The taxonomy of smaller cacti in Chile is rather difficult and messy. Local variations are great across even small distances, due to geographical isolation and aridity which confines many cacti to small populations and prevents a great deal of gene flow between them, which in turn leads to divergence into highly localized forms. To my knowledge, a great many of the proliferating genera and species described by botanists in the 20th century have been reduced into the single genus Eriosyce, which now includes former genera such as Neoporteria, Neochilenia, Chileniopsis, Pyrrhocactus, Horridocactus, and Islaya. (Note that some of these genera are still valid, just with a reduced number of distinctive species as opposed to the hundred or more that were once thought to exist.)
That said, the large lumped-up genus of Eriosyce still contains numerous subspecies that are closely related genetically although often quite different in appearance. This makes exact identification difficult, even for people far more familiar with them than I am. And as a result, I tentatively have identified these adorable peachy-flowered small cacti growing right above the water’s edge near the town of Huasco as being Eriosyce crispa var huascensis. This post took me an hour of searching and website-reading to narrow down into something likely, but not necessarily guaranteed, to be correct. You’re welcome. 🙂
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This pair of Eriosyce crispa var huascensis confront the chilly waters of the Pacific near the town of Huasco, Chile.
Growing out of a rock crack only a short distance above the salt spray line of the coast. This is a tough habitat, but they thrive here.
Flowers range in color from medium orange to almost yellow and almost red. But always with some orange to either side, at least as far as was observed on this fine spring day.
The plants are only 2 to 3 inches across and are confined to rocky and gravelly situations. They do not grow in the complex of dunes lining the coastline behind them at all.
A paler peach floral color, with more rounded petals than usual. Nice variance.
Other coastal vegetation is also succulent, such as the small shrubby Nolana and Crassula species seen in the background.
The Eriosyce are confined to rocky outcrops and do not grow in the sandy dunes nearby. The shells are various molluscs (mainly limpets and mussels) which have been pried off of the rocks at the tide line by seabirds and dropped here to break them open. The birds then feed upon the animals inside the shells. Some of these may also have been brought up here by humans harvesting them as well. Regardless of the exact source, the cacti are scattered throughout not seeming to care either way.
The Pacific coastline near Huasco, Chile is quite dry with an average of under 4 inches (100 mm) of rain a year. The cool waters and frequent fog of the ocean however mitigate rapid drying once it does rain however, since the humidity is always high and temperatures rarely vary more than a few degrees daily and seasonally. This means that plants can do more with less precipitation than they would in a more interior locale with a similar quantity of rainfall, since it lasts much longer and allows for more growth.
A parting scene of the coastal habitat of Eriosyce crispa ssp huascensis. What a lovely and unique place to spend some time.
