The Chapada Diamantina is an open-air orchidarium, and on all the trails you can find marvellous orchids along the way.
The one pictured here is an Ellongata orchid, the orchid that symbolises the Chapada Diamantina National Park.
The Pai Inácio nursery is located near Morro do Pai Inácio, 200 metres from BR 242, opposite the petrol station, where Mr Luís, a retired military officer, collects, researches and cultivates orchids, with Ibama’s authorisation, most of the orchid species found in the Chapada, as well as some exotic species.
The nursery welcomes tourists from Monday to Saturday and, in addition to the flower greenhouses, it also has a natural swimming pool, a mini mining museum and a souvenir shop. The Pai Inácio Orchidarium is well worth a visit.
Main endemic orchids of Chapada Diamantina
- Cattleya Elongata
- Cattleya Tenuis
- Adamantinia Miltonioides
1. Cattleya Elongata
- Description: It has beige or light brown flowers, with a generally darker lip, and stands out for its elegance.
- Habitat: Found in cerrado areas, in sandy, well-drained soils.
- Curiosity: One of the most emblematic orchids of the Chapada and much sought after by collectors.
2. Cattleya Tenuis
Orchid found specifically at Fazenca Angico in Morro do Chapéu, north of the Chapada Diamantina.
The Cattleya tenuis is a species of orchid endemic to the Chapada Diamantina, in Bahia, and is recognised for its delicacy and unique beauty. Also known as ‘Laelia tenuis’ (in older classifications), this orchid is highly valued by collectors and researchers due to its rarity and ecological importance.
Characteristics of Cattleya tenuis
Description of the flowers
- Colour: The flowers are lilac or purple, with the labellum (central part of the flower) usually in a more intense shade and wavy edges.
- Size: Small to medium-sized, with flowers approximately 4 to 6 centimetres in diameter.
- Quantity: Each stem can produce 2 to 4 flowers.
Habitat
- Cattleya tenuis is epiphytic (grows on trees) or rupicolous (grows on rocks), adapted to the dry climate and altitudes of the Chapada Diamantina.
- Common in rupestrian grassland areas, especially on exposed rocks or small trees.
Life Cycle
- Flowers mainly in spring, when the climatic conditions in the Chapada are most favourable.
- It adapts well to the scarcity of water characteristic of its natural habitat.
Distribution
- Its occurrence is restricted to the Chapada Diamantina, making it a species with an extremely limited distribution and a target for conservation efforts.
3. Adamantinia Miltonioides
Adamantinia miltonioides is a rare orchid endemic to the Chapada Diamantina region in Bahia, Brazil. The genus Adamantinia is monospecific, i.e. it contains only this one species, which makes it even more special from a botanical and conservation point of view.
Characteristics of Adamantinia miltonioides
Flower description
- Colour: Predominantly lilac or pale pink flowers, with white or yellow details on the lip.
- Shape: Its flowers resemble those of the Miltonia genus, which explains the name ‘miltonioides’.
- Size: Small and delicate, usually with slender, elegant petals and sepals.
Plant
- Size: Small to medium-sized, with narrow, elongated leaves.
- Habitat: This is an epiphytic or rupicolous species, growing on trees or rocks in the rupestrian grasslands of the Chapada Diamantina.
Distribution
- It is exclusive to the Chapada Diamantina, occurring at high altitudes and in places with good exposure to sunlight.
- Adamantinia miltonioides is found in the rupestrian grasslands of the Chapada Diamantina, adapting well to the semi-arid climate and poor, well-drained soils.
Flowering
- It usually blooms in late winter and early spring, when the temperature and humidity conditions are ideal.
How to care for and grow orchids
Map of the Chapada Diamantina Trails and Tourist Sites
Bahia.ws is the largest tourist guide to Bahia and Salvador.
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