Copiapoa from Chañaral to Caldera

On our way from Chañaral, heading south, we make a stop at each 10 k's just to look and remark how Copiapoa rupestris slowly changes it's appearance until it is united with Copiapoa calderana further south. Which direction the evolution has taken - from south to north or the opposite is not yet to tell, but it's quite fascinating to see and photograph the variation on our way to Caldera.
Just south of Caldera there is a small mountain almost surrounded by the Pacific with the name Morro Copiapo. An interesting place - because here at this locality Thomas Bridges in 1841 found the first plant which later was described of Britton and Rose as a Copiapoa. A genus was born and the name of the type species was Copiapoa marginata.

On our way from Chañaral, heading south, we make a stop at each 10 k's just to look and remark how Copiapoa rupestris slowly changes it's appearance until it is united with Copiapoa calderana further south. Which direction the evolution has taken - from south to north or the opposite is not yet to tell, but it's quite fascinating to see and photograph the variation on our way to Caldera. Just south of Caldera there is a small mountain almost surrounded by the Pacific with the name Morro Copiapo. An interesting place - because here at this locality Thomas Bridges in 1841 found the first plant which later was described of Britton and Rose as a Copiapoa. A genus was born and the name of the type species was Copiapoa marginata.

Copiapoa rupestris	Copiapoa rupestris/calderana	Copiapoa rupestris/calderana	Copiapoa calderana	Copiapoa calderana

Copiapoa calderana	Copiapoa calderana	Copiapoa calderana	Copiapoa calderana	Copiapoa calderana

Copiapoa calderana	Copiapoa calderana	Copiapoa calderana	Copiapoa calderana	Copiapoa marginata

Copiapoa marginata	Copiapoa marginata	Copiapoa marginata	Copiapoa marginata	Map of Chile

Copiapoa leonensis	Copiapoa leonensis	Copiapoa leonensis	Copiapoa leonensis
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From Chañaral to Caldera