8th part: Pinguicula sp. Hoz de Beteta

[kisscool_38]

After visiting our last station of Pinguicula vallisneriifolia Webb, we go on our trip in search of a second and only other known location of Pinguicula mundi Blanca, Jamilena, Ruiz Rejon & Reg. Zamora.

This station is situated not very far, north from the type location. So we explore those gorges in the afternoon:

 

Unfortunately, the entrance of the narrower canyon and thus the most susceptible to shelter this population, is completely closed by a fence. In fact, it is a private property guarded by two enormous dogs, not really friendly. We should have go down into this barranco instead of trying to enter from the bottom. So we decide to give up this time, until another trial in the next years.

The following day, we leave early in the morning in direction to another corner of Spain, further north, to visit a mysterious butterwort. Zamora described it in its monography of the genus Pinguicula in the Iberian Peninsula as belonging to Pinguicula mundi Blanca, Jamilena, Ruiz Rejon & Reg. Zamora. However, this plant differs noticeably by its corolla, sepals and leaves without this characteritic heterophylly (its leaves go gradually from onlong spring leaves to elongated summer leaves, without this marked "jump" that can be observed in Pinguicula mundi, Pinguicula vallisneriifolia and Pinguicula longifolia notably). In this, it is closer to Pinguicula dertosensis and should worth more detailed study. It is known in culture under the name Pinguicula sp. Hoz de Beteta.

We stop to a first site, a relatively broad gorge. This first station is located in this brown humide patch on the over side of the river:

 

It seems quite inaccessible, far from any path or bridge, we should have needed two hours walking through dense bushes to reach it. But looking behind me, I find a little station of approximatively one hundred plants hanging from humid alcoves on a quite dried rock, facing the first station:

 

Those plants are situated between five to ten meters above me and thus inaccessible too. Not loosing more time here, we want to try to approach this species in another of its stations.

But there too, we were unlucky. The station we were looking for is situated in a gorge on the opposite side of a river which level and flow are too high to cross it in safety:

 

So we continue our road to reach another station that is said to be much easier to access. We stop below a first population:

 

Those plants live on a calcareous cliff below an aquaduct for an hydroelectric plant and are developping in every mere seepage:

 

But the plants are still too high to get reached. Than we go in direction of another station not very far were they should be better accessible.

Regards

 

Edited February 21, 2018 by kisscool_38

[UtricSeb]

Great history Aymeric, the plants look very nice with all those flowers. Very intersting to see how they grow on almost bare rock.

[Daniel O.]

Hi Aymeric,

again some very nice pictures.

The gorges are also very interesting.

Thanks for sharing.

Best regards,

Dani

[Jefforever]

Love the flowers! Thanks for posting.

[jimfoxy]

Fascinating, Aymeric; thanks for posting.

[Dieter]

Interesting habitat!

Thanks for sharing!

Dieter

[jimscott]

Great in situ pictures!