THE NORTH ATLANTIC islands that comprise Macaronesia - the Canary Islands, Madeira, Azores and Cape Verde -have long held a special interest for naturalists. Many species found there are closely related to native British plants yet, due to their isolated island evolution, they have become quite distinct, some becoming giants. The remoteness of Macaronesia has made it an endemism hotspot, providing a home for some very curious species.Notable botanists such as Sir Hans Sloane and Sir Joseph Banks visited Macaronesia on early voyages of discovery, collecting plants. Sloane's specimens from the Canary Islands formed the nucleus of the herbarium at London's Natural History Museum (NHM)and many other collections from those early voyages are also housed at the NHM. These have played a key role in documenting the diversity of the North Atlantic islands.
NSTL
