In the mean time, this
had taken over a week, so we had plenty of opportunity to visit
some interesting habitat localities in this bone dry desert area
where it never rains and where only the occasional sea fog drift
inland. Here we found
Eulychnia aricensis, with many remarkable and
pleasantly aromatic fruits. Despite our best efforts, we were
unable to find Pyrrhocactus aricensis.
It is very difficult to imagine the conditions under which Islaya krainziana,
the most southern occurring species, barely survives.
Browningia candelaris (Meyen) Br. et R.
in the border area between Peru and Chile, between 2 and 3000 m
with my wife.
photo: Buining
Corryocactus brevistylus (K.Sch.) Br. et R.
at 3,100 m in the border area between Peru and Chile.
photo: Buining
Neowerdermannia peruviensis Ritter nom. prov.
at 3,500 m in southern Peru. photo: Buining
Deep below the surface,
the soil is still bone dry. The plants lean sideways due to the
sea wind. Driving through this arid area, quite close to the
Andean foothills, at around 3,500 m altitude, we saw the first
thunderstorm clouds since our arrival in Chile. There were even
some rain drops, but the clouds did not move any farther to the
west.
There we saw the first
Browningia candelaris, Oreocereus variicolor, Corryocactus
brevistylus, Arequipa hempeliana, Neowerdermannia chilensis,
Tephrocactus berteri and T. echinaceus as well
as the yet undescribed Haageocereus chilensis, of
which Ritter
had never been able to see or collect flowers, fruits or seed.
This time, however, we were fortunate to fill in these missing
details.
Finally, on 7 February,
we were allowed to cross the border into Peru, where regretably we
ran into some problems with the police, although these problems
became less, the farther we were from the border area. After
collecting some
Islaya unguispinus we drove on to Moquegua and from there,
high up into the mountains where we were to see Neoraimondia arequipensis
for the first time. A very interesting gigantic
plant that is highly variable, so that much too many different
'species' names have been described.
Weberbauerocereus fascicularis occurred in large stands
and were still partly in flower and visitaed frequently by
pollinating hummingbirds.
We had to spend the night
in a misserable empoverished village and the next morning carried
on into the mountains, up to 3,500 m altitude.
Weberbauerocereus fascicularis (Meyen) Bbg.
at 1,900 m altitude in southern Peru.
photo: Buining
Islaya islayensis var. minor at 800 m
altitude in southern
Peru. photo: Buining
Here we found
Arequipa rettigii, a Trichocereus species,
Oreocereus hendriksenianus and the yet undescribed
Neowerdermannia peruviensis, as well as an unknown
Lobivia species, so far the most southern Lobivia
to be found on the westren side of the Andes. Back via Moquegua we
then went on towards Arequipa where, in a bone dry desert area we
found Islaya islayensis var.
minor, Corryocactus brevipetalus and Trichocereus glaucus.
In the Yaya-desert, west of Arequipa we saw the half-moon
shaped 'wandering sand dunes'.
Haageocereus platinospinus Bckbg., growing
on dry, barren hills near Arequipa.
photo: Buining
Close to Arequipa
grows Haageocereus platinospinus on rocky hillsides. In the
distance we could see the snow covered vulcano Misti. We
decided to avoid the old Inca town of Cuzco, as it was the summer
season. At this time of year there were frequent thunderstorms
here, which frequently wash away or block parts of the road.
However, before turning back, we managed to collect more cacti
around Arequipa:
Erdisia maihuenia and fruits of Browningia
candelaris. My earlier thoughts that this was a rare plant
appeared to be incorrect; quite the opposite is true. These plants
are quite common in southern Peru and northern Chile and occur at
altitudes between 1,800 and 3,000 meter.
(to
be continued)
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