To my knowledge, there were only twelve plants of this that came into the United States from Panama. It is from Kuna Yala. This species came in as a group of seedlings and it seems as if only one was ever sold, and a handful of others were distributed among friends. I received two of […]
This easy to grow ficus does great growing on wood or up a background. It has a dense growth habit and will climb as high as you let it. The leaves are elongated and can reach almost 2 inches when mature. It has been incorrectly labeled as Ficus Panama, even though it is found throughout […]
This is a small Pilea that only reaches about 3″ at full size. It grows like many Pileas and will form little colonies given time. It flowers often in the terrarium and is fairly tolerant of a wide variety of growing conditions but is not particularly fast.
by Chuck Nishihira
by Chuck Nishihira Anthurium scandens ssp. pusillum is a small species with an interesting trailing habit and purple berries. This is a widespread subspecies occurring through much of Central America and parts of northern South America. This Anthurium usually occurs at elevations that are high enough to be cool and misty from clouds rolling by. […]
by Chuck Nishihira While I’m not 100% sure, I think all of these represent the bromeliad Racineae spiculosa in various stages. All of these are from Cerro Azul in Panama.
by Chuck Nishihira At the top of Cerro Azul, near Panama City there is a very nice area that almost feels like a park. It is filled with smaller trees that seem old but are not very tall. The walking is easy and it makes for a nice peaceful day to walk around and photograph […]
by Chuck Nishihira I believe this is a Cryptochloa species, but could certainly be wrong. The Olyreae are grasses in subfamily Bambusoideae. When you come across these smaller pretty species it is hard not to stop and admire them. This particular species was growing on a clay bank with a decent amount of leaf-litter covering […]
by Chuck Nishihira Sometimes every little detail seems so important. The shape of the leaflet on this Plagiochila versus the leaflet on that Plagiochila. The dark color of one species versus the paleness of another. The more subtle the differences you are willing to look for, the more interesting things there are to see. If […]
by Chuck Nishihira This small epiphytic orchid was found at about 900 meters. With casual observation, they did seem to favor growing on the trunks of trees, as opposed to the smaller branches.
by Chuck Nishihira I remember thinking to myself while taking these photos that this was the perfect opportunity to capture both the softness and the details of a filmy fern at the same time. The way that the leaves presented themselves on one plane, all facing in the same direction was perfect. This species was […]
by Chuck Nishihira While hiking in the El Cope area in Panama, I was caught off guard when I came across this fern in the family Polypodiaceae that had bright red new leaves. I could try to take a guess at the genus, like maybe a Pleopeltis. Probably the best thing to do would be to […]