Phragmipedium in Bolivia

　Mr. Nobuyuki Itoh who lives in Bolivia supplied photos of Phragmipedium caricinum growing in nature. it is in Anboro National Park in Bolivia and is about 1700 m above sea level. They were growing in a sandy place nearby a small stream. Thank you Nobuyuki. And please send other photos in Bolivia when you find in your taking a walk in nature.

The new photos of Tillndsia taken by Mr. Itoh will be introduced. These were received on 050917050917

The blossom of peach and a bee in my garden. It is very lucky for me to take this photo that feels in Spring. I was be impressed at the second( Itoh).

Oh, Spring has come in September in the southern hemisphere (Tanaka).

Air plants in Rapus that twin around trees and kill them. They hate these air plants in Bolivia.

I'll introduce the mail from Mr. Itoh who lives in Bolivia after a long time on 050823. 050823

　I'll show you the photo of air plants, Tillandsia in Santacruz. Here is about 500m high from sea level and must be in tropical. It is about 27 C all year round.

　Here, air plants are weeds and are not valuable. It is not so easy to see orchids but is very easy to see these air plants in nature. Orchids are sold in nurseries but air plants are not.

　I don't know in Santacrutz but in Sucre, they spend such money in order to stamp out because air plants kill trees lining a street sometimes. Air plants are not parasitic but are coadunate on trees.
　They disturb the trees to photosynthesize. Yes, I saw the trees dead where air plants, we say Spanish Moss, twine around. In Rapas, we can see Spanish Moss too. But they are smaller than that here. They might be the different species. Or they don't grow well because it is very dry.

まるでエアープランツが寄生しているようですね。 電線にぶら下がって生育するなんて、ほんとにエアープランツだ・・・。

　I have received e mail from a friend of mine who lives in Bolivia on 050518.　

　On the last Sunday, I have climbed mountains to see the biggest grass around the world that grow in Andes mountains only. I'll send the photos to you.050518

The giant Promeria. It is so big, in truth!

After the flowers gone. Unfortunately, I have never seen the flower. They said, the plants are growing for 80 or 150 years before flowering. After flowering, the plants will die.
I want to see the flowers・・・（Tanaka）
The scape from the mountains where the giant promeria is growing. We can see the ruins of railway and station. Because here was the well-known stone pit.

Phrag. caricinum
The plants tall about 30 cm and 50 cm with the inflorescence. there were about 100 or more plants in this colony. It looks like a flower garden and was very impressive like flower. there was a small water fall where was about 20 m far from the colony. The colony developed in the open area near the fall, I imaged.

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Coments from Mr. Jason Fisher of Orchid Limited as follows

The plant from Bolivia you showed me is called Phrag. caricinum. There are 2 forms of it, one is a medium size plant and one is a large plant. This form is the large plant form. Even the large plant form has the same size flowers as the medium plant form. It is actually a rare plant that you don't see for sale very often.

Phrag. caricinum
I found very small orchids with tiny white flower in silvery spray of the fall. NS of the flower was about 1 cm or 3cm with plants. ( by Mr. Nobuyuki Itoh in Bolivia )
By Dr. Shinichi Yamamoto, it must be one of Ponthieva. Anybody know the name of this orchid let me know. ( Toshi Tanaka )

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