CPs in Brazil - a fantastic trip (part 5)
Fernando Rivadavia Lopes (ferndriv@usp.br)
Mon, 11 Mar 1996 22:22:43 -0300 (GRNLNDST)
So the first day at the Serra do Cipo was full of surprises for
us, with the highlights being the discovery of G."cipoensis" plus the
hybrid D.chrysolepis subsp."glabrous" X D.sp."tentaculata".
The next day we tried to retrace the first trail I'd ever done at
the Serra do Cipo, and which I never did again for lack of time. Though
we walked through the same areas I'd walked though exactly 4 years before,
we found only a few of the annual Utrics and none of the annual Genlisea.
Maybe the rains started later this year, but exactly 4 years before I'd
found tons of G.violacea, U.laciniata, and U.simulans covering the
fields. Too bad we found no G.filiformis and G.pygmaea, which I wanted to
show to Joe, since he'd never seen them. At least he saw G.aurea and
G.repens, and the latter was in flower.
We did find lots of D.montana, though it was impossible to
identify them without flower scapes at this time of year. The only
species in the D.montana complex which does flower now during the summer
is the new species D.sp."dewy scape", which was more common than I
remembered. It was often found with D.hirtella var.hirtella.
D.sp."tentaculata" was also very common, sometimes growing
with D.montana, D.communis, and D.sp."stemless chrysolepis". I've only
seen this latter species in a small area of the Serra do Cipo, where
it's very common but D.chrysolepis is apprently absent. It grows in
boggier habitats than those of D.chrysolepis. Anyways, I was curious to
see if I could find any hybrids between D.sp."tentaculata" and
D.sp."stemless chrysolepis", but none were seen.
We explored a seepage hillside bog and found tons of D.communis
as well as U.trichophylla, a common yellow-flowered species closely
related to U.subulata that grows in boggy areas, usually submerged, with
only the flowers above the water. While admiring these, we were
surprised to find the aquatic U.cucullata growing in the shallow water
amidst the grasses. I'd never seen this species at the Serra do Cipo.
U.cucullata is very widespread and variable, but also very rare.
The flowers are a beautiful dark pink or lilac, and I've even heard of
red specimens. It's a very weird species belonging to a very anomalous
group in the genus. I'm sure that at least in some cases, if not always,
U.cucullata (and maybe the few related species) is an annual. I've found
plants growing in a thin film of water over sandy soil around rosettes of
D.sessilifolia (which is an annual Drosera).
Another surprise at this bog was D.sp."Emas", another widespread
species, but which I'd never found at the Serra do Cipo (though I'd found
it both N and S of it). To our frustration though, not many plants were
found. And none were closer to the edges of the bog, where D.montana
grew. D.montana and D.sp."Emas" almost always hybridize when growing
close to each other (I've only seen one case in which they didn't!). The
hybrids are very similar to a small D.villosa or to a narrow-leaved
D.montana.
Some have asked me how I know that it's a hybrid and not a new
species, but I haven't been able to explain. Once when I asked Allen
how he knew that a certain pygmy was a hybrid and not a new species, he
simply answered "I just know!" And the funny thing is that this is
exactly what happens! After you get a feel for a group of plants in the
wild, I guess you simply acquire a 6th sense which rings alarms when you
see a hybrid. D.montana X D.sp."Emas" was the first natural hybrid I
found. Undaunted by the fact that there were no records of natural
Drosera hybrids in S.America, my 6th sense immediately screamed out when
I saw the plants. It's nothing I can really explain, but which I intend
to prove is worthy by carrying out some kind of genetic analyses (in the
not too distant future) with the plants, to show their hybrid origin.
Changing our initial plans, Joe and I cut our stay at the Serra do
Cipo short and left early the next day. Counting up our finds at the
Serra do Cipo, I noticed I'd already seen around 30 CP taxa there!!
This may beat or at least come close to my previous record, which was the
Chapada dos Veadeiros in N Goias state. I can't remember, but I believe
I found 31 or 32 CP taxa there.
Well, at least the Serra do Cipo wins when it comes to Drosera.
I've found 11 different Drosera there!!! These are: D.chrysolepis TYPE,
D.chrysolepis subsp."glabrous petioles", D.communis, D.hirtella var
hirtella, D.montana var.montana, D.montana var.tomentosa, D.sp."stemless
chrysolepis", D.sp."dewy scape", D.sp."tentaculata", D.sp."Emas", and
D."tentaculata" X D.chrysolepis subsp."glabrous petioles".
Not to mention that there are at least 2 forms of what I'm here
calling D.montana var.tomentosa, a terribly variable taxon which will be
very difficult to sort out! Somewhere at the Serra do Cipo there must
also grow the hybrid between this species and D.sp."Emas". Then there's
D.montana var.schwackei. I've seen the TYPE collection of this plant
(from the Serra do Cipo) and believe it's something I haven't yet seen
in the wild. Then there's another mystery Drosera. I've seen herbarium of
a D.anglica-like plant which was collected there in the 19th century.
Unfortunately the only location data for it is "Serra do Cipo"!! Hybrid?
New species? Who knows?!?!
To be continued........
Fernando Rivadavia
Sao Paulo, Brazil