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Cerro Duida, Cerro Avispa, Cerro Aracamuni


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Hello everyone,

Laurent T. pointed out to me that there weren't many pics available of H.macdonaldae out there, so I decided to post some here and ended up expanding it to show plants found on 3 different mountains in S Venezuela in 2004.

On Bob Ziemer's CP Photo Finder I only found 2 links (which didn't open) to H.tatei var.macdonaldae. Although considered a variety of H.tatei for a few decades now, it was clear to us all once we saw it on Duida that this was a completly different plant, maybe more closely related to some of the eastern species.

At ~2100m altitude on the S tip of Duida we found a patch of open vegetation on boggy soil, where H.macdonaldae grew. Notice the short pitchers and the beautiful red veins:

HmacdonaldaeDuida04.jpg

HmacdonaldaeDuida02.jpg

They grew intermingled with H.tatei, which at this site hadghostly-creamy colored young pitchers:

HtateivartateiDuida05.jpg

HtateivartateiDuida06.jpg

Notice how the H.tatei had larger pitchers with wider mouths. They also formed erect stems:

HtateivartateiDuida01.jpg

Among these 2 species, we also found some hybrids, which did not form erect stems, but had wide mouths (like H.tatei) beautifully colored (like H.macdonaldae):

HmacdonaldaeXtateiDuida06.jpg

There were some nice D.roraimae:

DroraimaeDuida.jpg

I see in my notes that we also found U.amethystina and G.roraimensis on Duida. I imagine we must've seen U.humboldtii too, since it's a weed on every mountain in that whole area! :) Here's a view of Duida seen from Esmeralda in the S:

CerroDuida02.jpg

A little over 200km S of Duida are Cerro Aracamuni and Cerro Avispa. We explored the wide plateaus of Aracamuni at ~1300-1400m altitude as well as 2 spots on Avispa (~860m and ~1330m). These were patches of thick, but low, vegetation with tons of Brocchinia ssp.. These open areas were surrounded by patches of short, dense forests, as seen in this aerial view of Avispa:

CerroAvispa1-1.jpg

It was also very wet and muddy on these mountains, as seen in this shot I took of Stewart's feet from my tent:

Aracamunimud.jpg

At the higher elevations H.tatei was a weed among the bromeliads, Stegolepis, & other short vegetation, as seen in this pic of me lying among them on Avispa:

HtateiAvispa2-05.jpg

The pitchers were huge, up to 60cm in length -- which is possibly a new record for pitcher length in this genus. Here's a large one on Avispa:

HtateiAvispa2-13.jpg

Some flowers on Avispa:

HtateiAvispa2-09.jpg

At the lower site on Avispa (860m) we only found a few patches of H.tatei which didn't look as large & as healthy -- not surprising since this was possibly the lowest site where Heliamphora were ever observed:

HtateiAvispa1-6.jpg

The distribution of hairs inside the pitchers was variable, sometimes covering (or not) the area over the red stripe at the back:

HtateiAvispa1-3.jpg

At the higher elevations we saw lots of D.roraimae:

DroraimaeAvispa2-1.jpg

Some U.alpina growing epiphytically on bushes:

UalpinaAracamuni3.jpg

Tons of U.humboldtii (mostly in bromeliads, but sometimes on the ground and even inside H.tatei pitchers):

UhumboldtiiAvispa2-1.jpg

UhumboldtiiAvispa2-2.jpg

As well as G.repens, U.amethystina, U.subulata, U.neottioides, U.nana, U.campbelliana, and U.pubescens (the latter 4 only on Aracamuni). At the lower elevation site on Avispa we only saw H.tatei, U.humboldtii, and the pretty D.esmeraldae:

DesmeraldaeAvispa1-2.jpg

Enjoy,

Fernando Rivadavia

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Hi Fernando,

Thanks for posting these amazing photos! :smile:

I really love the nice colour of H. macdonaldae, It is my favourite Heliamphora species.

Some very beautiful H. tatei plants too! I love those with hadghostly-cream colour, very nice! :D

A nice hybrid too!

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Hey Martin,

I've still got lots of interesting pics in my "X-Files", hahaha! :) But so do many of your German colleagues, I'm sure... ;)

Take care,

Fernando Rivadavia

If you still have some pics of your expeditions, please post them because it is always good to see Heliamphora in habitat... :Laie_71mini::thumbsdown:

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Hi Fernando,

thanks for sharing these pictures. :yes:

H. macdonaldae is really a beauty with these beautiful red veins::P , it´s also my favorite species.

I like the hybrid between H. macdonaldae and H. tatei too and of course the very nicely coloured Drosera. :tu:

I´m wondering a little bit about the colour of the U. alpina flower.

It seems to be slightly violett, or does it only looks like this, or am i getting too old :D ?

If it´s really slightly violett perhaps it could be a hybrid with U. humboldtii.

I´ve nothing against more pictures and reports too. :shock:

Best regards,

Dani

Edited by Daniel O.
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Hi guys,

Laurent: it's not just "some" pics. It's a boat load of them, hahaha! To upload everything would be one heck of a daunting task, I'll do it little by little when I find time.

Dani: the alpina truly had some coloring to it, but it was not intermediate in shape with anything else, so it was probably just variation.

Best Wishes,

Fernando Rivadavia

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  • 7 months later...

Bonjour FERNANDO

great report I see here the environment :tu:

very beautiful this macdonaldae .

for this pseudo tatei on avispa and aracamuni GLEASON Iin 1931 speak to H.tyleri , do you know why this name is not valid ?

jeff

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hello FERNANDO

the lid form , the stem less erect than tatei and this red stripe like your picture , no ?

for macdonaldae you have not find some specimen with pure red interior ?

no "macro" picture from the rim leaves openning ? nevertheless on your 2nd picture we see a little this eyelash on the rim

very great report :pleasantry:

jeff

Edited by jeff 1
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Hello Jeff,

Better to ask Andreas Fleischmann for the taxonomy and Stewart McPherson for the detailed pictures of these Heliamphora (he was there with me). Unfortunately I couldn't walk very far in that swamp on Duida and enjoy these beautiful Helis because of a little machette accident I had 3 days before on Aracamuni... :) See pic below what my leg looked like while I was on Duida:

Day01-Stitching6-1.jpg

Best wishes,

Fernando

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Hello Jeff,

I had to have an operation afterwards to stitch everything back together internally, but fortunately there was no permanent damage and I was hiking again only 3 months after the accident. ;)

Thanks

Fernando

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Ouch Fernando! :D Glad to know it wasn't too serious, although it very well could have been! When I see Andreas walking around on steep and slippery slopes, near death, and knowing how quick accidents can happen, it runs a chill up my spine! I hope you guys get to grow into a grouchy old fart like myself, heh, heh, so we can talk about the "good old times" over a few beers! :wink: But I only have to look into my own photo albums to see me doing things that I would NEVER do these days, ... oh well, .... youth! - Rich

Edited by rsivertsen
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Hey Rich,

Luckily I didn't get an infection while sitting for 3 days on that mountain waiting for the helicopter to return, or else it would've been very serious! It actually still took me a week until I got back to any sort of city with a hospital.

Anyway, more and more I understand what you mean above and keep thinking of all the crazy hikes I've done alone... Wait 'till you see my pics on Eric Partrat's website of when I found P.moctezumae last November, hahaha! :)

Best wishes,

Fernando

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  • 7 years later...
1 hour ago, Dieball said:

Hmmm. Those Heliamphora from Avispa, doesn't look like tatei to me. Aren't those H. neblinae? 

Considering that the topic is 8 years old I think there's no need for explanation :)

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