A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Azorella compacta
Project Noah Fact of the Day: There are so many interesting facts about this unusual plant that we felt it was only right to share them all with you from this fascinating article from our friends at Science Friday!
http://www.sciencefriday.com/articles/pi...
Yareta (Azorella compacta) spotted in Bolivia by PN user PieterColpaert.
https://www.facebook.com/projectnoah/pho...
Thank you Neil. It feels actually really hard, almost like stone. But it is not growing on rock, it is the plant itself. You can check the article DanielePralong posted here at the first comment, it explains everything a little bit more!
Now that is fascinating, Pieter. It looks like it's growing on rock. Can you tell me what it feels like? What's happening beneath all that beautiful green surface? Ava is right - this is an amazing being. So ancient, and beautiful.
Thx again Daniele! And thank you Leuba, Gilma, Randy and Rosa for your nice comments!
Great to see this featured and that it is so popular! Extreme life forms are very interesting. Great pictures by the way Pieter!
Amazing and what lovely shapes ! especially when the rest of the place looks barren, dry and windswept. Thanks for sharing this, Pieter.
Gorgeous!! And so very interesting. Thank you for sharing, PieterColpaert.
Thank you very much KarenL and ProjectNoah, a great honour to be chosen as a fun fact!
Fun fact! The yareta is a flowering plant that only grows at altitudes of between 3,200 and 4,500 meters in the Puna grasslands of the Andes. Although some plants reach a massive size, it is estimated to grow just 1.5 centimeters per year, and many yaretas are believed to be over 3,000 years old. https://upload.facebook.com/projectnoah/...
Hi Ava T-B, it is not the 'exact' location because it is impossible to remember that in such a huge desolated area but it is definitely in that region. Unfortunately there were no signs of protection (only a circle of stones around it) and it is near a popular stop for tourist trips around the Uyuni salt flat. Luckily you still have to walk a bit to find it and I was the only one interested in that plant.
I think this is an ancient and probably endangered organism. I hope your map pin is actually far off from where you saw this amazing "being."
Thank you ver much Mark. And thank you so much Daniele for the ID and the interesting article!
Spotted on May 23, 2014
Submitted on May 23, 2014
+3
