Flower of the Andes

Explanation: At well over 13,000 feet (3,900 meters) elevation in the Andes Mountains of Ecuador grows this gorgeous and amazingly hardy icon of the region, appropriately called "Flower of the Andes."

Providing nectar for locally endemic hummingbirds called Ecuadorian Hillstars, this plant can grow to head height in a profusion of branches.

Leaves are tiny with a thick surface evolved to withstand the extreme temperature changes at such a high altitude.

Reportedly, the plant has medicinal value and local people use it for herbal tea.

Hairs on the petals and sepals of the flower likely evolved
to provide some protection from cold and frost.

DNA analyses have revealed that this plant is part of a clade
(species group) within the subfamily Barnadesioidea, of family Asteraceae.

The study also revealed some very interesting evolutionary trends of this subfamily.
Apparently, the flowers of these plants are pollinated by hummingbirds ...
but hummingbird pollination has apparently evolved independently
in this subfamily at least three separate times.

Information:
Gruenstaeudl, M., E. Urtubey, R.K. Jansen, R. Samuel, M.H.J. Barfuss, and T.F. Stuessy. 2009. Phylogeny of Barnadesioideae (Asteraceae) inferred from DNA sequence data and morphology. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 51(3):572-587.

EPOW - Ecology Picture of the Week