Opuntiads of the USA

(by Joe Shaw and Dave Ferguson)

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Opuntia Country with
Daiv Freeman

Northern Patagonia Cactus Trip

A Trip to Northern Patagonia, with Craig Howe

by Craig Howe, 2011

Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5
Day 6-9, Sightseeing	Day 10	Day 11	Day 12	Day 13

Day 5, Dec 5, Villa Pehuenia to San Martin de los Andes

In the morning we drive through more scenic Araucaria forest and lakes. Then in a surprisingly short time we are back in desert. We stop in rolling hills and find Maihuenia patagonica, Austrocactus gracilis, and Pterocactus araucanus and all of them are in bloom. These Pterocactus look more like Maihueniopsis or Tephrocactus. They are round and plump.

Our second stop is at a likely spot. We find the same plants except here the Pterocactus is again fischeri. and only the Austrocactus is in bloom.

The rest of the day is spent driving back into the mountains and for the next several days there will be no cactus.