A survey about the orophilous shrubby vegetation of the Teide volcano (Tenerife) is provided, based on literature and unpublished data. The investigated communities are dominated by broom-shaped nanophanerophytes, chamaephytes and hemicryptophytes, well adapted to the climatic continentality characterizing their growing-sites, due to the localization above the cloud layer. From the syntaxonomical point of view, in this paper is proposed to refer this vegetation to the class Cytiso-Pinetea canariensis RIVAS GODAY & ESTEVE ex SUNDING 1972, to the order Spartocytisetalia supranubii SCHÖNFELDER & VOGGENREITER 1994 and to three alliances: Spartocytision supranubii OBERD. ex ESTEVE 1973, grouping the broom-shrublands occurring on relatively developed andosoils; Juniperion cedri all. nova, regarding the juniper communities colonizing steep rocky slopes; Violion cheiranthifoliae all. nova, grouping the hemicryptophytic communities of screes and unstable substrata. To support the syntaxonomic proposal, a multivariate numerical analysis, considering literature and personal data, has been performed. Moreover, considerations on the role that bioclimate plays on these plant-communities are given too.