This is the second species of this incredibly strange genus I found here at the Amazon Research and Conservation Center (ARCC). Strange, not just by looks, but by the fact it has unisexual flowers. Here you see the female plant.
Unfortunately I did not find any male plants on this tree, which really does not matter, because normally I should not have found this plant unless I was a bird or a very energetic tree-climber, as this is a canopy dwelling epiphyte.
I was in luck because of this large tree’s unlucky fate – some time ago it had fallen to the ground and halfway out in the oxbow lake. Incredibly this specimen and a few others survived the violent fall, and are now growing on a dead tree. They will thrive until the tree has completely decomposed – all accessible by canoe!
Last updated on 22 June 2024
