Plants
NEOTROPICAL Tropical & Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forest
The rainforests of tropical South and Central America have the highest diversity of plants in the world...
Order Proteales
Family Proteaceae
(Wayqecha Lodge, Peru)Oreocallis grandiflora. There is only one species in this genus. Shrub or small tree. Grows in forests above 1000 metres in southern Ecuador and northern Peru. A showy and obvious flower in its habitat and visited by hummingbirds.
Order Asparagales
Family Orchidaceae
This orchid flower looks like a little man with a funny hat, screaming!Epidendrum secundum, (Wayqecha Lodge, Peru).
(?) Cyrtochilum aureum (Wayqecha Lodge, Peru).
Order Malvales
Family Malvaceae
Yarina Lodge, EcuadorCeiba pentandra 'Kapok'. One of the biggest trees in the world. Found in Central America and northern South America (and West Africa?).
(Yarina Lodge, Ecuador)Apeiba sp. About 10 species. Grow as trees, often with buttress roots. Often have yellow flowers. Many species produce distinctive sea urchin like fruit, flattened round ball covered in spikes. In some species, this type of fruit is amusingly called 'Monkeys Comb'. All species are found in tropical Americas.
Order Myrtales
Family Melastomataceae
(Manu road, Peru)Miconia includes over 1200 species. They are found in the warmer areas of the tropical Americas, however, one species Miconia calvescens is a major weed in tropical areas around the world.
Order Solanales
Order Lamiales
Family Verbenaceae
Stachytarpheta spp., 'Snakeweeds'
Stachytarpheta are popular with butterflies and hummingbirds (Amazonia Lodge, Peru).Stachytarpheta is a large genus with over 100 species. They are found in Central and South America, with many species becoming weeds around the tropics of the world. Both native and introduced populations are often visted by butterflies and hummingbirds.