Cactus of the Month: Stenocactus, Echinofossulocactus

Succulent of the Month: Euphorbia from Madagascar

PRESENTER FOR FEBRUARY IS:  Guillermo Rivera – “Argentina and Chile”

Guillermo presents the best cacti and succulents of both countries, plus the unique experience of crossing the Andes in two different passes. Starting from Central Argentina in Cordoba and heading northwest towards the highlands, he reviews over 60 Argentinean species of cacti many of them blooming and or seeding, from the small Rebutias and Parodias, to several forests of large Trichocereus pasacana. After crossing the Andes he enters the Atacama Desert. along the Chilean coast where  most of Copiapoa species grow, with spectacular pictures of large clumps of Copiapoa dealbata, Copiapoa columna-alba among others. Heading back to Argentina, he crosses the San Francisco Pass, the highest pass of the Andes: with an altitude of 4350 meters (over 14.000 feet !), with aquamarine lakes, flamingos, and volcanoes reaching 6800 meters! This presentation follows one of his seldom offered tours.  Don’t miss it.

Guillermo was born in Argentina and has a Doctorate in biology.  He owns a tour company titled “Plant Expeditions” and gives plant, birding and bicycling tours of Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, South Africa, Namibia and Madagascar. He specializes in knowing the locations of numerous cacti and succulent locations.  The website for his company follows:

http://www.plantexpeditions.com/argentina-chile