POSTCARD from Mexico N°14

(By Fernando Rivadavia, April 3 to 12, 2004) 

A TRIP THROUGH CHIAPAS & OAXACA

PART 4 :  

   Excitement was flowing through our veins as we headed out on the 7^th day of our trip, anxiously wondering if the plants Ed and I had found a few months earlier were truly P.laueana or not. We visited the Sierra de Mixes in November 2003 (see postcard 5) and found P.moranensis-like rosettes growing on a cliff by the road at ~2455m altitude. These had no flowers, nor were any produced in cultivation in the following months. So we were still in doubt if we had rediscovered P.laueana or simply found more P.moranensis. The suspense was killing us…

            It had taken us heavy detective work to find that site, using sketchy information and old pictures that Alfred Lau took decades ago when he discovered P.laueana at the Sierra de Mixes. From Lau’s pictures we’d identified the scenery and knew we were in the right area. But if the plants Ed & I had found turned out to be P.moranensis, we were more than willing to climb to the top of what was supposedly Cerro Zempoatepetl (3395m) in search of true P.laueana, as Lau apparently had. To tell the truth, we even had doubts if P.laueana would turn out to have red flowers in the wild or not. Our fear was that they would be mostly dark-pink instead and that the red color would only be present on a few odd plants. (This just goes to show how almost all that we know about many species like P.laueana is based on cultivated plants, with little or no work having been carried out in the field.)

            It was ~150km to the P.laueana (?) site on the Sierra de Mixes and along the way we stopped to search for P.heterophylla. Although these were probably dormant, the herbarium information we had was quite precise and we were hoping to spot the dead leaves and maybe uncover a few of the onion-like bulbs. Maybe we’d even catch an early flower or two. But no such luck, we saw nothing.

            However we did find a nice P.moranensis population right by the road with large winter rosettes and many purplish-pink flowers, growing in semi-shade of pines & oaks. We also stopped to visit a P.moranensis site we’d found in November, where there’d only been one flower. Now there were plenty more, varying from purplish to dark-pink in color. Curiously, as we were photographing a few of these flowers, we noticed numerous small black insects crawling out of them (see pics).

            Not wanting to waste much time with “boring” P.moranensis, we pushed on. After all, we were very close to the site of P.laueana, the most amazing of all Pinguicula, the only species with red flowers, the jewel of the genus! As far as we knew, nobody but Alfred Lau plus a few of his kids and friends had ever seen P.laueana in the wild. The site hadn’t been revisited in 13 years, since Lau’s 2^nd trip there in 1991. He’d discovered P.laueana in early 1973 – wow, that’s over 30 years ago, around the time I was born! Time sure flies fast, huh? J

            The suspected P.laueana we’d seen in November were close to this last P.moranensis site, yet it was almost a world away. The road climbed a bit higher before entering another valley which was much more humid than the one we were coming up through from Oaxaca City. It’s impressive how the vegetation changes in this other valley, the clouds thick with humidity. I suspect there must be humid ocean currents from the Gulf of Mexico being channeled into this N-facing valley.

            Driving on, the familiar views increased our excitement with every turn of the twisting mountain road. Although I knew there were 3 other people in the car intently scanning the roadsides for red flowers, it was nonetheless difficult keeping my eyes on the asphalt and not on the rock walls. Suddenly, there it was! A few hundred meters in front of us was the cliff where we had seen the flowerless rosettes in November. Would there be flowers now? Would they be red????

            These thoughts were soon drowned out of my head as Ed began shouting at the top of his lungs: “RED FLOWERS!! RED FLOWERS!! WE FOUND PINGUICULA LAUEANA!!!” and laughed hysterically. I quickly parked the car and we all jumped out. And sure enough there they were, in all their red splendor, sticking out from the green mosses on the black rock face. I had never even seen P.laueana flowers in cultivation, I only knew them from pictures. So it was true, they did exist after all!

             Walking along the road, we spotted more and more red flowers on the cliffs above. We were like children in a candy shop, eyes glittering, mouths hanging open, alternating whispers of incredulity with excited shouts at each new flower discovered. It was a glorious moment. And it was only just beginning…

            It was very frustrating to see all those red flowers and not be able to get close to any – they were ALL too high up and out of reach! In November we’d parked the car under a low group of rosettes in order to take pictures by climbing on the car (see postcard 5). But none of these low ones were in flower. We were unsatisfied to say the least! I pushed that we should try climbing the mountain in hopes of finding other P.laueana populations.

