Epistephium x gransabanense, La Escalera.

Climbing Mount Roraima - Part 6

Mount Roraima, and the Guyana Highlands in general, are one of the best places in the world to look for orchids. It is not unusual to see 30-50 species in one day. In most tropical countries, the majority of orchids are epiphytes. But in the Guyana Highlands, there are hundreds of terrestrial species, too.

Epidendrum ulei, La Escalera.

Epistephium hernandii, La Escalera.

Otostylis lepida, La Escalera.

Epistephium (?) subrepens, La Escalera.

Even the highway to Roraima has a lot of them, especially the area of tepui-like cloud forest known as La Escalera (it's also popular among birdwatchers).

Cleistes roseus, La Escalera.

Epidendrum elongatum, La Escalera.

Sobralia liliastrum, La Escalera.

The best times to look for them are the beginning and the end of the rainy season (May-June and August- October).

S. liliastrum, La Escalera.

Otostylis lepida, La Escalera.

Epidendrum sp, La Escalera.

Galeottia burkei, Paratepui.

The grasslands of La Gran Sabana have a few orchids, too, but they are spread rather thinly on the ground. As you approach the base of Mt. Roraima, you see more of them; by the time you enter the cloud forest you are surrounded by orchids.

G. burkei, Paratepui.

Orchids, base of Mt. Roraima. Left to right: Koellensteinia kellneriana, Habenaria (?) repens, H. (?) parviflora.

Epidendrum violascens, slopes of Mt. Roraima.

Some grow on rocks, under waterfalls, in small cracks of sandstone, in bogs and small pools.

O. lepida, slopes of Mt. Roraima.

Orchids (possibly Maxillaria brunnea) and mushrooms, slopes of Mt. Roraima.

E. secundum, summit plateau of Mt. Roraima.

E. ulei, summit plateau of Mt. Roraima.

By the time you reach the summit plateau, orchids become one of the most abundant plant families. There are fewer species here than at the base of the cliffs, and most of them have small flowers, but they are still beautiful.

E. violascens, summit plateau of Mt. Roraima.

Orchids, summit plateau of Mt. Roraima. Left to right: Octomeria connellii, Maxillaria (?) meridensis, O. connellii.

E. x gransabanense, summit plateau of Mt. Roraima.

The most common genus on the summit plateau is Epidendrum. A few species are endemic to Roraima, or shared only with nearby Kukenan Tepui. New species are still being discovered once every few years.

Habenaria roraimensis, summit plateau of Mt. Roraima.

E. secundum, summit plateau of Mt. Roraima.

Part 7. Fauna

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