Flora and fauna of Los Cebiles

In the Sierra de Ancasti, the Yungas merge with the Chaco mountain forest. That blend gives the forest a remarkable variety: native trees, medicinal plants, wild fruits, and cacti large and small, some of them endemic to Catamarca.

Flora

Native trees

Algarrobo blanco y negro Prosopis spp.
Cebil colorado Anadenanthera colubrina
Chal-chal Allophylus edulis
Chañar Geoffroea decorticans
Coco o caranday Trithrinax campestris
Corona de Cristo Gleditsia amorphoides
Espinillo o aromito
Huile
Laurel del monte
Mato Myrcianthes mato

Native trees (cont.)

Moradillo Schinus fasciculatus
Nogal criollo Juglans australis
Orco molle Blepharocalyx salicifolius
Piquillín Condalia microphylla
Pitanga Eugenia uniflora
Quebracho serrano Schinopsis lorentzii
Sombra de toro Jodina rhombifolia
Tala Celtis ehrenbergiana
Tusca Vachellia aroma

Cacti

Gymnocalycium, endemic to Catamarca Gymnocalycium baldianum
Quimil Opuntia quimilo
San Pedro
Tuna Opuntia spp.
Ucle Cereus forbesii
Ulúa Harrisia pomanensis

Wild orchids

Margarita orchid Oncidium bifolium

Wild fruits: chañar, ucle, ulúa (similar to pitaya), prickly pear, pitanga and mato. Refreshing, gently sweet fruits, part of the tradition of north-central Argentina.

Wild medicinal and aromatic plants

Burrito Aloysia polystachya
Carqueja Baccharis articulata
Cedrón (lemon verbena) Aloysia citrodora
Horsetail Equisetum giganteum
Dandelion Taraxacum officinale
Doradilla fern
Male fern
Curly dock (lengua de vaca) Rumex spp.
Plantain (llantén) Plantago spp.
Palo amarillo o ucío Terminalia triflora
Peperina Minthostachys verticillata
Poleo Lippia turbinata
Suico o poleo de campo Tagetes minuta

Also: many smaller cacti, air plants (claveles del aire) and a great variety of native lianas, vines and climbers.

Fauna

Mammals, birds, reptiles and insects that live in the sierra and find a protected home in the sanctuary. Eagles, falcons and caracaras, and condors gliding down from the peaks: an excellent place for watching birds and wildlife.