I Speak For The Trees

Neoregelia spp - Bromeliad

The Lorax — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:26:47 +0000

A pretty Neoregelia, growing at the Quito Botanical Gardens, Quito, Pichincha. Like most other bromeliads, these are rarely seen by visitors to the forests of Ecuador, as they grow high in the canopy. I am particularly fond of Neoregelia, with its range of attractive colours on the preflowering foliage.

Brugmansia sanguinea - Angels’ Trumpets

The Lorax — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:24:06 +0000

Brugmansia sanguinea, growing near Papallacta, Pichincha. This is the deepest red of the native Brugmansias, and has nearly no scent at all. Widely cultivated for its attractive pendulous blooms, which attract long-billed hummingbirds, B. sanguinea also contains a deadly toxin. For more on this, see my earlier entry on Brugmansia.

Puya spp - Bromeliad

The Lorax — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:07:14 +0000

Puya, growing at the Quito Botanical Gardens, Quito, Pichincha Province. This genus, which contains about 180 species, contains the bromeliads found in the high-altitude Paramos of the Andean mountain range. Puya are both the largest bromeliads, with leaves up to 3m and blooming spikes up to 10 meters, and the most cold-hardy ones, as they grow in areas that commonly receive snow. Puya are also unique among bromeliads in that some species are semi-carnivorous - the sharp, retropointed spines serve to trap small animals and birds, which then decay and provide both moisture and nutrients to the plants. In Chile, this has led to the plants being nicknamed “Sheep-killers.”

The Puya pictured is common to the Ecuadorean Paramos, and has delicate turquoise flowers.

Dieffenbachia spp.

The Lorax — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 09:24:43 +0000

Dieffenbachia spp. growing at the Municipal Gardens, Puyo, Pastaza Province. The gardener told me that this plant was taken from the forest near Canelos, about an hour downriver from Puyo; this would make me think that it’s a species, rather than a cultivar, of Dieffenbachia; it’s a variegation pattern that I have only seen in Pastaza. Sisters to this plant were a great deal taller, reaching to the second balcony of the enclosed garden.

In the wild, Dieffenbachia are found growing in nearly full shade in the understory of the forest. The most common areas to encounter them are almost constantly moist, with loose, free-draining soils. In cultivation, Dieffenbachia are normally grown in full sun, which seems to stunt the size of the leaves.

These plants are commonly called “Dumb Cane” for their calcium oxalate content - chewing on them is not advisable, a commonsense precaution with all aroids. They’re extremely popular houseplants in temperate zones, and have been for at least 100 years. In Ecuador, they’re regarded as attractive landscaping plants, and are used medicinally as a cure for the bite of bullet ants (called “conga” here) - the sap is applied topically to the site of the bite to reduce the pain associated with the bite.

Geonoma, likely G. triglochin - Pambil Chico

The Lorax — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 12:34:26 +0000

Genoma, growing near Moravia, Pastaza Province. This is a huge genus within the Palm family, with over 270 members and cosmopolitan distribution. The common name for most members of the genus is Pambil Chico, and they’re prized as roof-thatching materials. Most of the Geonoma found in Ecuador are small shrubs, and only a few species form trees.

Asteraceae - Alpine Daisy

The Lorax — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:49:19 +0000

Alpine daisy, growing near Papallacta, Pichincha Province. I have no clue as to the exact identity of this flower, but what I can say about it is that it’s never found below about 3,000 meters of elevation. Papallacta itself is an extinct volcanic crater, and reknowned for its hot springs. This daisy is considered a weed plant, and is found in great abundance in farmers’ pastures.

Musa cultivars - Banana Comparison

The Lorax — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:45:58 +0000

A comparison of four commonly available types of Ecuadorean dessert banana. From left to right, these are: Seda (Silk Plantain, Cavendish type), Limon (we think this is Red Iholene), Maqueño (Gros Michel improved type), and Orito (Sucrier type). Bananas are a very diverse fruit, with hundreds of named cultivars remarkable for different sizes, shapes, colours, and flavours. My personal favourites are the Oritos, which last just two or three bites, and are sweet and firm. I find Seda bananas to be too mealy for eating out of hand, although they’re great for baking. Limons, which have bright pink flesh, are acidic with hints of mandarin and ideal for frying.

The Maqueño is a cultivar I’ve only ever seen in Ecuador - they were produced by crossing the Panama-disease susceptible ‘Gros Michel’ bananas, which used to be a staple of the export trade, with highly resistant Giant Plantains. The fruit of the Maqueño is dryer than a standard Cavendish banana, firm, and sweet without being insipid; the flesh is a pale peachy colour. The examples in this photo are smaller variants of the fruit, normally made available for smaller families; each finger in a typical hand of standard-sized Maqueños (normally destined for restaurant use) is about 10 inches long and weighs about a pound. These are one of the few cultivars that Ecuador does not export, although with their slow ripening time and resistance to bruising, they are ideal for the international trade.

Heartily sorry!

The Lorax — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:56:44 +0000

Hello, my faithful readers. I must apologize for the hiatus this blog’s been on - I have been spending more time than usual in the woods, far away from internets connections, and I’ve also become the editor of the world’s first magazine exclusively about bananas - check it out at http://www.bananasmagazine.com!

I’m not going to try to make up for lost months; I’m just going to start posting fresh pictures again in my usual, charmingly random manner.

Thanks for being patient!

The Lorax

2009 Orchid Expo - Masdevallia spp.

The Lorax — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 17:19:44 +0000

2009 Orchid Expo - Masdevallia macropus

The Lorax — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 17:18:04 +0000