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  • Day 99

    More flora in the forest

    January 6, 2018 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Next thing along the trail we saw was the Kila trees. These look exactly like bamboo bit much thinner and are very flexible like the bamboo. These trees are the only homes to the endangered marsupial species of Moneto del Monte. This species is the smallest living marsupial in the world and is about 3-4 cms big only. They are a nocturnal species making it extremely hard to see or observe them.
    The rain continued to pour as we moved deeper into the forest. Next thing that Igor showed us was the Brifits or tomato of the forest. These are tiny versions of tomatoes but are not edible and can cause severe stomach aches. The species help preserve the humidity of the Patagonian forests by absorbing the rain water in its leaves and holding it.
    Next, Igor showed us the Cow Rib Fern. So called because it looks like the ribs of a cow when the leaves are fully open. These plants are sacred to the Patagonian people since when the leaves are new, they are closed into a spiral shape somehow representing the circle of life.
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