johnvdw Posted April 18, 2012 Report Share Posted April 18, 2012 It is about one year ago that I climbed Mt Roraima. When I was looking again through my photo's I noticed that the flowers of U. quelchiii on this mountain did not only differ in color, but also strongly in shape (perhaps also in size). As hypotized earlier, hybridisation with U. campbelliana is a likely cause for this, although I have only seen U. campbelliana's during the cliimb, were U. quelchii was rare. At the top of the mountain U. quelchii was a relative common flower. The majority of the U. quelchii plants were baring just a single flower at their stalks though at least one plant was having two flowers and a young flower bud. I have put some of my U. quelchii photo's in a single frame for a good comparison. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Hingst Posted April 18, 2012 Report Share Posted April 18, 2012 Hi John, I have seen U. campbelliana on top of Roraima, so hybridization would theoretically be possible. But I have seen no intermediate forms, and for me your pics above all show pure U. quelchii, just in the range of natural variation. Anyway, nice flowers ! Regards Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Andreas Eils Posted April 18, 2012 Report Share Posted April 18, 2012 A real jewel among the CPs. Sadly I never managed to get this plant in flower. Regards Andreas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel O. Posted April 18, 2012 Report Share Posted April 18, 2012 Really nice flowers, thanks for sharing. After i have nearly lost my plant some years ago it finally flowered this year. Best regards, Daniel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miloslav Macháček Posted April 19, 2012 Report Share Posted April 19, 2012 (edited) You've made me really happy with those photos!!! Thanks a lot! Nice collections of U.quelchii flowers from natural habitat Edited April 19, 2012 by Miloslav Macháček Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheInactiveMoth Posted April 19, 2012 Report Share Posted April 19, 2012 I love this plant! The flowers are so colourful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fernando Rivadavia Posted April 19, 2012 Report Share Posted April 19, 2012 Wow, really cool variation!! U.campbelliana is not as common as U.quelchii at the top of Roraima, but it's definitely there, growing in very wet areas as an epiphyte on short trees/bushes and in cracks on rocks. Thanks for the pics! Fernando Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlos Rohrbacher Posted April 24, 2012 Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 Very nice flowers, thanks for sharing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimscott Posted April 24, 2012 Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 Very pretty flowers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kisscool_38 Posted April 24, 2012 Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 Gorgeous! You're lucky to have see this species and Utricularia in the wild. That's two really beautiful species. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tobitaugenichts Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 (edited) hey john, nice pics. i was wondering. was u quelchii growing exposed in sunlight or in the shadow? Can you remember the temperature ranges on roraima? best regards, tobi :) Edited December 30, 2016 by tobitaugenichts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnvdw Posted April 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2014 It has been a while ago that I visited mt Roraima, so some things I am not 100% sure anymore. But as far as I can see from my pictures it was not the exposure to sunlght that caused the color differences in U. quelchii. Remember that there is in general not too much cover, so most sites are quite exposed to the sunlight though a few of the grew just below the summit in low vegetation. The deepest red flower I found was growing in the valley of the cristals, so perhaps some minerals from the soil play a role in the coloration of the plants. Below is a photo of the most extensive site with U. quelchii, you can see that there seems to be quite some difference in coloration. I don't remember the temperature, but it was not uncomfortable so probably about 15C. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Hingst Posted April 2, 2014 Report Share Posted April 2, 2014 Very nice pictures! Well, the valle de los cristales contains mostly of quartz, that is a mineral that will have the least effect to the soil, in mineral content. Except the fact that iron will be low in such soils. I am quite sure in between that low night temps in combination with high UV radiation play a major role. Both factors go along with altitude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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