24. SOUTH AMERICA

The climate in southernmost South America is so cold that many plants also can grow also in the other extreme of the world. However, the tall southern beeches (Nothofagus) only form shrubs in our new South American valley.

Lerkeurten/the redmaid Calandrinia caespitosa

The climate in southernmost South America is so cold that many plants also can grow also in the other extreme of the world. However, the tall southern beeches (Nothofagus) only form shrubs in our new South American valley. Also the ‘daisy shrub’ Chiliotrichum diffusum grows here, and we are trying out monkey puzzzle (Araucaria araucana) from the world’s oldest conifer family.

On the hills four species of wood sorrel (Oxalis) from Patagonian steppes do well, although their flowers only open during sunshine. Several species of slipper flower (Calceolaria) also thrive. They have oil glands instead of nectar in their balloon-like lower lips. We grow five species of redmaid (Calandrinia), which are included in a research project, as these are erroneously considered to represent one species with variable flower colours.

The umbellifers of Patagonia are strange, as they form cushions as a response to the extremely windy climate. Recent research indicates that they may have evolved in Antarctica before the continent was fully glaciated and that the genus Azorella needs to be split up.