Image 1: Bomarea ovallei (Phil.) Ravenna, also known as Lion’s claw, is a native of the Atacama desert. (Photo credit: iStock/abrlendomundo)
Bomarea ovallei (Phil.)Ravenna, also known as “Garra de Leon“ or “Lion’s claw“ is an iconic native plant of the Atacama desert.
The scarlet red flowers emerge from the far end of the trailing shoot, which curves upwards to display the attractive flower head. This rare plant has a still rarer variety with yellow flowers. Each flower head holds nearly 20-30 blooms. The blooms have a plastic-like sheen with an unusually heavy texture, and are said to smell like honey!
Image 2: The attractive shoots of this plant can be found trailing along the ground for 3-6 feet on coastal cliffs. (Photo credit: iStock/abriendomundo)
The Atacama Desert is the driest non-polar desert in the world, but it has another record to its name too - it is the largest fog desert in the world. The condensed water from fog is the main source of water for plants like Bomarea ovallei, which live in a desert so devoid of rain that one of its towns, Arica, holds the Guinness World Record for the longest sustained dry period. Apparently, it went 172 months without rain between October 1903 and January 1918!
The attractive flowers of Bomarea ovallei are a beauty to behold; unfortunately, this very beauty has become their nemesis. They are now endangered in the wild due to grazing and overharvest of their striking flowers. As we head further out in our quest for wildflowers, it might be helpful to remember the “old” proverb used in Western Australia while directing tourists to wildflower hotspots - take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints.