) (rabie 1 g ives a surnmary of common names of e. proliferus from Ihe Canary Islands) whieh means that Ihe locality "Hoya del Tagasaste" could be relaled lo C. proliferus varo hierrellsis, and Ihal it mighl have been found in an area claser to El Golfo eliffs where this species exisls today (Fig. 3). This morphological form only occurs in this region and it is not eultivated.

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Morphological ronn

C. proliferus ssp. proliferus (White escobon of Tenerife)

C. proliferns ssp. proliferns varo c(lIIariae (White escobon of Gran Canaria

C. proliferos ssp. proliferus varo palmensis (Typical tagasaste)

C. proliferos ssp. poliferus varo calderae While ta asaste

C. proliferus ssp. proliferus varo /¡ierrensis (Escobon of El Hierro)

C. proliferus ssp. angustifolius (Narrow-leaved escobon)

C. proliferus ssp. meridionalis (Escobon of southern Gran Canaria

Spanish common name

Escob6n blanco Escob6n Escob6n de monte

Escob6n blanco

Tagasaste

Tagasaste negro Tasagaste Satagasate Escobón negro Ta asaste Imero Tagasaste blanco Ta asasle azul

Tagasaste salvaje Tagasaste de risco Escob6n &robón Tagasaste criollo Tagasaste

Escob6n

Tagasaste during the 1'Ith Century

Geographlcal region

Northern Tenerife Northem Tenerife Northern Tenerife Northern Gran Canaria

La Palma, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, El Hierro and La Gomera Caldera de Taburiente (La Palma) La Palma and Gran Canaria La Palma and Gran Canaria Gran Canaria La Gomera Caldera de Taburiemte (La Palma) Northcrn La Palma

El Hierro El Hierro El Hierro

Tenerife La Gomera La Gomera Southern Gran Canaria

Table 1: Spanish common local names tor the seven forms of C. proliferos in the Canary Islands after Santos-Guerra (1983). Pérez de paz et al. (1986), Acebcs-Ginovés (1990) and Francisco-Ortega (1992). Farmers from La Palma know as "tagasaste mollar" a form of white tagasaste or typical tagasaste which is easier lo prune. Farmers. from northem Gran Canaria call "escobón mulato" planlS Ihat seem to be hybrids between typical tagasaste and whlte escobon oC Gran Canaria. Forms of typical tagasaste with larger lcaves are known as "tagasaste hembra" or "tagasasta': whilst forms with small lcaves are known as "tagasaste macho" in La Palma. Ephedra fragilis (Ephedraoeae), ID La Palma, and SfXJrtocytisus filipes (Fabaoeae), in La Palma and La Gomera, are also called escobón. Note Ihat the word tagasaste is nol used in Ihe archipelago lo name any other species from the Canary Islands.

If this locality really refers to an area where typical tagasaste used to be cultivated, it would mean firstly that it was ¡ntractuced from La Palma earlier than it was previously believed and that Dr Victor Pérez was not the first persan to propagate tagasaste from th is island (Francisco-Ortega et al., 1991), and secondly that the species has been under cultivation from the 17th century despite the fac t that none of the botanists from lhe 16th-18th century reported tagasaste as a cult ivated species in the Canary Islands (Francisco-Ortega et al., 1991) .

Whether this locality represents {he occurrence of C. proliferus var. palmellsis or C. proliferus varo lzierrelJsis canoot be ascertained al present. However, we are convinced that the ward lagasaste faund in this document from AHN refers to ane of the morphological forms of C. proliferus; this word has Ilever been used e ither by any botanist or by local people to refer to another species from the Canary Island flora. It is likely that further research in this or other archives wi ll provide more information concerning the cultivation and use of this fodder species by peasant farmers in the Canary Islands befare 1862. For now this should be considered as the earliest referencc on the occurrence of th is endemic species in the Canary lslands.

