> Andreas, you wrote:
>
> >I doubt whether it's possible to put H. neblinae into the taxon H.
> >tatei. In fact both plants grow very far apart from each other!
> >Could it not be that they just look similar by chance,without a
> >direct relationship???
Jan, you wrote:
>
> _H.tatei_var.tatei_ and _H.tatei_var.neblinae_ are not only connected by
> morphological but also by geographic intermediates as _H.tatei_ is not
> restricted to Mt.Duida in the strict sense. There are populations of
> _H.tatei_ on Mt. Huachamacari and Mt. Aracamuni, extending the whole range
> of this species to such a degree that _H.tatei_var.neblinae_ becomes just a
> variety endemic to the extreme south (not "very far apart" from the other
> populations).
In fact Duida, Huacamacari an Maharuaka are only short distances from
each other. The same is true for Neblina and Aracumuni, in fact A. is
merely an outgrowth of the Neblina massif. However both groups of
mountains are about 170km from each other with no mountain or tepui in
between to "jump" on. As the seeds of Heliamphora are not equipped to
being distributed by the wind nor by animals (no "fruit" to be eaten by
animals, no hair to cling into hair or birds feathers) but for swimming
which should explain populations of H. nutans and H. heterodoxa down
from the tepuis in the Grand Sabana I can hardly imagine how a
Heliamphora seed could span such a distance. All the other species have
very small ranges (with the exception of H. heterodoxa var.
exappendiculata, which after having seen photographs of this plant seems
to be something very special to me... . I almost do not dare to write,
however I do not see much similarities to the type-heterodoxa:-)).
> It seems _H.tatei_ is quite complex a species. In fact, it is the only
> "true" carnivore known so far in that genus (the possession of digestive
> enzymes has been demonstrated in the paper by MICHELANGELI & AL. which I
> have mentioned on this list some time ago)>
Jan, could you send me a photocopy of this paper or give me a
reference if you do not have the paper itself?
All the best
Andreas