| Calandrinia
are related to Lewisia, but grow mostly
in South America, while Lewisias are in
northwesterm North America.
Calandrinia
caespitosa occurs from Tierra del
Fuego north to the northern desert
cordilleras of Chile and Argentina.
Colour forms include pink (lower
altitude), orange-red, and the red form
which lives near the upper limit
of vegetation in semi-stable situations,
screes, solifluctions and periglacial
conditions, at 2500-4000m. This
description from the AGS Encyclopaedia
fits well with the habitat where we
photographed these plants in January
2012.
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| This
was at 3100m above the ski resort of Las
Leņas, in the Mendoza province of
Argentina |
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| Many
Andean plants are difficult or
impossible to grow in cultivation.
Calandrinia caespitosa, though we
haven't tried it, does appear from
several mentions in the AGS Bulletin to
be possible. It can withstand
cold, but prefers relatively dry
conditions - we saw it in the
rain-shadow of the high Andes, and here
it is exposed to constant wind and dust,
often volcanic in origin. |
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