The flora of the Peruvian puna consists of a variety of unusual plants that have adapted to cope with harsh climatic conditions. The puna or sallqa in Quechua, or jalca in Spanish, is one of the eight natural regions on the map of Peru.
This ecological zone is the highest of the habitable ones, being between 4,500 and 4,800 meters above sea level. Puna means "altitude sickness" in Quechua.
Many of the plants that grow in the area have thick, waxy leaves to survive the high levels of ultraviolet radiation. In addition, they have fine, beautiful insulators that allow them to withstand frequent frosts.
General characteristics of the f
This ecoregion is a high elevation mountainous grassland located in the southern Andes. The region stretches from northern Peru to northern Bolivia.
The flora of this area is made up of communities of grasses, swamps, trees and small shrubs, and herbaceous plants. It has a typically mountainous landscape, with snowy peaks, mountain pastures, high lakes, plateaus and valleys.
The area is characterized by being extremely oligothermic, with a summer climate during the day and winter at night. This extreme change in temperature has been a selective force in the adaptation of plants to this environment.
The grasses abound in this ecoregion, among them: Agrostis, Calamagrostis, Festuca, Paspalum and Stipa. Likewise, there are other types of plants such as: Azorella, Baccharis, Daucus, Draba, Echinopsis, Gentiana, Geranium, Lupinus, among others.
The high Andean puna includes species of herbs such as Festuca dolichopylla, Stipa ichu, Calamagrostis spp, while the humid puna is covered with herbs and shrubs.
On the other hand, there are more than a thousand vascular plants on the Peruvian side of the humid puna. Monocots represent 30-40% of the flora, and there are more than 175 species of dicotyledons.
The endemic plants that have their centers of diversity in this ecoregion are Culcitium, Perezia and Polylepis. Other endemic species are Alpaminia and Weberbauera (Brassicaceae) and Mniodes (Asteraceae).
Raimondi puja
Raimondi puja
The Puya raimondi is perhaps the most famous Peruvian plant in the highlands. It owes its name to Antonio Raimondi, an Italian naturalist who studied it. It is a huge and spiky plant, which takes 100 years to reach its maximum height (about 10 meters high).
It blooms producing a huge spike covered by approximately 20,000 thick, waxy leaves. Its rosette is about three meters in diameter. Also known as the queen of the Andes, this plant is the largest member of the bromeliad family.
After blooming for about three months, it sends a giant three-story spike into the air that eventually bursts into 20,000 blooms and dies.
The raised spike of the plant, once pollinated, allows it to spread its seeds widely in the wind.
Polylepis
In the puna of Peru, there are approximately 27 different species of Polylepis in the Rosaceae family. These are endemic Andean plants that grow at altitudes between 3,000 and 5,200 m. right in the arid region of the Puna.
They have a characteristic peeled bark, red in color, with small dark green leaves. The most common species are Polylepis incana, Polylepis lanata (racemosa), and Polylepis besseri.
References
- Dym, J. and Offen, K. (2011). Mapping Latin America: A Cartographic Reader. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
- González, OM (2011). Unveiling Secrets of War in the Peruvian Andes. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
- Dubé, R. (2016). Moon Machu Picchu: Including Cusco & the Inca Trail. London: Hachette UK.
- Riveros Salcedo JC and Locklin, C. (s / f). Western South America: Peru and Bolivia.WWF. Available at worldwildlife.org.
- Kalman, B and Schimpky, D. (2003). Peru: The Land. New York: Crabtree Publishing Company.
- Bradt, H. and Jarvis, K. (2014). Trekking in Peru: 50 Best Walks and Hikes. UK: Bradt Travel Guides.