Chile 2015

[nobby]

Dave, thank you for this wonderful travelogue.

Dot is right - the shown plant is an Alstroemeria leprina (I think).
The second one is called "Carbonillo" or in latin: Cordia decandra.

Nobby

[Acid John]

I am almost certain it is the whiter version of Alstroemeria kingii
http://www.chilebosque.cl/herb/alstroemeria_kingii.html

[DaveW]

Thanks all, I will have a look and see if I can get those flower names right.

Roger told me what this Opuntia was, but afraid I have forgotten it.

The local Eulychnia.

Colin Norton measured one Eulychnia's spines and they were 8 inches long.

Back in Thelocephala country again.

I nearly trod on this stick insect and it was a big one too.

[Tony R]

Roger told me what this Opuntia was, but afraid I have forgotten it.

Miqueliopuntia miquelii

[DaveW]

You are right Tony, many thanks.

A different site on the way back south for the big Eriosyce. Some variation in spine colour from a golden brown to a golden yellow. Note how the plants have germinated near or within the rocks rather than in the more open ground beyond.

Jean Cutler sitting against one to show size.

[DaveW]

Start of our last day in the field, we return home tomorrow.

Flowers don't just attract pollinators.

Certainly a Trichocereus this time.

Another wild flower I have not yet identified.

[nobby]

The last blue flower could be a Leucocoryne coquimbensis.

Nobby

[DaveW]

Thanks Nobby, will check it out.

We did find a little regeneration at this site. Eriosyce seedlings as usual looking rather different to the mature spination.

We found a few Neoporteria limariensis here too. They come in both greenish and reddish-brown bodies according to amount of exposure.

[DaveW]

A little further on we were trying to get to the coast again, but in recent years a lot of the land had been sold off for housing and fences and gardens barred our way. At the side of one garden was this rock face with the pink form of Neoporteria chilensis on it. I had to use my telephoto lens since we could not get up to it.

Evidently one had fallen down at some time and the householder had planted it in his garden right where we were able to photograph it.

This was our last day in habitat, the next day 4/11/15 we had to get ready and drive to Santiago Airport for a 13 hour overnight flight back to Madrid, then an hour or so on another flight to Heathrow, plus for me another hour or so coach ride back to Nottingham. Therefore I was shattered by the time I got home.

I was talking to Paul Klaassen at our branch meeting last night and was saying those wishing to go for the first time to habitat like me really need somebody to show them where the plants are, or give them directions. Paul recommended they read his blog on his trip following us, since people were now using his blogs to take them to the areas the plants grew. You can read it in the link below, but as Paul's last post is always on top you need to scroll right down to the bottom to read the posts in order. The continuation date links for his Chile trips can be found at the bottom of the right hand column:-

https://pkcactus.info/category/chile/chile-2015/page/2/

Unfortunately we being further away from habitat, the BCSS does not organise habitat tours as the American Society does. Roger Ferryman and Graham Charles guided the Cactus & Succulent Society of America tour to Chile in 2004.

Anyway that is the end of my travelogue. I try and avoid being in front of the camera because I think people always want to see what you are seeing and not you. I guess I am not really the type to do selfies, but they did snatch my camera from me in the end and insist I sat against the largest Eriosyce for scale since everybody else had done it.

[Keith H]

Thank you Dave that was a real pleasure reading your travelogue, I especially liked the plants that were only just visible through the topsoil and seeing how variable other plants were depending on the very localised conditions in which they are growing.