Lobivia aurea

The vegetation there is of a different sort and doesn't withdraw to grasses. It is interesting that the bramble-like plants don't find a place there even the climate is propitious for, as we can see often in Mediterranean climate. Beside flat-leafed flowers even small ferns can be found. It looks like the arid climate to them is not harmful at all.

I didn't find any seedlings of Lobivias, but it is true that also mature plants were not there in great number.

If I compare this part of landscape with others that we visited later to the west, most of other places still showed much more rich vegetation as by Achiras. On the most fields we found at least five species of cacti so that was only an announce of what we found later on foothills of Cordilleras.

We hardily found small Lobivias as they were hidden under the grass. They were to eight centimeters big and were burnt when growing on full sun. We didn't find any flowers or fruits. When these plants are not in flowers, are very dull.

The shadow give to Lobivias mostly bigger Puyas. Old spiny leafs are gradually drying and for long time a dense layer of lignified tissue gives a strong shadow to smaller plants. In the beginning the shadow is agreeable but later can extinguish sun lover plants like Lobivias.

We found lots of Lobivias on foothills below big round rocks. Few small, more destroyed plants grew in cracks in grooves, some others in sandy clay between smaller stones towards the top of stony stake. On top, most of plants were burnt by sun and some had already died.