Floreana has also got a couple of species endemic to this island alone, both belonging to two of the seven endemic plant genera of the Archipelago, Lecocarpus pinnatifidus (the Galapagos daisy, pioneer on lava and cinders at low elevations), and Scalesia affinis. Both belong to the composite family, and the Scalesia in particular is well known, often called the "finches of the plant kingdom" due to extensive adaptive radiation that gave rise to fifteen species and six varieties occurring on different islands and zones.
It was a pleasant surprise to see S. affinis in full bloom during the short walk to the flamingo lagoon today, especially as the flowers were covered with butterflies and carpenter bees, busily at work. There are not many pollinators in the islands, and these include eight species of butterflies and several moths. Because of the hot, dry nature of the daytime environment, very high proportions of Galapagos flowers are white, indicating the advantages of nighttime pollination. The butterfly in the picture is a common one in the dry zones, The Monarch (Danaus plexippus), the same species as the one found in North America.
