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Orquídeas
da Chapada Diamantina is an important survey of the species occurring
in this region. It is essential in the library of any nursery, researcher,
orchidist, orchidologist, Botanist students, orchid societies and for
people for admire the Brazilian flora in general.
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Book
written by the Botanists Antonio Toscano de Brito & Phillip
J. Cribb, hard cover, with
400 pages showing at about 140 color photos by Calil Elias Neto,
135 pen-and-ink drawings and 15 watercolors by the artist Paulo
Ormindo. |
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A. L. V. Toscano de
Brito is a botanist and got his doctorate degree at the Royal Botanic
Gardens, Kew, England, under Phillip Cribb orientation.
His first contact with Chapada Diamantina was in 1989 when he got an
invitation from this institution to write the chapter about the Orchidaceae
in the book Flora of the Pico das Almas. Curiosity arose, he
has been doing a detailed survey of the orchids in all this region.
Between the 175 species (distributed among 65 genera) now recognized
for this region, 127 are presented in the book which has botanical descriptions,
a complete list of synonyms and detailed morphological and taxonomical
discussion, on the other hand it is accessible for non expert reader
who is interested in the richness of Brazilian flora specially Orchidaceae.
New species discovered for this region are included in this publication
mainly the outstanding-flower Sobralia sp (being described) and
Sarcoglottis riocontensis Smidt e Toscano.
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With
an occurrence estimated at 300 species, the diversity of the genera
grows there shows also the richness of the climate allowing even
the presence of plants which are abundant in the mountains regions
of the southeast such as Pleurothallis species.
The checklist brings more than species of this genus, as well
as Bulbophyllum and Habenaria, almost 10 Cleistes
and Cyrtopodium species, 8 Maxillaria. Besides,
of of course, the consecrated Cattleya amethystoglossa
Linden & Rchb. f, Cattleya elongata Barb. Rodr. (it
is so abundant that Toscano de Brito considers it should be the
orchid-symbol of the region), Laelia (Sophronitis)
bahienses Schltr. pfisteri Pabst & Senghas,
Sobralia liliastrum and also terrestrial such as Sacoila
lanceolata.
Chapada Diamantina is already known by the Brazilian orchidist
circle mainly because of the endemic plants which grow there or
have there their most rich habitat, such as Laelia sincorana
Schltr. [Sophronitis sincorana (Schltr.) Van den Berg
& Chase - Serra do Sincorá, at 1.300m altitude], Laelia
(Sophronitis) x mucugense Miranda (natural hybrid
between Laelia bahiensis Schltr. x Laelia pfisteri
Pabst & Senghas), Cattleya tenuis Campacci & Vedovello
e C x tenuata V. P. Castro & Campacci ex Braem (apparently
endemic). |
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The
general introduction for the Chapada da Diamantina is done by
Raymond Harley (RGK) and gives us an excellent idea of the geography
approaching the climate, landscape, vegetation, geology explaining
the contrasts, talking about the sources, about the horizontal
beds of arenite (so peculiar, also known as tepuis), high rupestrian
fields, fluvial systems, green exuberance and so on.
Located in the state of Bahia, it is part of the mountain ridge
know as Serra do Espinhaço, with more than 1.000km long (from
Ouro Preto - Minas Gerais until Jacobina - Bahia).
The higher altitude exceeds 2.000m and is settled in the northeast
region which has a complex climate bring a rich variety of flora
and, in particularly, Orchidaceae (R. M. Harley, Introduction).
IMMEDIATE DELIVERY
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