            While discussing if we should climb the mountain or not, Ed crossed the road and checked the dramatic drop in the hillside. Scanning the steep precipice, he spotted more red flowers, within reach too! Well, that was a matter of opinion – or madness! They were only a bit further down from the road, but in a precarious spot at the edge of the drop. Knowing me well, at first Ed didn’t want to show them to me. When I saw them, I knew I had to go. Risking my life, I climbed down carefully, trembling with fear I admit! But the pictures were worth it!! JJ

            Climbing back up to the road, having finally come close enough to touch those beautiful red flowers… I was still unsatisfied. We’d worked too hard to find P.laueana and it had waited too long to be rediscovered. We still had several hours of daylight left, we HAD to find more P.laueana! This might be my last visit to this area for at least many years to come. P.laueana is probably the most photogenic of all Pings, we had to search for more plants. I’d simply not feel complete if I left without finding a wall covered with red flowers that I could photograph from close up. For P.laueana, it was worth climbing Cerro Zempoatepetl!

            So I convinced everyone else to follow me up. The problem was how?! The roadside was almost all sheer cliffs. A few hundred meters further ahead, the road crossed a stream and we decided that it was probably the best spot to attempt our climb. As we walked there, we saw more P.laueana on the walls, some of these within reach. One of these flowers was a beautiful salmon-pink color, while another clone was dark-pink. But these were the only ones we found that day which were not a deep blood red or dark orange-red. The rosettes and flower scapes varied from green in color to pinkish-red or dark red, depending apparently on sunlight exposure. Even the spurs and backside of the flowers seemed darker in color in more exposed spots. We found both summer and winter rosettes.

            Walking further on, we reached the stream and began clambering carefully over the slippery moss-covered rocks littering the streambed. We made very slow progress at first, it was all very smooth and wet and the underbrush often thick. After climbing a while, we split up to cover more area and explore opposite walls visible from the small valley we were in. I went off alone and began circling the base of a cliff. About 20 minutes later, having walked a long way around the mountain, I heard shouts in the distance. I couldn’t really make out what was being said, but I didn’t have to. I knew what all the excitement was about. It could only be more P.laueana!

            Scampering back the way I’d come, slipping and sliding over mossy rocks and tree trunks, I fumbled my way down the valley and then up the opposite side, calling out at regular intervals to check if I was heading in the right direction. It was arduous terrain with many loose & slippery rocks partially hidden by a green carpet of short plants. It was almost like walking through thick snow or deep mud. Not to mention the thin air at over 2500m in altitude. Huffing and puffing, my lungs bursting, I finally reached my companions. They were standing at the base of a small rock wall with several flowering P.laueana. Beautiful! – I said – But not enough, let’s search for more!

            After taking a few pictures we began climbing further, splitting up again briefly. I didn’t have to go very far before finding more P.laueana. Only this time it wasn’t just another small population, but a large wall densely packed with hundreds, if not thousands, of P.laueana! I screamed out at the top of my voice, calling everyone else.

            What a sight it was! We had finally found the holy grail we’d been seeking: P.laueana rosettes and red flowers everywhere! And the more we explored the base of that cliff in either direction for several dozen meters, the more P.laueana we found. The habitat was semi-shaded by trees and the walls mostly dry or humid, in some spots with dripping water. Although the cliffs were covered with mosses, it wasn’t that yellow moss seen in Lau’s pictures. Maybe that was higher up.

            We spent at least an hour walking around this area, taking dozens of pictures. Every few minutes one of us would shout out things like: “I found more!”, “A beautiful group of flowers over here!”, “I got one with 6 petals here!”, or “I found one with a yellow stripe at the base of the lower lip!” Yes we did find a flower with 6 petals and a few with a creamy-yellow stripe on the lower lip. Often there was more than one parallel stripe, larger or smaller, and in a few flowers it was actually a diffuse whitish blotch or just a hint of lighter coloration. We also noticed several flowers covered with small wounds on the corolla lobes and some had a dent on the upper part of the spur/ corolla tube – caused by some big & violent pollinator?

            Probably the best part about discovering that wall full of P.laueana was that we didn’t have to climb to the top of Cerro Zempoatepetl, hahaha! That was a relief! It was certainly a privilege to have seen wild P.laueana in full bloom in such large numbers. It put us in a state of bliss, a sort of drunkenness, which lasted the whole drive back to Oaxaca and for the following few days too. Finding P.laueana in the wild was one of those CP moments we will always treasure, looking back on with a sigh of nostalgia…

            Before returning to Oaxaca city, we stopped to visit a touristy place called Hierve el Agua, a series of stalactite-like formations which look like they should be inside a cave but are on calcareous outcrop on a mountainside. However the big attraction for locals are the artificial swimming pools at the top of the calcareous formations.          

To be continued on POSTCARD N°14 Part 5