I have got a picture of Hippeastrum machupijchensis which was flowering inside the Machu Picchu Nature Reserve, at the foothills of Machu Picchu, Peru. Hippeastrum machupijchensis is native to Machu Picchu its surrounding area and also in quite a number of areas in the Departamento del Cusco, Peru. In the Machu Picchu Nature Reserve, bulbs of Hippeastrum machupijchensis are cultivated in half shaded area, in deep soil where they flower in August/September.

Machu Picchu is a must-go place if one is travelling to Peru on holidays. Located at the Departamento del Cusco, Machu Picchu is home to a number of interesting bulb species. I did not see any wild Hippeastrum machupijchensis during my visit to this area in September/October last year but was told that bulbs of this species actually grow along the narrow strip of land between the rail road and Rio Urubamba. You cannot drive your own car from anywhere to Machu Picchu as the only way you can get there is by train. If you are heading Machu Picchu from Cusco, Rio Urubamba is on your left hand side. Look at the exposed grassy patches among trees and shrubs you MAY BE able to see Hippeastrum machupijchensis. I must highlight that one may be able to see this species in these grassy patches as the bulbs might have been washed away by a serious flood that happened a few years ago. I did not see any Hippeastrum machupijchensis in flower from the train. Bromeliad (off topic) fanatics please also look at the left hand side after Km 88 as you will see a lot of giant bromeliads that grow on the trees. On the right hand side of the train, you will see plenty of Epidendrum sp, Sobralia dichotoma and many other orchid species.

Botanical literature indicates that Hippeastrum machupijchensis are found from the vicinity of Rio Urubamba to over 2,000 m at the medium level of Machu Picchu. The Hippeastrum machupijchensis flower was the last one I saw at the Machu Picchu Nature Reserve so I believe that one can see this species in flower in the wild in late-August to early-September. Among the ruins of Machu Picchu, I came across 2 bulb species : Begonia sp (cannot recall the name of it but I can check it out) and Stenomesson incarnatum (yellow form). The former is said to be a rare species which is endemic to this area. The latter species seems to be quite common in Machu Picchu. After Machu Picchu, I left for a tiny rural community called Cuyo Cuyo in the Departamento del Puno. Southern Peru and Bolivia is the centre of Hippeastrum. My original plan was to make a day trip from the city of Puno to Cuyo Cuyo and the city of Sandia of the Departamento de Sandia after studying an oversimplified survey plan of the area. The road between Puno and Cuyo Cuyo is terribly bad and long. I departed Puno at 5:00 a.m. and could only get back to Puno at 12:30 a.m. the following day. I could only afford a day trip to Cuyo Cuyo and I had already booked my transport to Bolivia the following day. From what I have observed, Cuyo Cuyo is home to at least 3 different Hippeastrum species, including H. macbridei for sure and possibly H. miniata. There is also a yellow Hippeastrum sp which I have no idea what it is. Bulbs of all these Hippeastrum species grow only at the bottom of the very steep and deep Cuyo Cuyo Valley. Due to the rush of my visit, I could not find any of these bulbs but old ladies of Cuyo Cuyo carry flowers of Hippeastrum on their hat as a fashion. Cuyo Cuyo valley enjoys bright sunlight during day time but in late afternoon, the valley is covered with thick mist. I suppose the Hippeastrum bulbs are adapted to such an environment.

Travelling from the city of Puno to Cuyo Cuyo, you will experience a wide range of climates, from ice-capped mountain peaks of sub-alpine climate to the tropics at the valley bottom. Within one day, I saw alpine vegetation, cacti, bamboo, fuschia, orchids and many other types of vegetation.

Dennis Tsang (22 Mar 2000)
Discovery Bay, Hong Kong

Willem Reuter

Julio Cesar Vargas Calderon