Lanzarote, despite its aridity, is one of the most grateful lands since the first rains fall in the winter months. After the recent rains that fell throughout the island, a green and colorful mantle has covered many areas, a spring image that had not been noticeable so intensely for some years.
Among the species of flora are species such as poppies, the Canary daisy, the cliff sow thistle, the cow's tongue, the glasswort or the sorrel, these last two edible and with medicinal properties that the people of Lanzarote used in the past and that many are unaware of today.
In this sense, there are two main books on the flora of Lanzarote, which explain the uses of the species in the past through information collected from the testimonies of shepherds and farmers on the island. They are Flora Vascular de Lanzarote, by Jaime Gil and Marta Peña, and Usos culturales de las yerbas de los campos de Lanzarote, also by Jaime Gil, Marta Peña and Raquel Niz, which serve as a guide to better understand the vegetation of the island.
However, despite their possible food and medicinal uses, it must be remembered that many of these species are protected and their collection is totally prohibited, since Lanzarote is an island with a rich biodiversity and, in addition, its fauna and flora is very sensitive to any action by humans.
Edible species
Part of the flora that germinates in Lanzarote with the rains of this season are edible and were used by Lanzarote's farmers to feed themselves or for medicinal use. This is the case of the glasswort (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum), a species native to the Canary Islands that is green in color, although its leaves turn reddish just before withering. It is a plant that grows close to the ground and contains a large amount of water in its leaves. During the second half of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, its use spread to make caustic soda by drying the plant and then burning it in ovens, creating what was called 'glasswort stone' with its ashes.
This material was exported to different countries in Europe, especially England, but with the discovery of how to make caustic soda through artificial processes, its use declined. In addition, it served as food in the face of a lack of cereals after the Spanish post-war period. With the glasswort, the 'glass gofio' was made, a kind of flour that the poorest people ate and that was made from the ground seeds of the plant. "It was also used as fuel in houses, as food for animals and even as soap for washing clothes," explains Matías Hernández, environmentalist and coordinator of the Arrecife Natura Environmental Association.
In addition, its use went beyond, since it was used as a treatment for some pulmonary and genital diseases, as well as liver, kidney problems and for intestinal inflammation. Currently, modern haute cuisine uses it as another ingredient for many dishes such as salads.
Another of the plants that grow in every corner after the rains is the one known as sorrel (Rumex vesicarius), a small plant that is green when it has abundant moisture and that changes its leaves to a reddish tone when it is more exposed to a drier climate. Its leaves are edible and have an acidic but pleasant taste that may resemble a citrus flavor. "Shepherds used to consume it to relieve thirst and it was a resource that livestock, especially goats, liked, and there are older people in the south of the island who used sorrel, along with nettle and brotona, to treat pneumonia," says Hernández.
On the other hand, the cliff sow thistle (Sonchus pinnatifidus) was also another food that was consumed. "It grows naturally on my great-grandparents' farm and my uncle tells me that they ate the green leaves mixed with gofio dough," he says. Likewise, the tender shoots were used to feed livestock.
Species as fodder for animals
Many of the species of flora that germinate with the little rain served as food for livestock. One of those species is the Canary daisy (Chrysanthemum frutescens), originally from the archipelago, although it was also used as a stomach tonic and to combat asthma. We also find another type on the island, the Famara daisy (Argyranthemum maderense), an endemic species.
The tajasnoyo (Ferula lancerottensis) is one of the species that many people often confuse with fennel due to its great resemblance. Although it was not usually used for livestock or human consumption, the small fruit after its flowering could be used by livestock.
For its part, one of the most common and well-known plants by the people of Lanzarote is the one commonly called 'yerba múa' (Lotus lancerottensis). "It is from the legume family and this type of plant is usually more interesting from a nutritional point of view," explains the environmentalist. This species was used to feed livestock animals, something that is still valid today. However, "when its shoots are tender, they have a toxic component, hydrocyanic acid, so when it is very tender it is not very palatable," he continues.
Another of the flowers that we can see covering different areas of Lanzarote is the famous sow thistle (Reichardia tingitana), which was also highly appreciated by livestock and shepherds, since "they considered that it favored milk production".
Poppies are one of the flowers that also decorate the island's fields after the rains, although there are different varieties. "Some used them for feeding livestock, such as camels or goats, but others used their seeds to smoke because they had a narcotic effect known as 'drunken majapola'," concludes the environmentalist.
