Scaphosepalum antenniferum in Cachaco

We continued the search for Scaphosepalum antenniferum.  This time Lucho Mendoza came with us.  Lucho and Beto Mendoza are sons of an earlier collaborator of Dr. Luer and Masdevallia mendozae is named after him.  Nowadays Lucho manages his father greenhouse and we were super lucky to have him in our field trip and is very knowledgeable of the plants of the region.  We went to Cachaco, stop in several points in Yangana and the Tapichalaca region.

On our way to Yangana on the Quinara ruins, a very strange landscape dry landscape that changes in few kilometers to a very wet dry forest.

 Carlos Naranjo and Lorena Riofrio helping me look for my plants.  Jeff climbing to reach the surface to look at the forest.

There is a famous locality "road to the Military Antenas in Numbala" where many species have been found.  I was interested in finding the outrgroups of Scaphosepalum that were reported in this region, did not have pleurothallid luck but I really enjoyed this very different forest.  This is a dwarf Cunnoniaceae, Ericaceae, bambu forest and Lucho knows the old trails that we followed because his ancestors used this way to go to the Amazon.  You can still walk in this old trails that are pretty spectacular. We found Cyrtochilums with spikes many many meters long.

Carlos and Jeff looking for orchids. 

 The bed of the truck was a luxurious banquet considering that a day before we were driving for 14 hours eating toffee candies, potato chips and coke. I this field trip we were been fancy an getting tuna fish sandwich with  pickles and mayo.

 

 We did not find populations of Scaphosepalum antenniferum in this fieldtrip even though this species was reported there, nevertheless, a friend of mine gave me some pictures from plants he found in a private forest in the Tapichalaca area. 

Before I forget....This is why it is better to be out of the lab