# Wild Peruvian besseae



## gonewild (Jul 18, 2007)

When I was in Lima a few weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit Alfredo Manrique at his nursery _Centro Jardineria Manrique_. Alfredo had just returned from Moyabomba where he collected his new P.kovachii plants and a few other interesting things.

Probably one of the most interesting was his newly collected Phrag besseae. This should put to rest the idea that P. besseae is extinct in Peru! Alfredo was able to collect one plant in bloom and I'm sure he will put the pollen to good use. Hopefully in the near future there will be wild Peruvian besseae species plants available.

The plants are much more compact than I would have expected and also were collected at low altitudes which may mean they will be more heat tolerant?

Alfredo with one of his newly collected Phrag. besseae.






Flower is less than 5 cm wide.





I think the pot is about 4 inches?





Here is the besseae next to a newly collected kovachii plant.





I also had the pleasure to meet Slippertalk member Isaias while there. Isaias had a lot to say and I'll show something he was excited about along with pictures of Alfredo's kovachii in a later post.


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## Marco (Jul 18, 2007)

great photos thanks Lance


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## Magicboy (Jul 18, 2007)

It sounds good to hear that both Phrag. kovachii and Phrag. besseae isn't extinct in Peru!


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## bwester (Jul 18, 2007)

Thanks Lance. When do you take me along to Peru?


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## gonewild (Jul 18, 2007)

bwester said:


> Thanks Lance. When do you take me along to Peru?



Anytime you want to go.


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## Ron-NY (Jul 18, 2007)

I had the opportunity to go on that collecting trip but had to pass up the opportunity due to pressures at work and at home


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## bwester (Jul 18, 2007)

gonewild said:


> Anytime you want to go.



Thats just what you would like Lance, an opportunity to silence the s/h resistance movement. oke:
Viva La S/H Resistance!!!

but seriously, I really like to go sometime. Is it real expensive?


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## gonewild (Jul 18, 2007)

bwester said:


> Thats just what you would like Lance, an opportunity to silence the s/h resistance movement. oke:
> Viva La S/H Resistance!!!



:evil: gotta go to plan b oke:



> but seriously, I really like to go sometime. Is it real expensive?



No, it is not expensive at all compared to going on a "real" vacation. Depends on where you go and how you travel. I never travel on buses to save money, time is to valuable. I hire my on cars to drive me around as opposed to taking taxis, but a car and driver in Lima is only $7 per hour. Hotels are $25 per night in the big cities and $3 per bed in rural towns. It can get costly to hire a 4x4 for travel in the mountains depending on where you are and where you want to go, a couple hundred $ per day. Very nice silver jewelery in Miraflores is cheap. Food is excellent and comparably inexpensive. A Fillet Mignon dinner is about $15.00. Airfare from the states to Lima runs $500-$1200.00 depending on the season.

Peru is a very fine place to visit. For an orchid collector or plant lover there is no better place.


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## kentuckiense (Jul 18, 2007)

Very very tempting. Please keep us posted if you decide to head down to Peru again.


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## Heather (Jul 18, 2007)

With Zach (posted above me) on this. 

My honey and I met in a Peruvian archaeology class and I've always been interested in any sort of trip there for the two of us. We don't need the luxury, we just need the romance and time I think at this point.


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## kentuckiense (Jul 18, 2007)

Heather said:


> We don't need the luxury, we just need the romance and time I think at this point.



Note to self: don't book a room beside Heather's.


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## bwester (Jul 18, 2007)

Heather said:


> My honey and I met in a Peruvian archaeology class



you dork..... :rollhappy:


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## Ron-NY (Jul 18, 2007)

gonewild said:


> :evil: gotta go to plan b oke:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I agree, my flight cost me about $700 dollars from my home airport. Isaias picked us up at the airport and we stayed in a hotel in Miraflores. While in Oxapampa the 5 nights with a large full breakfast ran me less than $200. I might have paid about $80 a night in Miraflores. Food was very inexpensive, especially outside of Lima. The beer was good, the people were wonderful and the Sapo was fun.

We rented a vehicle for out travels and Alfredo Manrique chaffered us around Lima. Now the highway crossing the Andes was hair raising. The road going to Oxapampa was close to being non existent. It was under major repairs and you could only travel it at night when the workman weren't working. I decided not wearing a seatbelt would give me a better chance of surviving on Peruvian roads. It would give me the opportunity to get out quicker if we went over a cliff:sob:


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## Heather (Jul 19, 2007)

kentuckiense said:


> Note to self: don't book a room beside Heather's.




LOL! Zach!! :evil:


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## isaias m rolando (Jul 19, 2007)

Lance
Thanks for the great ad for peruvian ecotourism.
I want to inform the ST members a new web page is under construction: www.peruorchidtours.com will be ready by august. 
You will find there info about ecotourism with orchids near archaeological sites like Kuelap and Macchu Picchu.
Have a nice week
Isaias


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## Hien (Jul 19, 2007)

Lance
That is great news, a besseae that will tolerate heat.


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## NYEric (Jul 19, 2007)

I was invited down to Ecuador by Dennis and didn't take him up on the offer. From now on I will take advantage of the travel opportunities. Umm, when I renew my passport . Were you able to bring anything interesting back? The photos are great, thanks for sharing, Yay besseae!


