The Lost World found at last!

[Hoy]

The trip that took us to the unusual table mountains called tepuys lasted only 6 days and we spent only two nights and one full at at the plateau. However we had some days in the rainforest surrounding the tepuys too. In my view the chance of meeting a dinosaur is much greater there than on the rather naked mountain tops. I think Arthur Conyan Doyle was thinking of the hidden valleys at the foot of Auyantepuy and the others here in Canaima when he wrote his book.


Motor canoe on the river Churun into "the Lost World". We didn't see any dinosaurs but the highest waterfall in the world: Salto Angel.

 


To reach the Roraima tepuy we had to walk a bit crossing Gran Sabana, or rather a corner of it. Actually this part of the savanna should be covered by trees but due to regular fire started by the locals trees never get a chance. Only along the creeks and rivers some wood survive. Some ornamental plants could be seen along the path.

   



We set out from a small village and walked for two days. Day one: crossing the Gran Sabana. We slept in tents - 1st camping site.
   


The next day we reached the wooded scree at the foot of the mountain. Here we could see both Kukenan tepuy and Roraima. The right picture shows the vegetation-covered crack we climbed to the top.


   

[Hoy]

Although grass and grass-look-alike plants dominated the vast undulating landscape many flowering plants could be seen.

       


Unfortunately I haven't found the names of any of these. Some are similar to popular pot plants.
The second one is Chamaecrista desvauxii. Quite a few were orchids, the red one is possibly an Epidendrum.

       


Unknown, but the second one is possibly Heliconia psittacorum or a close relative :

   

[Hoy]

More plants: Koellensteinia kellneriana (1 and 2)

       


Some species of the family Melastomataceae:

       


The orchid is Galeottia burkei

   

[Hoy]

       



       



   



(To be continued)

[Lori S.]

Wow, what an adventure!!  Stunning sights!  The lowland (?) plants are incredibly exotic... there are probably only a couple for which I think I could guess the family (but I'd probably be wrong.)  For example... is that odd spikey one some sort of horsetail (Equisetum)?
Waiting with great anticipation for the next installment... 

[Fermi]

Stunning pics, Hoy,
Looking forward to the next instalment!
cheers
fermi

[Hoy]

Wow, what an adventure!!  Stunning sights!  The lowland (?) plants are incredibly exotic... there are probably only a couple for which I think I could guess the family (but I'd probably be wrong.)  For example... is that odd spikey one some sort of horsetail (Equisetum)?
Waiting with great anticipation for the next installment... 

The undulating savanna goes up to about 1500m. I think the spikey one is a clubmoss although it doesn't fit the pictures I have found of clubmosses in South America.

[Hoy]

The tepuys consist of horizontal layers of sandstone and although the rock looks blackish it decompose to pink sand. The tepuys are remnants of a huge plateau that once covered all the area.

Looking at the road ahead (it follows the green slanting vegetated line):




The campsite. About a dozen allowed campsites exist on Roraima. They have space for 2 - 12 tents and are always covered by overhanging rocky outcroppings creating a sort of cave. The floor is sand. You can spot them on a distance due to the more green vegetation at the mouth of the "caves". Lowland plants and grasses grow in the nitrogen-enriched soil by the campsites. Visitors unintentionally bring seed with their camping gear.

 


Some pictures of the rockscape. Here are all the rock that anyone could wish for in the garden:

     


No lack of drinkable water (without Giardia I hope). Caused by the daily rain and fog all depressions were filled with water and runoffs were everywhere.

   

[Hoy]

A lot of the plants on the plateau are endemic but it is hard to find names. I have not found a flora and names on internet isn't reliable.

Stegolepis guianensis is common:

   


The genus Utricularia (bladderworts) contains many strange plants. These red-flowered bird-pollinated species were rather common both as epiphytes and geophytes (Utricularia campbelliana and U. quelchii):

   


Pitcher plant (Heliamphora nutans), Celiantha imthurniana, probably a Paepalanthus sp and an unknown shrub:

     

[Hoy]

More plants:
One of the showiest is Orectanthe spectrum. To the right: Seen from above.

     


Small shrubs and orchids dominated, here Bejaria imthurnii, Epidendrum ulei and Octomeria conelli.

   


Some unknown:

   

(To be continued)

[Hoy]

One carnivorous bromeliad (Brocchinia hectioides) and some common orchids (Epindendrum dendrobioides, E. secundum and Octomeria sp)

       


The shrub Ledothamnus guyanensis and an unknown plant.

     


Another shrub, Maguireothamnus speciosus and rosettes of Orectanthe spectrum.
     

[Howey]

Your lovely photographs of the flora of this remote area make me feel like I am actually there in the Lost World - never knew such plants existed.  Did you manage to collect any seeds? Love the one with the iridescent blue beetle plunked in the middle of those yellow flowers and red seed pods.  Such a pleasure to see all this.  Fran

Frances Howey
London, Ontario, Canada
Zone 5b

[Hoy]

Your lovely photographs of the flora of this remote area make me feel like I am actually there in the Lost World - never knew such plants existed.  Did you manage to collect any seeds? Love the one with the iridescent blue beetle plunked in the middle of those yellow flowers and red seed pods.  Such a pleasure to see all this.  Fran

Frances Howey
London, Ontario, Canada
Zone 5b

Thanks Fran.
Sorry I found no ripe seeds!

[Hoy]

Still more plants:

These huge tree ferns are possibly  Blechnum schomburgkii but I am not sure! Celiantha imthurnia.

      


Unknown species. The tiny orchid had established itself under a stone in low light level and difficult to picture.

            


Monochaetum bonplandi. Symbolanthus elisabethae x 2. The Roraima sundew, Drosera roraima.

            

[Hoy]

I noticed no naturally occurring grass but at the campsites some grass species had established. This is the nearest mountain meadow I found. Bromeliads (Brocchinia tataei #2) were rather common. The pitcher plant Heliamphora nutans was one of the showiest.

            


Paepalanthus convexus, Psychotria concinna x2


         


More unknown shrubs: