Darwin’s Slipper

On the way to Glaciar Grey in Torres del Paine National Park, I encountered three extraordinary creatures. When I caught sight of them, they seemed to be shouting something at me with horrified expressions, their protruding eyes and open mouths. I was sure that Darwin was at least as enraptured when he found this human-looking flower on his trip to Tierra del Fuego in 1835. Like over a hundred other species he discovered, this one was later named after him. It is called Darwin’s Slipper (Calceolaria uniflora).

Torres del Paine Nationalpark (Chile), December 2006