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The skies above were very threatening, making for some dramatic illumination of the mineral coloured hillsides.


[attachment 19444 hillside.jpg]

And here some real rain ahead of us.


[attachment 19445 rain.jpg]

We took a side turning from the main road along the vally which crossed the river and went up into the hills. The scenery here couldn't have been more different from what we had experienced at the beginning of the day at the Yavia site. It was damp, lush greenery, overcast sky and the feeling of something more like rainforest. This is where we parked the van in search of the elusive Rebutias that Mike has mentioned. The newish looking sign reads Angosto de Jaire.


[attachment 19446 scenery.jpg]

A wider view showing the hillside. Surprisingly these steep damp grassy hillsides are home to several Rebutia species as we were to find later.


[attachment 19447 scenery2.jpg]

Trees were draped with bromeliads and other epiphytes.

[attachment 19448 trees.jpg]

Mike mentioned the Begonias growing here. There were also Verbenas.


[attachment 19449 Verbena.jpg]

No Rebutias, but Mike showed the beautiful toad with its warning colouration. Here it is after it was released.


[attachment 19450 toad2.jpg]

This is perhaps what we might have found. From my greenhouse Rebutia species from Tiraxi 2930m which sounds higher than we were. This plant looks close to Rebutia wessneriana which is rather variable and has been collected from the Tiraxi area, especially the variety 'berylloides'.


[attachment 19451 Rebutia_sp_Tiraxi.jpg]

After our abortive Rebutia search we drove back to the main road and on to the biggish town of Jujuy where we stayed overnight in the rather nice Hotel Alvear.