This section introduces a few of the many species of plants found in the Vilcabamba valley. These species were chosen because they are abundant, eye-catching, have an interesting natural history, and/or play an important role in the local ecology. Where available, each plant is introduced with the English common name, followed by the local common name, and the scientific information (family and genus or species) in brackets.

Each plant species is of course not evenly distributed through the valley, so each is introduced in the context of the landscape system of which it commonly forms a part. Landscape systems are shaped by many factors, including human activity, altitude, and topography. The landscape systems chosen to represent the valley are shown in the illustration below. Since nature cannot easily be “boxed”, many of the species attributed to one system will of course be found in others. But the organizational approach used here offers a framework for understanding the ecology of the valley. There is also a final subsection on epiphytes (sometimes called “air plants”), a group of plants that does not fit readily into any one of the landscape systems.

KEY LANDSCAPE SYSTEMS IN THE VILCABAMBA VALLEY

Subsections
Huertos (gardens)
Living Fences
Cropland
Roadsides and Other Exposed and "Disturbed" Areas
Riversides
Gullies and Wooded Slopes
Arid Uplands / Wet Season Pasture
Epiphytes