Heath

Of the three Ericaceae known by this name in Madeira, only two are of importance for their products: Erica scoparia, which is called urze durasia or broom heath, and E. arborea, known as urze molar or betouro. The latter has hairy leaves and branches; the former has them glabrous. The trunks, stumps and roots of these two species provide the best charcoal on the island, and their branches and twigs, once dried, are called ‘queima’ and are widely used as fuel. The urze molar, although almost always shrubby, can reach 8 to 10 metres in height, and in former times we knew some specimens whose trunks measured 1 to 2 metres in circumference. The wood of this species is hard, dense and dark brown, but it splits easily and is therefore little used in cabinetmaking. In the countryside it is sometimes used for troughs, spoons, etc. The stems that are not too thick make excellent walking staffs and hammock (rede, slung from a pole and carried by two bearers) poles. The urze durasia is almost always shrubby and only in some cases reaches 4 and 5 metres in height, when it has a small trunk 20 to 30 centimetres in diameter. Besides the uses mentioned, its branches serve for making brooms.