Hello to all,

Since 1998 I had been tracking down a new species of Drosera from the Amazon Basin. I knew it was out there somewhere and the herbarium specimens told me it looked like the magnificent D.meristocaulis, but was actually more closely related to D.roraimae or D.felix (3 styles bifurcated at the base).

Thanks to a very good contact (a guy who had actually been to the site) and Google Earth, I was able to pinpoint an approximate location on a map. I first attempted going there in September 2005, but was unable to reach the spot due to the low level of the rivers during that period (it was the worst drought in the history of the Amazon). Later I learned I got as close as only 2-3km from the site...

Two weeks ago I was finally able to return to this area and here's an overview of the habitat:




For over 15 years I had heard of natural clearings in the Amazon, "inselbergs" of savanna vegetation amidst the rainforest. I have even seen several of these while flying over the Amazon Basin, but could never be sure if they weren't simply areas that become submerged in the wet season. Now I know they truly exist! The site I visited was a large seepage with sparse grasses & scraggly trees (more like tall bushes) growing in humid to wet sandy-clay. The new Drosera grew by the millions in this area together with U.subulata:




Another view of the Drosera:




And two closeups showing the white sessile flowers:






Best Wishes,
Fernando Rivadavia

Superb! :)
Do you have an idea for the name already ? ;)

Moritz

Spectacular. Does this area ever get totally flooded?

Cheers,

Hi guys!

Man, what quick replies, I barely just posted this!! :)

Yes I have a name already, but you'll have to wait and see... ;)

I found 2 sites around 1km distant from each other and on opposite sides of the river. My guess is that neither is flooded, because the river is just too small. But the heavy rains and the seepage itself do a good job of keeping the area wet!

Take Care, Fernando Rivadavia

Hi Fernando,

before reading your text (i usualy take a look at the pictures first), my first impression was, "wow a D. felix-like plant on a stem"!

I hope, it will not be too long until we know the name :)

thanks for the pictures!

Christian

Since there are herbarium specimens already, is there also a name associated with this new species? Did the original collectors realise that what they had discovered was in fact a new species?

Another interesting find.

Is this site Brazilian? Or somewhere else in the basin?

Amazing shots of cps in the wild! You are so lucky to live in that part of the world and to be able to go off exploring for new species.

Another amazing find. You certainly do a lot of travelling. We are all very jealous. Keep up the great work. Did you manage to collect any seeds?



Regards Neil

Very interesting, thanks for sharing with us!

Hi Fernando!
Another amazing post!
Thanks for bring us with you through your fantastics pics.
bye bye
Andrea

Hello to all!

Wow, I'm really surprised with the number of replies in such a short period since I posted this!

Let's go to the questions:

No, the original collectors apparently had no idea what they'd found and the plant was unidentified in the herbarium labels.

The site is in Brazil, right smack in the center of the Amazon Basin, a few hundred km from the city of Manaus.

All the seeds I found are already on their way to a few fellow CPers who will hopefully quickly establish this species in cultivation. I have a feeling this will be an easy one to grow.

Curiosity 1: it has nicely fat & round seeds. And in case you're curious, I do not have any left, sorry!

Curiosity 2: although I was walking slowly in a flat area on a partially cloudy day, not exercizing at all, I was pouring with sweat onto my camera screen while taking pics. It was SOOOO HOT!!

Last of all, it always surprises me when people comment that I am lucky to be "so close" to all these wonderful plants. I wish! :):)

Just a reminder: I do not live in THAT "part of the world". Although in the same country, Manaus is ~2700km (1700 miles) from my hometown, Sao Paulo! :)

I don't know where "Torquay Devon" is, but I imagine it's England. So let's use London as a reference. If you flew 2700km from London, you could go farther away than Moscow, Casablanca, Istambul, and Greenland (which are all ~2500km from London).

