Chile Flora Pictures ~ Spring Flowers in Lake District

Trumpet Flowers on the tree east of Puerto Varas Chile

About halfway between Puerto Varas and the national park, a laneway leads to a hillside farm where llamas and sheep wander between the house and the barn.

This trumpet tree in full bloom brightened the lawn. My guide for this day called it floripondio (Brugmansia sanguinea). It is a cultivated tree, not wild native. At night, I was informed, the flowers give off a wonderful scent. (See the next photo for the fruit.)

Floripondio Fruits ~ Chile Tree

Already some of the trumpet tree flowers had borne fruit that was now hanging pendulously from the stems.

This species contains alkaloids that have what is variously called narcotic, psychoactive or hallucinogenic effects, though botanists or chemists would likely make finer distinctions.
Shamans in northern South American countries used this plant in their practices.

Camellia Tree Near Puerto Varas

Dense foliage and branches on this (cultivated not native) camellia tree cry out for a good pruning.

I believe it is Camellia japonica, a relative of the tea plant.

The foliage was so thick that, at first, the flowers are barely noticeable.

Camellia Blossoms

The closer view in this photo gives a better look at the leaves -- glossy and thick -- and their shape, as well as the tightly-petalled flowers.

The mature flowers were about 3-4 inches across; the buds looked like rosebuds.

Gunnera in early spring In National Park

This rhubarb-like plant found growing along the roadside in soil that seemed mostly sand and gravel had striking red flower spikes that were the largest blooms of all the native plants I had seen.

This plant was identified as Ruta graveolens; I understood it to be edible. In November, it was about 2 feet across; by late summer, it could well be much larger, and taller.

Llanten in blossom ~ National Park Lake District Chile

Scattered along the roadside leading up Volcano Osorno in Vicente Perez Rosales National Park, were these delicate flowered llanten (pronounced jan-ten).

Llanten flowers are used as a medicinal herbal tea that is drunk to remedy upset stomachs and diarrhea, or gargled to cure sore throats and mouth infections. The cooked leaves and liquid are used as a disinfectant for minor cuts and scrapes.

Scotch Broom in Bloom~ Chile in Springtime

From a distance, the yellow blossoms splashed across fields and woodlands brightened the landscape, but it took a closer look at the blossom in order to identify precisely which plant was to be credited: Scotch Broom or Ulix.

Generally, these dense yellow hedges in fields and along roads proved to be ulix -- a non-native and very invasive species of shrub.

Shown here is Scotch Broom (Note the legume-like blossom) blooming near the Saltos de Petrohue. While a few varieties of Scotch Broom are indeed harmless ornamentals, most are considered noxious weeds that crowd out desirable plants and trees.

A Blooming Spear ~ Can You Identify It?

I wasn't able to find anyone to identify this plant. The stems were about 18 inches high.

The flowers came out in a tapered spear about an inch or so long, then the petals began to open from the base of the spear upwards. This habit might indicate that in full bloom, it will appear quite different than it does in this photo. It had no discernable scent.

If you know, please leave a Comment below.
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