Valle de la Luna, La Paz, Bolivia

Submitted by daniel on Sat, 01/26/2013 - 20:09

  While getting ready for our Andine Amazon MushRoaming Tour we visited this outlandish landscape just below of La Paz.

 

Above the maze of Valle de la Luna

In the front parts of Vallet de la Luna - Valley of the Moon and parts of La Paz in the back.

A big rock keeps protecting this bit of former lake sediment from the erosional power of the rain and thus a column was formed through the millenna.

                      However there were all kinds of interesting lifeforms to be found.

 

 

A Pitcairnia (Bromeliaceae) has very elegant elongated flowers on left and right.

 

 

                    Nice to observe how the Pitcairnia flowers mature and dry up. 

 

A Humming bird that did not felt threaten by our presence just 3 m away from its resting and feeding place.

 

This hummer is feeding on nectar produced by Nicotiana glauca which is a species of wild tobacco known by the common name
 tree tobacco.

 

 

Theresa, Larry and Daniel sitting on the soft sediments out of which the Vallet de la Luna - The Moon Valley is continously eroding.

 

 

A suburb of lower La Paz

 

A Cactus in flower

 

A tiny-leaved fern, recognized as such only at scond sight, is probably Cheilantes pruinata (family Adiantaceae). What an adaptation to this extremely dry site! In the upper part of the photo one can see branches of Ephedra.

ld Lichens on an old cactus

 

                    A Lupine (Lupinius sp.) sub-shrub puts up with the harsh conditions.

 

Last edited on Mon, January 28, 2013, 7:48 pm