So it's not like I hopped on a bus and spent the weekend in Manaus (especially because there are no roads going there from southern Brazil). Not to mention the effort to get from Manaus to this isolated little tributary where the Drosera grew -- the 2 attempts in 2005 & 2006 must've cost me ~US$1000... (and a lot of headaches along the way, I can assure you!). At least my company was already paying me the plane ticket to Manaus, since it was fortunately a work-related trip, hehehe! ;)

But the most difficult part was the detective work necessary (over 6 years!)) to uncover the approximate location where the plants had been collected and then further pouring over maps and GPS positions to plan the trips and execute them. I couldn't have done it without Google Earth and my GPS (which has a crude map), not to mention a very good contact who knows the area well!!


A happy 2007 to all!!
Fernando Rivadavia

We have waited for about 6 hours. Long enough?

I expect you will be formally publishing the description somewhere. In the interim, do you propose a temporary name? If you have sent seeds, they must have been given some designation.

well done Fernando, great lookin plant!

Another great find. I hope we will be seeing some seed becoming available soon. :)

Its a fantastic looking plant, nice and red too. Fantastic shots, btw. :) Sounds like it was well worth the 6 years of work and trips! :)

Hey Bob,

For the time being, I'm calling it D.sp."Rio Negro".

Take Care,
Fernando

Wonderful, well done once more Fernenado, can't wait to get hold of one specimen (although it might take years )

Congratulations with the find! It looks great. :)

Frank

Amazing work as always, Fernando!!

Indeed a fantastic work, Fernando. It's a simply wonderful species.

Regards,
Denis

What a fascinating new speices, Fernando ! Do keep us informed about its name when it is well-described !!! Congratulation for locating it finally !!!

Sincerely, Avery

I am sure you have put in a lot of hard work, effort and great perseverance and dedication, so well done on the find! I think my fellow English may mean that you are lucky to have the same native language, similar culture, similar climate and be in the same country as these plants. So, in this way, they mean 'close'!

Hmmm, I gues that does make me "closer". ;)

Thanks,
Fernando Rivadavia

Very interesting species!

Well, do the seeds possibly remain on the ovary walls for a while after the capsules have matured?

Excellent as always! Thank you for posting!

Hello Khelljuhg,

Judging from my pictures, it seems the sepals open when the seeds are mature, allowing them to fall out, and then close again. This is also seen in D.felix & D.kaieteurensis if I remember well...

Glad you all enjoyed it! ;)
Fernando Rivadavia

Hey there Fernando,
sorry that i came to this party,so late.
Gr8 pictures. thanx for doing all the adventuring that some of us can't .
wondering how i get on your grower's list.
Lois

Oh, I see. Thanks :)

Hi Fernando,


If i understood these sentences right, i do not think this fits to D. felix and D. kaieteurensis. These two species have thos splash-cups as can be seen here:



Does the sp. "Rio Negro" als have those splash-cups?

Christian

Thanks, Christian. Yes, it seems that D. felix and D. kaieteurensis 'hold' their seeds for a while. I have observed that D. sp. "Gran Sabana" (sampled by a Japanese planthunter some years ago) shows the same behaviour (it looks like a giant D. kaieteurensis).

Hi guys,

No, this species does not hold its seed.

Best Wishes,
Fernando Rivadavia

I know what you have meant, Fernando.

Hello everyone,

I have just received the excellent news that this new species has been published! We present to you, Drosera amazonica Rivadavia, A. Fleischm. & Vicent.!!





If anybody wants a pdf of the article, please send me a PM with your e-mail address.


Best wishes,
Fernando Rivadavia

Hey Fernando,

I was faster this time, haha: Drosera amazonica
;) But I did cross-link to this original article in the Drosera subforum.

All the best,

Andreas

PS:

The original article (including the corrected line drawing) can be found as a free pdf for download at:
http://www.botanik.biologie.uni-muenchen.d...09_modified.pdf

The file is a bit large, thus download may tike a while.

All the best,

Andreas

Congratulation Feranado and Andreas.
You have choosen an interesting name, i really like it.

But for sure it will take a long time before it will be more common in collections nethertheless they are fast growers.

Best regards,

Dani

Thanks Dani! ;)

Hey Andreas, I didn't see your post in the Drosera forum until it was too late, hahaha! Oh well, now we have the name in this original thread as well. ;)

Best wishes,
Fernando