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## TutoPeru (Jul 19, 2007)

For anyone interested in going to Peru, Spirit Airlines has just started flying to Lima. They have great promotions. This month there were tickets for $59 each way out of Fort Lauderdale. You cannot beat those prices.


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## gonewild (Jul 19, 2007)

kentuckiense said:


> Very very tempting. Please keep us posted if you decide to head down to Peru again.



I'm going again in September.


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## gonewild (Jul 19, 2007)

Heather said:


> With Zach (posted above me) on this.
> 
> My honey and I met in a Peruvian archaeology class and I've always been interested in any sort of trip there for the two of us. We don't need the luxury, we just need the romance and time I think at this point.



I know the perfect spot for you. Old ruins with orchids growing on them. No tourists around to interfere with romance. And definitely no luxury! Plenty of undisturbed orchids but the time part of your desire you will need to provide. oke:


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## gonewild (Jul 19, 2007)

Ron-NY said:


> I agree, my flight cost me about $700 dollars from my home airport. Isaias picked us up at the airport and we stayed in a hotel in Miraflores. While in Oxapampa the 5 nights with a large full breakfast ran me less than $200. I might have paid about $80 a night in Miraflores. Food was very inexpensive, especially outside of Lima. The beer was good, the people were wonderful and the Sapo was fun.
> 
> We rented a vehicle for out travels and Alfredo Manrique chaffered us around Lima. Now the highway crossing the Andes was hair raising. The road going to Oxapampa was close to being non existent. It was under major repairs and you could only travel it at night when the workman weren't working. I decided not wearing a seatbelt would give me a better chance of surviving on Peruvian roads. It would give me the opportunity to get out quicker if we went over a cliff:sob:



Was the road paved or still dirt? I hate traveling those mountain roads at night! Never wear a seat belt and never sit in the middle seat! What fun!


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## gonewild (Jul 19, 2007)

kentuckiense said:


> Note to self: don't book a room beside Heather's.




Note to Zach: Only two rooms, no choice.


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## gonewild (Jul 19, 2007)

isaias m rolando said:


> Lance
> Thanks for the great ad for peruvian ecotourism.
> I want to inform the ST members a new web page is under construction: www.peruorchidtours.com will be ready by august.
> You will find there info about ecotourism with orchids near archaeological sites like Kuelap and Macchu Picchu.
> ...



Isaias, Who is promoting the tours? Are you involved with the company?


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## gonewild (Jul 19, 2007)

Hien said:


> Lance
> That is great news, a besseae that will tolerate heat.



Maybe? Since they are from a lower elevation they should be from a warmer climate. Alfredo did say they are found near waterfalls which may keep the temps cooler than warmer? Time in cultivation will tell. Someone should be doing selective breeding of besseae for growth in warm climates. Maybe this is something Alfredo can work with starting with the new besseae.


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## gonewild (Jul 19, 2007)

NYEric said:


> I was invited down to Ecuador by Dennis and didn't take him up on the offer. From now on I will take advantage of the travel opportunities. Umm, when I renew my passport . Were you able to bring anything interesting back? The photos are great, thanks for sharing, Yay besseae!



You should never pass up an opportunity to travel to a wild place. Better start renewing your passport, homeland security can't figure out how to do it and it can take a long time. Visit Peru to see the orchids before time changes all.

I did not try to bring any plants back, just photos, memories and knowledge.


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## NYEric (Jul 19, 2007)

gonewild said:


> I also had the pleasure to meet Slippertalk member Isaias while there. Isaias had a lot to say and I'll show something he was excited about along with pictures of Alfredo's kovachii in a later post.



Is it a new yellow Phrag?:drool:


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## gonewild (Jul 19, 2007)

NYEric said:


> Is it a new yellow Phrag?:drool:



Don't know, was not in flower. But it was big.


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## NYEric (Jul 19, 2007)

OK, was it a Phrag?


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## gore42 (Jul 19, 2007)

I think that I got a division of one of these new besseae from Chuck Acker last Fall... I believe that he had bought it during his kovachii travels in the region. The interesting this about the plant that I got from him (and he's confirmed that this is typical) is that there is no climbing habit when the new growths form. Unfortunately, mine was shipped in spike but it blasted along the way, and it hasn't re-bloomed yet. Hopefully soon, though...

- Matt


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## NYEric (Jul 19, 2007)

Ooh ooh, me some too!


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## gonewild (Jul 19, 2007)

NYEric said:


> OK, was it a Phrag?



Of course it was a Phrag! I'll post a picture tonight.


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## NYEric (Jul 19, 2007)

Thanx!


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## Hien (Jul 19, 2007)

gonewild said:


> Don't know, was not in flower. But it was big.



It is not in flower but it is big.


you say the plant is big?
or the leaf is big?
or the root ball is big?

Since it is not the flower you are talking about, obviously.


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## isaias m rolando (Jul 19, 2007)

Yes Lance
I am involved in a group of profesionals taking care of the tours.
We can advice everybody about Archaeological sites, orchid, birds, butterflies, Gotca waterfall and others, etc, all around Peru. We do not "invade "neighbor countries as other people do without permision...

I was involved in a similar group that the AOS to promoted in the 80' s. Remember International Expeditions?

It will be advertised soon through tourist operators in the US and Europe.


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