Trip to Brazil

During the first two weeks in February I went to Brazil and would like to give
you all a short report about this trip. It was a botanical round trip starting
in the Sao Paolo area, going from there to the Atlantic coast crossing the
coastal mountain range (Mata atlantica) and going north toward Rio de Janeiro.
From there back inland to the Organ mountains and the cities of Teresopolis and
Petropolis. Heading further inland we got to Belo Horizonte and still further
to Diamantina, from there back to Sao Paolo. This meant approximately 6000km by
car, about the maximum that can be done in this given time. My guide was Mauro
Peixoto from Sao Paolo who did a perfect job. He organised the trip with me via
e-mail and perfectly arranged sites of interest within the possible reach in a
limited time. He did all the driving in his private comfortable car. Roads in
Brazil are excellent with very few exceptions. Hotels spotlessly clean and good
local food in self service restaurants all over the place. Temperatures at this
time of the year were very hot at sea level but comfortable to sometimes cool
at higher altitudes. There was rain, it was the rainy season but the rain has
not stopped us from going to the intended places.

Which were the main places of interest?

Atlantic coast: beautiful rugged coast where the coastal mountains intermingle
with the sea in a finger-like way producing an endless number of large to tiny
romantic bays and beaches and many islands. A beautiful historical city is
Parati, from there the historical gold trail goes inland but soon becomes rough
and unpaved. Good Bromeliad nursery near Parati. All in all brethtaking
scenery. Had a rough swim in big waves near Rio in crystal clear water on a
beach that was so white as if the sand was of ground glass. Interesting beach
vegetation (restinga) and Sinningia bulbosa tubers attached to bare rocks in
full sun in the salt spray of the surf.

Mata Atlantica. The remaining parts of this formerly huge forest are now well
protected and preserved, beautiful landscape but not very accessible. In the
Petropolis and Teresopolis area there are hiking paths and National Park
facilities. There I saw Gesneriads, Hippeastrum (H. calyptratum or aulicum, not
in bloom growing fully epiphytically) Orchids, Ferns, many interesting Palm
species. On the road there was a stunning more than 2m pink Lobelia. The
landscape of the Organ Mountains is breathtaking with many "sugar-loafs" that
become extremely tall and perpendicular. One of Brazil's largest orchid
nurseries (Binot) at Petropolis.

Sitio Burle Marx. (in the Rio area) Roberto Burle Marx was a leading artist,
architect and garden designer in Brazil and has established an incedible plant
collection that can be viewed in parts through guided tours. Very impressive.
Mostly but not exclusively Brazilian plants: Bromeliads, Orchids (did not see
these two collections) Philodendrons (did not know there are so many
differerent ones) Begonia and an overall setting in a perfect tropical garden
were a very sensitive design has used the existing tree canopy to produce a
mind boggling lush display playing with light and shade and water. The site is
under government administration now and looks very well kept.

The most fascinating parts were the rock fields near Belo Horizonte and around
Diamantina: Quarzite or granite rock between 1000 and 1500m above sea level
with very cold (regular frost in exposed places) temperatures during winter
nights but always warming up during the day. Very high light intensity. An
incredible wealth of species and genera many of which I never heard of and many
of which both of us could not identify. (Vellozia, Paepalanthus, Orchids,
Bromeliads, Philodendron, Begonia, Gesneriads, Hippeastrum, Bignoniaceae,
Melastomataceae, Alstomeria, Apocynaceae, Cactus, Ipomoea and many more)
Stunning to see Cactus, Begonia, Bromeliads, Philodendron, Orchids and
Gesneriads growing side by side in full sun on almost bare rock drenched in
water at this time of the season. Also stunning 80cm tall Sinninga magnifica
with countless big tubular flowers in glowing red.
Mauro kept saying that every time he goes he finds something new in flower he
has never seen before.

Mauro has an excellent http://…

If you have further questions, please contact me privately.

Greetings from wintery and snowy Germany, Uli