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This
season Dec 07 to April 08 was fantastic for botanizing, we had
rain all down through the Atacama Desert, even in Arica a couple of
times! This is not the area of the gaudy flowering desert, here
the trick is to investigate remote desert quebradas and look around on
rock piles and cliffs, put a hand lens on the bog plants, check out all
the microhabitats and usually there is an exquisite, although tiny
reward. From December through March Barb took nearly 3,000 photos
of wildflowers, she hopes to get through the editing sometime this
year! Sample trip reports for February-March (after rainy
season) and November (height of dry season)
Feb-Mar (during
and after rainy season) some genera in bloom (from about 2,700 to 4.800
masl) included: Aa, Mastigostyla, Ranunculus,
Oxychloe, Tetragonia, Atriplex, Cumulopuntia, Opuntia, Cylindropuntia,
Oreocereus, Chenopodium, Cardionema, Spergularia, Arenaria,
Pycnophyllum, Mirabilis, Calandrinia, Portulaca, Cistanthe, Balbisia,
Erodium, Krameria, Fagonia, Hoffmanseggia, Senna, Dalea, Astragalus, Lupinus,
Adesmia, Medicago, Polylepis, Tetraglochin, Passiflora, Oxalis, Eudema,
Draba, Lepidium, Tarasa, Nototriche, Cristaria, Lavatera, Caiophora,
Gilia, Cryptantha, Phacelia, Gentiana, Philibertia, Calceolaria,
Bartsia, Mimulus, Castilleja, Plantago, Junellia, Verbena, Acantholippia, Nicotiana,
Fabiana, Dunalia, Lycopersicon, Solanum, Exodeconus, Lycianthes,
Jaborosa, Azorella, Hypsela, Chuquiraga, Mutisia, Perezia, Plazia,
Polyachyrus, Hypochaeris, Sonchus, Werneria, Baccharis, Diplostephium,
Parastrephia, Senecio, Tagetes, Stevia, Nastanthus....and more,
especially from the Cruciferae and Asteraceae families.
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Trip report
November (dry season July
- November): Although late November is the "off season" for
botanizing here in the extreme north of Chile, (18 deg S latitude) we
still had a lot of fun and some flowers were found although it takes
some looking. This list
is from 2006, and a similar pattern was evident in 2007.
Genera encountered in bloom in the precordillera
and altiplano: Ranunculus, Eschscholzia, Corryocactus, Cumulopuntia,
Opuntia, Oreocereus, Trichocereus, Cistanthe, Chenopodium, Spergularia, Pycnophyllum,
Nototriche, Tarasa, Lavatera, Krameria, Passiflora, Caiophora, Eudema,
Adesmia, Senna, Lupinus, Medicago, Balbisia, Erodium, Gentiana, Dunalia,
Lycopersicon, Nicotiana, Fabiana, Solanum, Verbena, Acantholippia,
Mimulus, Hypsela, Senecio, Chuquiraga, Polyachyrus, Werneria, Tagetes,
Baccharis, Diplostephium.
See wildflower
samplers, above, for what to expect in bloom after the "Bolivian
Winter".
Please inquire about Barb's tours or choose daily guide service in your own rental car. |
