why aren't there african slippers?

[Rick]

This is a pretty interesting notion. Bulbophylum made it into Africa, but they haven't radiated into the miriad of forms you see in SE Asia and the Pacific. But Bulbophylum is pretty limited in South America too.

In more recent millions of years I would have thought that it would not have been that hard for slippers to work west across India to Madagascar and into Africa.

I'm guessing that there are too many big expanses of hot and dry (or at least hot) to really favor the orchid diversity we see in Asia and SA. Maybe the insect diversity is lower too for supporting a greater diversity of pollination strategies.

Maybe the stupid monkeys picked them all into extinction:evil:

 

[dave b]

They were eaten by the vast herds of wildebeests, gazelles, and the hippos finished what was left.

 

[Roy]

I reckon there are Paphs growing in Australia only we haven't found them yet.
They grow down as far as New Guinea and Islands. Like the recent discoveries in China & Vietnam & Phrag discoveries in Peru & Ecuador, people haven't got into every part of Tropical Australia. Mind you, because of the snakes, their eyes might be on the ground too much to look up for the epiphytic paphs!!!

 

[Bolero]

i think it all goes back to pangea and gondwanaland, who knows. ....go to that new multi million dollar creation museum where they have dinosaurs living with adam and eve and maybe they can tell you :rollhappy:

LOL!!!!! I saw that one on the news......very funny.

 

[Mark]

i think it all goes back to pangea and gondwanaland, who knows. ....go to that new multi million dollar creation museum where they have dinosaurs living with adam and eve and maybe they can tell you :rollhappy:

I am quite tempted to email them with the question. The answer would probably be entertaining if not actually informative.

 

[NYEric]

Atlantians harvested them to extinction!
Heather, Simpsons demolish Family Guy but I'm talking about pre-adult cartoons.

 

[Hien]

I reckon there are Paphs growing in Australia only we haven't found them yet.
They grow down as far as New Guinea and Islands. Like the recent discoveries in China & Vietnam & Phrag discoveries in Peru & Ecuador, people haven't got into every part of Tropical Australia. Mind you, because of the snakes, their eyes might be on the ground too much to look up for the epiphytic paphs!!!

Somehow, I like Roy's thought,
Because we have not seen it yet, does not mean it is not out there somewhere.

 

[dave b]

Seriously this time.

It seems that most of the African regions that sustain orchids isint well suited for paphs. due to the dry seasons. The epiphytes are found in areas that recieve heavy moisture via clouds and mist during these dry spells. Thus, the humidity levels during the dry season are recorded as being quite high (typically well above 50%). Most of the terrestrials survive the dry spells because of tubers or pseudobulbs, and they are dormant during these times.

Not to say that there are not areas that couldnt provide the right conditions.

If they were once there, conditions have changed such that it isint now a suitable environment.

 

[likespaphs]

Seriously this time.

It seems that most of the African regions that sustain orchids isint well suited for paphs. due to the dry seasons....

okay, but why not cyps?

 

[Leo Schordje]

Back on track with Dave B. spouting forth from my vague but true recollections and ruminations. When continents split much of what today is Africa and Australia I believe were largely deserts or shallow seas. In recent history the African equatroial regions have been a stable rain forest for a mere 10 million years. But back 100 million years ago I don't think the African continent was as hospitable as it is today for the ancestors of Paphs or Phrags. Much of it was desert or shallow inland seas.
Cyps generally are a north temperate boreal genus, may have evolve into existance while Africa was too far south and had that big Sahara desert as a block to colonization.
Australia was the first continent to leave the Pangea, it simply wandered away from the party too soon to get its dose of Cypripediodiae or Placental Mammals.
I believe in the case of Bulbophyllums there is evidence that they colonized South America fairly recently (less than 10 million years ago) most likely as wind blown seed. Bulbos are found around the globe, in the southern equatorial latitudes, ie. SE Asia, Borneo, PNG, Africa, Madagascar, Brazil, etc. Again this factoid is from my vague but true file, double check this before you cite it as veritas.
We need a paleoclimatologist to weigh in. Any on this forum?
Leo

 

[NYEric]

Blasphemy!

 

[SlipperFan]

Blasphemy!

Huh???

 

[Rick]

okay, but why not cyps?

It seems like Paph druryi is pushing the paph envelope as far as coming close to something that can inhabit savanah/open forest. But it still catches some of the standard monsoon season. Also it's probably the geographically closest slipper to Madagascar.

Also Mexipedium pushes the limit for a dry adapted slipper too.

The Angreacems seem to be very succesfull in Africa/Madagascar, and ecologically they are very much like the South American Brassalova sp. There are also allot of African terrestrials that remind me allot of the Australian species.

This is certainly some interesting speculation.

 

[likespaphs]

thanks, folks!

 

[Gideon]

Who says there aren't any African Slippers? It only takes one, maybe it still has to be discovered. New plants are being discovered in South Africa every year, and in places where they never thought to exist, take Clivia mirabilis as an example, it grows in totally different enviroment to other Clivia. Some areas of the Congo and Kenyan rainforests still have to be explored, and until there is peace in the DRC that seems unlikely...well I am off to pack my hiking boots

 

[Roy]

Leo, I agree with your comments to a certain extent. I'm an optimist. I look at the diverse locations, climates & countries where Paphs are found and the variation is great. This why I believe that there are Paphs in Aust. Given your theory, why is it that Paphs are not found in Sth America but Phrags are ? I don't think there is a much closer relative to the Paph than a Phrag, or is there?? How long did it take to find P. vietnamense, micranthum, malipoense, ameniacum, sangii, helenae, tranliemianum, Phrag beeseae & kovachii etc. I know it's difficult to explore these countries at times but 'wow' collectors were in the countries in the 1800's or earlier.

 

[Rick]

Who says there aren't any African Slippers? It only takes one, maybe it still has to be discovered. New plants are being discovered in South Africa every year, and in places where they never thought to exist, take Clivia mirabilis as an example, it grows in totally different enviroment to other Clivia. Some areas of the Congo and Kenyan rainforests still have to be explored, and until there is peace in the DRC that seems unlikely...well I am off to pack my hiking boots

GO FOR IT DUDE!!!

Just don't get eaten by canibals.:sob:

 

[NYEric]

Huh???

Evilution! In the beginning there was darkness...oke:

 

[Heather]

I think Rick's example of Mexipedium is an interesting one. It amazes me that it has clearly adapted to a dryer winter period as evidenced in its very succulent small leaves and stoloniferous growth habit. That's one of the reasons it is my favorite slipper! Now, if only it was fragrant.

I would not be at all surprised if there was something else out there that has adapted to dryer conditions and we just haven't found it yet.

 

[SlipperFan]

Evilution! In the beginning there was darkness...oke:

And then came the Big Bang... lots of light!