Plocama pendula

Plocama pendula, known locally as balo, is a shrub of the madder family endemic to the Canary Islands, where it is especially characteristic of the arid lowlands of Gran Canaria, Tenerife and La Gomera. It forms a rounded crown of slender, drooping, broom-like branches reaching three to four metres, the pendulous green twigs largely taking over photosynthesis. The leaves are thread-like and linear, up to about five centimetres long, borne in whorls, and release a distinctly unpleasant odour when crushed. Small whitish to greenish flowers are followed by fleshy berries that are readily consumed and dispersed by birds. The plant exudes an irritant latex that is particularly harmful to the eyes. Well adapted to dry, rocky ravines and coastal scrub, balo is a conspicuous element of the thermophilous Canarian flora and is also valued as a melliferous species yielding a pale, sweet honey.