Finally I found an Erdisia, as yet unknown to me, with a subterranean tap root, some very beautiful forms of Weberbauerocereus with a deep yellow spination, as well as a fairly young plant of Browningia candelaris, which had not yet made a crown, but which had reached maturity as was shown by the lack of heavy spines and increased density of the areoles that were adorned only by hairy brush like spines. Without the characteristic crown, it is difficult to recognise this plant which at this stage looks very peculiar. On the way back, I saw beautiful snow-white specimens of Tephrocactus multiareolatus.growing up the steep rock face.

Back in Chala we headed in the direction of Nazca. We looked on some very arid hill sides in vain for Islaya biocolor that is reported to occur this side of Nazca. As far as I know, this plant has only been found by Akers and later by Ritter.

Islaya flavida Ritter nom. prova. at 1,300 m in southern Peru. photo: Buining

Eulychnia ritteri Cullm.forma cristata in the south of Peru.    photo: Buining

The sun was lowering in the sky and a hard, cold wind blew in from the sea when we thought that see Islaya's in the distance. This proved to be the case and that it was the species that we had been looking for, which in this locality, occurred in good numbers over a large area. Can you imkagine my amazement when I ran up a prominent hill to find a plant I had described some time ago, Haageocereus multilcolorispinus, originally sent to me by Akers who had collected this plant near Islaya bicolor. Ritter believes that this is only a form of Haageocereus decumbens, but which I doubt. However I was very pleased with my discovery alongside this quite rare Islaya. In the mean time, the sun had set and, freezing cold, we carefully drove back to Nazca.

From this small town we followed a narrow valley, back into the high mountains. At first the area was bone dry, but as we got higher, along a dangerous narrow track, we reached an area bathed in bright sun light. where we found Weberbauerocereus rauhii, Loxanthocereus clavispinus and L. hystrix, at about 1800 meter altitude where a possible form or variety of Browningia candelaris grows in thick fogs.

(to be continued)