Patagonia January 2010 , The Viola tour

[gervandenbeuken]

Hello Franz,

depending on the species. The rosettes of Viola tectiflora are from 3 up to 6 cm.
From Viola columnaris the rosettes are 5 to sometimes 8 or 9 cm.
Most species however have rosettes of about 5 to 6 cm square.

[ruweiss]

Wow,
what a show, thank you so much for these beautiful pictures.
Some look like from an other planet; it is a pity, that many of them
are ungrowable for us average rockgardeners.

[krisderaeymaeker]

I have even no words for this Ger.
What a great tour !!!  I won't  try to pick one out ,could not choose anyway.
This must be one of the best Viola-tours ever made. 
Must see the pictures few times more....and enjoy it again and again.

[ranunculus]

MAGNIFICENT THREAD. INCREDIBLE IMAGES. BREATHTAKING HABITAT. WONDROUS PLANTS. MANY THANKS GER.

[Richard Green]

Ger, the climate must be very harsh.  These flowers are surrounded by dry sand and gravel so must have deep and searching root systems to survive where nothing else can.  How much rain falls in the summer, and what are the temperatures in day and night when the flowers are open?

[Ezeiza]

"Ger, the climate must be very harsh.  These flowers are surrounded by dry sand and gravel so must have deep and searching root systems to survive where nothing else can.  How much rain falls in the summer, and what are the temperatures in day and night when the flowers are open?"

Worst, the never stopping winds and gales.

[gervandenbeuken]

Dear Richard and alberto,

In general, the Patagonian climate is moderate. The seasons are well defined, however, we can say that fall and spring are short, while winters are long.
There is great difference  between summer and winter, as well as a substantial temperature difference between day and night.  The average winter temperature is -2ºC and summer maximum temperatures can reach 40ºC at some places. In Tierra del Fuego, temperatures rise to 18ºC and annual rainfalls can be of approximately 800 mm. To be able to travel safely and enjoy the Patagonian landscape, the best time to see the plants in flower is the spring and the summer, between the months of November  and January. Another characteristic of the Patagonian climate is the wind. It can blow up to 100 km/h, mainly in the central and Antarctic areas.
Viola vulcanica, trochlearis and tectiflora are growing in very fine vulcanic sand. At the moment you find the plants you think they grow in extremely dry conditions. Nothing is less true for approximately 10 cm below the surface sand was pretty moist.

[gervandenbeuken]

Hello Kris,

many thanks for your kind comments.
I received several responses from specialists and they agree never again we can organize such a succesfull Viola tour.
Actually a result of the very long winter and cold spring in S. Argentina. The vegetation was quite late this year.
On the other hand I realise also now that there is a big difference in flowering time between the Province Neuquen and Santa Cruz.

Tot ziens volgende week Zaterdag in Utrecht.
Ger & Mariet

[Richard Green]

I have seen some of these violas on the show bench and they scarcely seem able to survive the conditions you describe.  However these plants are well adapted with thick leaves and in some cases hairy leaves to reduce water loss. 

The wind speed will also be much lower at only 10cm from the ground, and any rocks will create favourable microclimates for survival. Many of your pictures show plants near or between rocks and this must must allow germination to occur more easily in these places.

[TheOnionMan]

It's hard to express more than what viewers of this thread have already expressed, but I still must THANK YOU for the most amazing and intimate exposé on rosulate violets I have ever seen.  The photo essays on V. columnaris and V. cotyledon paint a memorable portrait of diversity and adaptation to harsh Patagonian environments, and I feel as if for the first time, I truly have a sense about what these plants look like.  I'll be coming back to this thread over and over again to see the violets and all the other exciting plants too.

The pure white and various shades of blue V. cotyledon are marvelous. And that last photo of V. trochlearis, with distinctive net-textured foliage, the leaves red-orange lined and a ruff of cilia, dark purple fls, and some open spent seed pods too, oh my, thanks Ger for "taking us there"!  

A few questions:

1.  Is the Flora of Patagonia well defined and described?  It is such a vast area, I'm surprised there aren't more plant spa or "plant sp." photos.  It is wonderful to see all of these plants, with their identifications.

2.  Do you spend time in the field making species ID determinations, or do you do some of that afterwards by closely studing your photos?

3.  Looking at rosulate viola rosettes, frequently in brown and earthy-color shades closely resembling their rocky surroundings, I imagine they are well camouflaged thus difficult to spot, particularly when not in flower.  How hard are these to find?

[gervandenbeuken]

Mark, Flora Patagonica is despite the urgent need to rewrite an indispensable book. Much information is outdated and particularly in recent years have been pretty much expeditions organized by botanists and specialists to Patagonia.
Therefore, a good professional botanist is indispensable during such travel. We had a professional botanist from the University of Bariloche joining our expedition and almost all species could get identified in the field. Afterward identifiation from Photos is very difficult. Paricularly the genus Junellia and Calceolaria is quite extensive.
Yes Mark, I agree with you that it is very hard to find plants like Viola vulcanica, trochlearis and tectiflora. Our botanist had some coordinates from former expeditions.
This is a very welcome advantage. Hopefully some of your questions are answered correctly.

[Diane Whitehead]

In the latest Rock Garden 124, there is an ad on page 122 which
says you are organizing a trip in November 2011 to three places
in the high Andes.  Have you travelled to these areas before?

[gervandenbeuken]

No Diane, I was now 6 times in S. America. 5 times in North and South Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego en 1 time in Northern and Central Chile. It was my idea this time to organize an expedition to N. Argentina and Chile and Mendoza. In March a botanist and biologist go to these areas to explore the opportunities in terms of high alpine plants, accessibility of the high Andes and accomodation.We will go with a group of maximum15 people.
There is a currently list of 19 interested persons now.  However perhaps there are people who decide later to cancel.
If you would want to be on this list without any obligation, you can pass me that by email.
Once I got the information I send everyone an email with details about options, accommodation, price and more.
Any question, don't hesitate to ask me.
Ger

[Lesley Cox]

I've only just now been pointed in the direction of this fabulous thread. How can I have missed it? Amazing plants and places Ger, and I thank you truly, madly, deeply, for sharing them with us.

[cohan]

thanks for this trip--amazing plants in a beautiful setting!