29 Nov 2012
Cleistocactus samaipatanus
Finding cacti on the sheer cliffs of Refugio Los Volcanes was a surprise to me! I saw their red flowers from afar, but assumed totally different species.
16 Nov 2012
Cardon cactus (Echinopsis tarijensis)
When not in bloom it looks just like the white-flowering Echinopsis atacamensis, but this one is much rarer, and I found only one with flower here on the…
16 Nov 2012
Cardon cactus (Echinopsis tarijensis)
When not in bloom it looks like the white-flowering Echinopsis atacamensis, but this one is much rarer, and I found only one with flower here on the slopes of…
16 Nov 2012
Cactus nest on Isla del Pescado (Fish Island)
For birds that have a need to build nests above ground, a desert has few options, so they learn to deal with the spines and use them to their advantage. It…
16 Nov 2012
Cardon cactus (Trichocereus atacamensis ssp. pasacana)
The white-spined variety is my favourite of the cacti here, and with the backdrop of the white salt flats they create a surreal feeling of ice and snow!
16 Nov 2012
Cardon cactus (Trichocereus atacamensis ssp. pasacana)
The flowers of this species are simply gorgeous! Huge, juicy and dripping with resin! Without these cacti, the local insect and bird populations would have a…
16 Nov 2012
Cardon cactus (Trichocereus atacamensis ssp. pasacana)
Many of the local guides regard the white-spined Echinopsis atacamensis as a separate species from the brown-spined, but evidently this is one species that has…
16 Nov 2012
Cardon cactus (Trichocereus atacamensis ssp. pasacana)
Many of the local guides regard the white-spined Echinopsis atacamensis as a separate species from the brown-spined, but evidently this is one species that has…
14 Nov 2012
Maihueniopsis molfinoi
When the flower is gone, the remaining part is well protected from being reached, so what species is the fruit aimed at? Only insects and small rodents will…