Francisco was born in the state of Ceará 32 years ago and lives in Governador Valadares, in the state of Minas Gerais. Since he was 12 years he used to explore nature and, influenced by his brother Reginaldo, he got interested in orchids. The "cerrado" is one of the habitats he visits more.  

Report
Francisco D.V.Leitão

The "cerrado" is a savannah kind fitogeographical domain which occurs in many states of Brazil and in some regions of Paraguay and Bolivia.
With an extension of 2.000.000km² approximately, it is considered as the second biome in Brazil. Among the states which have the privilege of counting with this biome in their territory, there are São Paulo, Goiás, Tocantins, Bahia, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Piauí, Distrito Federal and, of course, Minas Gerais.
The "cerrado" seems, at the first sight, dry, unoccupied and suffered place, however a little walk through this prodigy of nature is enough to fall across a divine and splendid fauna and flora and concerning the Orchidaceae family, we multiply the sensation of charm and admiration.
In the open "cerrado", in Carbonita neighborhood, it is possible to find Cyrtopodium eugenii Rchb. F. & Warm., a small plant for the genus, however with outstanding and expressive flowers.
Most part of "cerrado" in Minas Gerais suffers with hot and dry days with sudden fall of temperature at night. Only during the rainy season the water is available in an expressive quantity and it is just at the beginning of that season that many orchids bloom. By the end of the winter, still during the critical dry period, some species of Encyclia fill the "cerrado" with small and varied flowers.


Encyclia kundergraberii  V. P. Castro & Campacci
My friends and I noticed that in the area we visited, in Carbonita, Encyclia kundergraberii  V. P. Castro & Campacci is one of the main epiphyte plants as well as the Encyclia patens (Hook.) Porto & Brade. This coexistence allowed a new natural hybrid, Encyclia xcarbonitensis Campacci, recently described.

Encyclia oliveirana Campacci no habitat
We also found, although not very often, Encyclia oliveirana Campacci, discovered by my brother Reginaldo de Vasconcelos Leitão

Encyclia oliveirana Campacci

We can also noted that the orchids with epiphyte habit, except for the species of the genus Catasetum, always growing next to the sources of water. Beside Encyclia, we also have the beautiful presence of Cattleya walkeriana Gardner, Schomburgkia sp, species of micro-orchids, such as Acianthera recurva (Lindl.) Pridgeon & M. W. Chase, Myoxanthus lonchophyllus (Barb. Rodr.) Luer, Notylia sp., among others.
We just confirmed the occurrence of Catasetum lanciferum Lindl. and Catasetum blackii Pabst growing in "macaúbas", typical palm trees of the region, far way from the water sources, in the middle of the dry "cerrado".
All those species which have epiphyte habit, need more environmental humidity to survive, for that reason they should adapt themselves to survive in the extreme conditions of the "cerrado", which is, during the dry season, implacable and merciless.
The humidity is more preserved along the sources of water. In the course of the years, the rains with their spates draining directly to the rivers and creeks, opened trenches which, year by year, slowly, became deeper. With this considerable accumulation of water, the local vegetation develop better in the borders of those trenches, as a result it is possible to find beautiful specimens of Aechemea bromelifolia, a wonderful bromeliad that side by side with the orchidaceous flora found the auspicious conditions to survive, however just the stronger orchids such as the species of
the genus Encyclia, are commonly found in those trenches that accumulate water for a short period after the rains. Many of them dry out completely while other keep in deep wells, opening an oasis, where before was so dry as the heart of the "cerrado".  
We had a big surprise when we came to across to a wonderful blossom in the middle of the summer of Phragmipedium vittatum (Vell.) Rolfe. and Bletia catenulata Ruiz & Pavon growing as terrestrial. During the rainy season, they burst in blooming, taking advantage of the vitality of the "errand" to show their flowers and attract their pollinator. On the other hand, on the river or creek bed, vegetating among the stones crevices we could enjoyed the delicate Koellensteinia eburnea (Barb. Rodr.) Schltr.
Phragmipedium vittatum  forms big colonies on the rivers bed. The fan shape plants are smaller when they are vegetating exposed to the sunbeam. Those growing in the trenches, among the vegetation protected by the shade, are bigger, reaching 60cm long and produce more vigorous blooms.


  In face of this beauty and immensity of the "cerrado" and its native and orchidaceous flora, it is not astonished that the man, called the most indigent among the animals, be the responsible for all destruction of this. It would be amazing if not tragic as we know that "cerrado" is one of the eldest biomes of the planet and took thousands years to reach the present form. The man, in a while, by his greed and irrationality, goes on overthrowing and burning this environmental patrimony for cultivating eucalyptus, producing charcoal or anything else which only provoke damages and irrecoverable loses.
The most incredible is that the nature, through the orchids, has been calling on showing its beauty for all of us as asking for mercy, begging for our attention with its forms and perfumes as a subliminal message of it petals, sepals and lip (illegal kiln, death in the cerrado).


thanks to : Marli Ventura, resident of Carbonita/MG who introduced us to the city and the region.
Adjarme de Oliveira and Jefferson de Faria, my companions in the expeditions.


(from the left to the right: Adjarme, Marli, Jefferson and Francisco)

Obs.: The legends inside the photos are made by the author


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