Álamo
The name álamo covers three poplar species grown in Madeira: white poplar, Lombardy poplar (also called choupo) and the American cottonwood, used for shade and timber.
Three trees of the family Salicaceae go by this name in Madeira: Populus alba, with leaves white-tomentose on the underside and often palmately lobed; P. nigra var. italica, with a pyramidal crown and triangular-ovate leaves; and P. monilifera, with a broad crown and leaves similar to those of the preceding species. The first, native to Europe, is frequent in Ribeira Brava, Machico, etc.; the second, native to the East, is also called choupo and is found in Camacha; the third, from North America, is grown in some squares and quintas and is a good shade tree. Poplars are easily propagated from cuttings, and their wood has various uses.
In this article
Place
Places mentioned · 03
- Camacha
Santa Cruz. Where Lombardy poplar is found.
Camacha is an upland parish above Caniço in Santa Cruz municipality, founded in 1676 with its seat in the São Lourenço chapel. The Elucidário covers its church, role in the 1828 Miguelist invasion, quintas, levadas, the Poiso shelter house, its Pentecost pilgrimage, women's padded skirts, its plants and gardens, and its famous wickerwork industry started by Hinton.
- Machico
Where white poplar is frequent.
The parish of Machico was the landing place of the discoverers Zargo and Tristão Vaz and the seat of the captaincy of Machico; the parish was founded c. 1450. The Elucidário covers its clergy and stipends, chapels, historical events, mineral springs, localities, population and notable natives.
- Ribeira Brava
Where white poplar is frequent.
Ribeira Brava is one of Madeira's oldest parishes, named after its violent stream, with a town, port and quay. The Elucidário covers its collegiate church and its paintings, its Franciscan convent and chapels, and its São Pedro festival with a boat and sword dance. It also records riots against the metric system and deaths when troops fired on the people during the 1884 election.