Tagasaste in the Canary Islands in the 17th century

Abstract

A reference found in Archivo Histórico Nacional (Madrid) to a place called "Hoya del Tagasaste" ("Tagasaste Pit") on the island of El Hierro for the year 1659, could represent the oldest known quotation on typical tagasaste (Chamaecytims prolifems (L fil.) Link ssp. proliferus var. palmensis (Christ) Hansen & Sunding) in the Canary Islands. Ecogeographical studies have suggested that tagasaste is endemic to the island of La Palma. Therefore this finding indicates that either tagasaste was introduced from La Palma as a cultivated species earlier than it was previously believed or that it refers to another endemic Chamaecytisus of El Hierro (escobon of El Hierro = C. proliferus ssp. proliferus var. hierrensis (Pitard) J.R. Acebes) which is now known as "tagasaste salvaje" (wild tagasaste) or "tagasaste de risco" (cliff tagasaste) by peasant farmers of this island.