Dr. Robertson has twice been to the Island of Madeira, which lies in the Atlantic Ocean about 300 miles west of the North African coast, to study a very rare member of subfamily Maloideae, Chamaemeles coriacea, shown in the left photo. The plants grow just below the tops of sea cliffs, and they are nearly impossible to reach! The common name, "Box-of-the-Rocks" or "Buxo da Rocha" is most appropriate, for the shining evergreen leaves are reminiscent of boxwood (Buxus) and the plants occur on the basaltic rock faces and ledges of cliffs and ravine walls.

In the photo on the right, the red berries in the lower half belong to an endemic species of mountain ash, Sorbus maderensis found only at an altitude of about 5,000 feet on the second highest mountain in Madeira, Pico do Arieiro.

Photos by K. R. Robertson.

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