AUYAN AND RORAIMA, ISLANDS IN THE SKY
The Guayana region is one of the most important biodiversity and endemism reserves all over the world. Located in the northeast of South America, between the basins of the Amazon and Orinoco rivers, covers the southernmost tip of Venezuela, the three Guyanas (Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana), northern Brazil, and a small portion of southeastern Colombia . The landscape is characterised by the presence of high mountains in the shape of a table, called tepuyes.
The sum of the surfaces of all the tepuyes summits is a discontinuous area of about 5000 km2 with altitudes ranging between 1500 and 3000 masl and is called Pantepui.
In these summits lives over 2300 plant species, 42% of them are endemic to the Pantepui region while 25% are endemisms located on top of some tepuyes.
In 2007 and 2009 I had the opportunity to climb their summits and illustrate some of their botanical treasures.
Acineta alticola, ORCHIDACEAE
Original illustration, 480x330 mm. 2009
Brocchinia reducta, BROMELIACEAE
Original illustration, 480x330 mm. 2009
Utricularia humboldtii LENTIBULARIACEAE, over Brocchinia tatei. BROMELIACEAE
Original illustration, 480x330 mm. 2009
Catopsis berteroniana, BROMELIACEAE
Original illustration, 480x330 mm. 2009
Drosera kaieteurensis & Drosera roraimae, DROSERACEAE
Original illustration, 480x330 mm. 2009
Genlisea roraimensis, LENTIBULARIACEAE
Original illustration, 480x330 mm. 2009
Heliamphora minor, SARRACENIACEAE over Cladonia confusa, CLADONIACEAE
Original illustration, 480x330 mm. 2009
Heliamphora nutans, SARRACENIACEAE
Original illustration, 480x330 mm. 2009
Ledothamnus guyanensis & Ledothamnus luteus, ERICACEAE
Original illustration, 480x330 mm. 2009
Mauritia flexuosa, ARECACEAE
Original illustration, 480x330 mm. 2009
Orectanthe sceptrum, XYRIDACEAE
Original illustration, 480x330 mm. 2009
Tepuia tatei, ERICACEAE
Original illustration, 480x330 mm. 2009
Tococa guianensis, MELASTOMATACEAE
Original illustration, 480x330 mm. 2009
Trigonidium obtusum, ORCHIDACEAE
Original illustration, 480x330 mm. 2008
Utricularia humboldtii, LENTIBULARIACEAE
Original illustration, 480x330 mm. 2009
Utricularia quelchii, LENTIBULARIACEAE
Original illustration, 480x330 mm. 2009
prev
next
X
