Bottle Tree - Brachychiton sterculia
Bottle Tree - Brachychiton sterculia
This tree is extremely drought tolerant and survives the extremes of the Gran Chaco. It's not surprising that Brachychiton populneus (Sterculia diversifolia), with a flask-shaped trunk, is called the Bottle Tree. Paraguayans call it palo borracho, or drunken tree, since the trunk stores water in dry weather. In a region where temperatures can remain around 110 F for months, and the wind scours the land, the tree can grow up to 75 feet, and as an evergreen, it is drought tolerant and can survive the temperature extremes of the Gran Chaco, South America's last frontier land.
Copihue, national flower of Chile
Growing in the souteern forests of Chile, the copihue, or Lapageria rosea), this climbing plant can reach 10 m or more.
"The fruit is colloquially known in Chile as a pepino (cucumber). In the past, the fruit was sold in markets, but the plant has now become rare through over-collection and forest clearance. The name of the fruit in Mapudungun is actually kopiw, which is the etymon of Spanish copihue; the Mapuche call the plant kolkopiw (colcopihue in Spanish, which may also refer to the whole plant).
The flower is called kodkülla in the indigenous language. The roots were once collected and used as a substitute for sasparilla. In 1977 The plant was given legal protection in the country of Chile." (Wikipedia)
Araucaria - monkey puzzle tree
"Araucaria araucana (Pehuén or Monkey-puzzle) is the hardiest species in the conifer genus Araucaria. It is native to central Chile and west central Argentina, and is an evergreen tree growing to 40 m tall and 2 m trunk diameter. Because of the species' great age it is sometimes described as a living fossil. Araucaria araucana is the national tree of Chile." (Wikipedia)
Puya Raymondi
"Bromeliaceae (the bromeliads) is a large family of flowering plants native to the tropical and warm temperate Americas. The Puya Raymondi us the largest of the Puya species and is unique to Peru and Bolivia. It can reach up to 4 metres tall and the flower spike can reach up to 10 metres tall. It is said that the plant can live for up to 100 years." Getty Images description)
Coffee Plant
Although Latin America was late in getting into the wildly profitable coffee producing business, South American countries now produce most of the coffee consumed worldwide. Colombia and Brazil are most noted for their coffee. Venezuela, Ecuador and Peru produce smaller crops, mostly consumed in-country, but Peruvian coffee is increasingly exported.
Tiny Orchid
This small orchid looks almost too fragile to survive amid the rock formations of Roraima Tepui in southeastern Venezuela.
Royal Water Lily
The Botanic Gardens in Georgetown, Guyana wete started in 1878 where you'll be amazed by the huge collection of tropical flowers and the very large Victoria Regia Lily, Guyana's national flower.
Victoria Regia is also called Victoria amazonica.
Considered the largest cashew tree in the world, this huge tree in Pirangi do Norte beach, Brazil. The tree is 100 years old and produces thousands of nuts a year.
This photo of a part of the foliage of the cashew tree displays its spread.
This tree is extremely drought tolerant and survives the extremes of the Gran Chaco. It's not surprising that Brachychiton populneus (Sterculia diversifolia), with a flask-shaped trunk, is called the Bottle Tree. Paraguayans call it palo borracho, or drunken tree, since the trunk stores water in dry weather. In a region where temperatures can remain around 110 F for months, and the wind scours the land, the tree can grow up to 75 feet, and as an evergreen, it is drought tolerant and can survive the temperature extremes of the Gran Chaco, South America's last frontier land.
Copihue, national flower of Chile
Growing in the souteern forests of Chile, the copihue, or Lapageria rosea), this climbing plant can reach 10 m or more.
"The fruit is colloquially known in Chile as a pepino (cucumber). In the past, the fruit was sold in markets, but the plant has now become rare through over-collection and forest clearance. The name of the fruit in Mapudungun is actually kopiw, which is the etymon of Spanish copihue; the Mapuche call the plant kolkopiw (colcopihue in Spanish, which may also refer to the whole plant).
The flower is called kodkülla in the indigenous language. The roots were once collected and used as a substitute for sasparilla. In 1977 The plant was given legal protection in the country of Chile." (Wikipedia)
Araucaria - monkey puzzle tree
"Araucaria araucana (Pehuén or Monkey-puzzle) is the hardiest species in the conifer genus Araucaria. It is native to central Chile and west central Argentina, and is an evergreen tree growing to 40 m tall and 2 m trunk diameter. Because of the species' great age it is sometimes described as a living fossil. Araucaria araucana is the national tree of Chile." (Wikipedia)
Puya Raymondi
"Bromeliaceae (the bromeliads) is a large family of flowering plants native to the tropical and warm temperate Americas. The Puya Raymondi us the largest of the Puya species and is unique to Peru and Bolivia. It can reach up to 4 metres tall and the flower spike can reach up to 10 metres tall. It is said that the plant can live for up to 100 years." Getty Images description)
Coffee Plant
Although Latin America was late in getting into the wildly profitable coffee producing business, South American countries now produce most of the coffee consumed worldwide. Colombia and Brazil are most noted for their coffee. Venezuela, Ecuador and Peru produce smaller crops, mostly consumed in-country, but Peruvian coffee is increasingly exported.
Tiny Orchid
This small orchid looks almost too fragile to survive amid the rock formations of Roraima Tepui in southeastern Venezuela.
Royal Water Lily
The Botanic Gardens in Georgetown, Guyana wete started in 1878 where you'll be amazed by the huge collection of tropical flowers and the very large Victoria Regia Lily, Guyana's national flower.
Victoria Regia is also called Victoria amazonica.
Considered the largest cashew tree in the world, this huge tree in Pirangi do Norte beach, Brazil. The tree is 100 years old and produces thousands of nuts a year.
This photo of a part of the foliage of the cashew tree displays its spread.