Quebrada Botija

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Foto:  Ian Woolnough & Finn Larsen
 
You only find Copiapoas in  the northern parts of Chile in a narrow zone along the coast of the Pacific. The plants grow from the north at Antafogasta to Fray Jorge south of  La Serena in deserted and very dry areas.
About 100 kilometres south of Antofagsta you may find Quebrada Botija. A very deserted place where only a few fishermen are living in primitive huts along the ocean. Everything is so dry and there is only a brief evidence of life here. The mountains seem naked without any vegetation. 
We have quite a long walk in front of us till the top of  Quebrada Botija, and therefore we have to get up early as soon as the sun is visible in the horizon. We just eat a little and get a cup of coffee in the dawn before breaking up. Then off we go through sand and stones which is characteristic in these gorges which with interval of years are filled up with tremendous amounts of water which runs down into these quebradas from the surrounding mountains to get to the ocean.   We concentrate on getting to the top without looking too much at the plants that we actually see on the way up  - there will be more time to study the plants on our way down.
On the top we find to species: Copiapoa solaris and Copiapoa atacamensis - and nothing else. These plants grow above the fog zone and will eventually get some rain. According to Ritter ('Kakteen in Südamerika') he visited this locality several times and once experienced that the soil was wet from recent rain.
Copiapoa solaris
will in time grow to huge clusters with green "branches" which probably will be several hundred years old. Among Copiapoa solaris you find Copiapoa atacamensis wich are much smaller and have the typical white look. The plant has a carrot-like root where it can store  water underground as well.
On the way down we pay attention to the plants we meet. We see 
Copiapoa decorticans further down on the steep mountain-walls. It is a different looking plant and one may  assume that this species belongs to another complex of the Copiapoas with all relatives now extinct. Copiapoa decorticans was found a few years ago and described in 2002.
At the bottom of the Quebrada on the sand  between the mountains and the Pacific you will find a small Copiapoa which forms neat little clusters. Again a new species which was correctly described and classified in 2002 with the name 
Copiapoa ahremephiana (R-M-F 'iana for the initials of Roger M. Ferryman).
Copiapoa solaris Copiapoa solaris Copiapoa solaris Copiapoa solaris Copiapoa atacamensis
  Copiapoa
 solaris
  Copiapoa
 solaris
 Copiapoa
 solaris
Copiapoa
 solaris

Copiapoa atacamensis
Copiapoa atacamensis Copiapoa atacamensis Copiapoa atacamensis Copiapoa atacamensis Copiapoa decorticans
Copiapoa atacamensis  Copiapoa atacamensis Copiapoa atacamensis Copiapoa atacamensis Copiapoa decorticans  
Copiapoa decorticans Copiapoa decorticans Copiapoa rmfiana Copiapoa decorticans Copiapoa r-m-f-iana
Copiapoa decorticans    Copiapoa decorticans m.fl.
 Copiapoa
 r-m-f-iana

Copiapoa
 r-m-f-iana
 
Copiapoa
 r-m-f-iana




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