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Acknowledegments

This wark was funded by a personal grant (JFO) from Minis¡eria de Educación y Ciencia, Spain: Programa Nacional de Fonnación de Personal Investigador en el Extranjero (grant no. PG88 42044506). We thank J.R. Acebes-Ginavés (Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife) for useful information concerning common names in the Canary Islands. Thanks are due to N. de Diego and J.M. González (AHN) far assislance during studies af archives, ta C.E. Jarvis (BM) far his help and advice in studies af Slaane Herbarium and ta C. Nepi (F1) far inlerpretatian af handwriting on specimens from Herbarium Webbianum. Both 1. Perera-López and P. Vinuesa (Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife) provided valuable informatiao an the etymalagy af tagasaste.

References

Aeebes-Ginovés. IR. (1990). "Contribuci6n al estudio de los géneros ChamaecytislIs Link y DOY}'ClIium Mili. en el archipiélago canario". (Ph.D. thesis, Universidad de La Laguna: La Laguna, Tenerife).

Dfaz-Padilla, G. & Rodríguez-Yanes, J.M. (1990). "El señorío en Us Canarias Occiden tales: La Gomera y El Hierro hasta 1700". (Cabildo Insular de El Hierro, Cabildo Insular de La Gomera).

Foucauld, P.C. de (1940). "Dictionaire abrégé Touareg-Francais de noms propres". (André Basset La Rose). Foucauld, P.e. de (1951). "Dictionaire Touareg-Francais", vol. L (I mprimerie Nationale de Franee). Francisco-Ortega, J. (1992). "A.n ecogcographieal study within the Chamaecytislis prolifenls (L filo) Link com plex

(Fabaceae: Genisteae) in the Canary Islands". (Ph.D. the>is, T he University of Birmingham: Birmingham). Francisco-Ortega, J.; Jacoon, M.T.; Santos-Guerra, A. & Fernández-Galván, M. (1990). Genetic resources of the

fodder legumes tagasaste and escobon (Chamaccytisus prolifenls (L. fil.) Link sensu lato) in the Canary lslands. FAO/IBPGR Plant Gelletic Resources NewsleUer 81/82: 27-32.

Francisco-Ortega, J.; Jackson, M.T.; Santos-Guerra, A. & Fernández-Galván, M. (1991). Historical aspects of Ihe origin and distribution of tagasaste (ChamaeCylisus prolifcms (L. nI.) Link ssp. palmensis (Christ) Kunkel), a fodder tree from Ihe Canary Islands. J.Adelaide Bol.Gard. 14: 67-76.

Frutuoso, G. (1590). "Las Islas Canarias (de Saudades da terra) traducción de la obra escrita en 1590 por E. Serra, J. Régulo y S. Petra". (Instituto de Estudios Canarios: La Laguna, Tenerife).

Linnaeus, e. filo (1781). "Supplementum plantarum systematis vegctabilium". (Impesis Orphanotrophei: Braunschweig).

Pércz. V. (1862). Agricultura. El Guallche 294. Pérez-Ventoso, J.V. (1892). "Le tagasaste (Cytisus prolifenls varietas) fourrage important". (Semaine Medicale: Paris). Pérez de Paz, P.L; Arco M. del; Acebes-Ginovés, J.R. & Wildpret, W. (1986). "Leguminosas forrajeras de Canarias".

(Cabildo Insular de Tenerife: Santa C ruz de Tenerife). Plukenet, L. (1694). "Phylographia sive stirpium illuslriorum et minus cognitarum, pars quarta". (Landon). Plukenet, L. (1696). "Almagestum bolanicum sive phytographiae pluc'nctianae onomasticon methodo synthetica

digeslum". (London). Santos-Guerra, A. (1983). "Vegetación y flora de La Palma". (Interinsular Canaria: Santa Cruz de Tenerife). Stearn, W.T. (1937). On the dates of publication of Webb and Berthelot's "Histoire naturelle des Bes Canaries".

J.Soc.Bibl.Nal.Hist. 1: 49-63. Wolfel, D.J. (1965). "Monumenta linguae canariae". (Akademische Druck Velagsantalt: Graz).

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