OTHER AREAS OF COLOMBIA (PART I)
Here are some pictures of other parts in the heart of Colombia (generally the west-central part, but outside of Bogotá, Medellín, Nevado del Ruiz and Valle de Cocora). Part I of the "Other Areas of Colombia" are generally from the lower-mid elevations (see Part II for generally higher elevations of the "Other Areas of Colombia".
First some pics from the lowest elevations I visited, in between Cordillera Central and Cordillera Oriental...
Rio Magdalena (just north of Honda)--elevation approximately 700 feet above sea level (so it's hot and humid here, year-round)...
There's a bit of a rainshadow here from the Cordillera Oriental...though it's local and not too dry...
Attalea butyracea (sometimes known as the American oil palm) is a common sight in the Rio Magdalena valley...
The forest starts not far west of (and not much above) the Rio Magdalena (along Highway 60 towards Medellín)...
A Panama hat palm (Carludovica palmata), which is actually not a true palm, at around 1500 feet above sea level...
A Palicourea in the same area...
The forest is pretty thick here (note that same Palicourea and a small tree fern)...
The everpresent Cecropia (at least one of the species) in the same area...
Now...we go up to about 4000' on the east slopes of the Cordillera Central where there's a nice Inga (ice cream bean)--not sure of the species--there are like 200 Ingas out there!
And notice that palm getting in the way (of the 1st Inga pic)? Here's another (probably the peach palm, Bactris gasipaes)...
A view of a wooded hillside at around 4000'...
Now, let's skip to some areas southwest of Medellín (generally middle elevations)...
A tributary to the Rio Cauca (not sure of the tributary's name)...
A yellow trumpet tree (probably Tabebuia chrysantha) at around 5000' above sea level near the town of Andes...
In the same location, a large mimosa-like tree with Bromeliads (and bananas growing in the background)...
A mix view (including bananas and small coffee trees--they have the dark leaves (and a few other trees to eventually shade the coffee trees--on that rare sunny day!) on a small plantation) near Andes...
A cluster of tree ferns a little bit higher...
More Attalea butyracea (American oil palms)...this time above the Rio Cauca roughly halfway between Medellin and Manizales (at a fairly low elevation--around 2500')...
Go here for Part II of the miscellaneous Colombia pics...
All of the above pictures on this page were taken in June 2009 by Brandt Maxwell.
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