{"id":951,"date":"2022-12-05T02:59:02","date_gmt":"2022-12-05T02:59:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/incagoexpeditions.com\/blog\/?p=951"},"modified":"2022-12-06T03:42:31","modified_gmt":"2022-12-06T03:42:31","slug":"the-flowers-in-machu-picchu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/incagoexpeditions.com\/blog\/index.php\/the-flowers-in-machu-picchu\/","title":{"rendered":"The Flowers in Machu Picchu"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The flowers in Machu Picchu often go unnoticed by tourists. The Inca citadel, in addition to its beautiful shrines and houses, has around 450 varieties of flowers of various shapes, sizes and colors. The Inca citadel of Machu Picchu is located in a geographical area, known as the cloud forest. Specifically, it is located at an altitude of 2,400 meters, between the last Andean foothills and the beginning of the Amazon jungle. The average temperature in Machu Picchu is 25 degrees Celsius and the rainfall is 2300 cubic millimeters per year; These characteristics make the Inca citadel have a great biodiversity of flora and especially flowers.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_34 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Summary<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"display: none;\"><label for=\"item\" aria-label=\"Tabla de contenidos\"><i class=\"ez-toc-glyphicon ez-toc-icon-toggle\"><\/i><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\" id=\"item\"><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1'><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/incagoexpeditions.com\/blog\/index.php\/the-flowers-in-machu-picchu\/#The_most_emblematic_flowers_in_Machu_Picchu\" title=\"The most emblematic flowers in Machu Picchu\">The most emblematic flowers in Machu Picchu<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4'><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/incagoexpeditions.com\/blog\/index.php\/the-flowers-in-machu-picchu\/#Begonia_veitchii\" title=\"Begonia veitchii\">Begonia veitchii<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/incagoexpeditions.com\/blog\/index.php\/the-flowers-in-machu-picchu\/#Masdevallia_veitchiana\" title=\"Masdevallia veitchiana\">Masdevallia veitchiana<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/incagoexpeditions.com\/blog\/index.php\/the-flowers-in-machu-picchu\/#Sobralia_dichotoma\" title=\"Sobralia dichotoma\">Sobralia dichotoma<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/incagoexpeditions.com\/blog\/index.php\/the-flowers-in-machu-picchu\/#Epidendrum_secundum\" title=\"Epidendrum secundum\">Epidendrum secundum<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/incagoexpeditions.com\/blog\/index.php\/the-flowers-in-machu-picchu\/#Brugmansia_arborea\" title=\"Brugmansia arborea\">Brugmansia arborea<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/incagoexpeditions.com\/blog\/index.php\/the-flowers-in-machu-picchu\/#Calceolaria\" title=\"Calceolaria\">Calceolaria<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_most_emblematic_flowers_in_Machu_Picchu\"><\/span>The most emblematic flowers in Machu Picchu<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>I AM THAT FLOWER<br \/>\nYour life is a great river, it goes fast.<br \/>\nOn its shore, invisible, I sprout sweetly.<br \/>\nI am that flower lost between reeds and achiras<br \/>\nHow pious you feed, but perhaps you don&#8217;t even look.<\/p>\n<p>When you grow up, you drag me down and I die in your bosom;<br \/>\nwhen you dry, I die little by little in the silt;<br \/>\nbut again I sprout sweetly<br \/>\nwhen on beautiful days you go mightily.<\/p>\n<p>I am that lost flower that blooms on your banks<br \/>\nhumble and silent every spring.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Author of the poem: Alfonsina Storni<\/strong><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Begonia_veitchii\"><\/span><strong>Begonia veitchii<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>Begonia veitchii, is a species of perennial plant belonging to the Begoniaceae family. It is native to South America.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Description<\/strong><br \/>\nIt is a herb found in the Yungas in Bolivia and Peru on the rocky slopes of the Andes Mountains at an altitude of up to 4500 meters. One of the places where it has the greatest predominance are the rocky mountains of Machu Picchu.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong><br \/>\nBegonia: Generic name, coined by Charles Plumier, a French botanist, honors Michel B\u00e9gon, a governor of the former French Colony of Haiti, and was adopted by Linnaeus.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_959\" style=\"width: 809px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/incagoexpeditions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/46472187211_f8ef29878b_c.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-959\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-959\" src=\"https:\/\/incagoexpeditions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/46472187211_f8ef29878b_c.jpg\" alt=\"begonia-in-machu-picchu\" width=\"799\" height=\"533\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-959\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Begonia Vietchi<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Masdevallia_veitchiana\"><\/span><strong><span class=\"OztcRd goedYd cS4Vcb-pGL6qe-mji9Ze\" aria-label=\"Masdevallia veitchiana\">Masdevallia veitchiana<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/es.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Masdevallia_veitchiana\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Masdevallia veitchiana<\/a><\/strong><\/span> is a species of orchid with terrestrial habits, sometimes lithophytic or rarely epiphytic, native to Peru; It lives exclusively in the cloud forest and is one of the emblematic flowers in Machu Picchu.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Description<\/strong><br \/>\nIt is a species of orchid of a large size, which prefers a cool climate, has terrestrial habits, sometimes lithophytes or rarely epiphytes. Flowering occurs in spring and early summer in an erect inflorescence 39-44 cm long, with long-lasting flowers up to 20 cm wide, appearing well above the leaves. The apparent uneven distribution of color in M. veitchiana is due to the presence of minute purple hairs on the sepals that give the flower a beautiful visual appearance. Viewed head-on with the light behind you, the color is symmetrical.<\/p>\n<p>This species has orange flowers covered in a pattern of small purple hairs that create a kind of iridescence as the flower moves in the breeze. The flowers are very large, approximately 5 cm x 15 cm.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Distribution and habitat<\/strong><br \/>\nIt is found at an elevation of 2,000 to 4,000 meters around Machu Picchu in Peru on the steep rocky slopes covered with grasses and shrubs. The Quechua population gives it the name waqanki. \u00abyou cry\u00bb or \u00abyou will cry\u00bb in Quechua &#8211; in honor of Princess Cusi Qoyllur&#8217;s tears, which would be imprinted on the petals of each flower. It is rumored that it has been cultivated by the Incas for centuries.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong><br \/>\nThe plant was named in honor of Harry Veitch of Veitch Nurseries, whose plant he discovered in 1867.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_958\" style=\"width: 810px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/incagoexpeditions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/52214277573_283b84e81f_c.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-958\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-958\" src=\"https:\/\/incagoexpeditions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/52214277573_283b84e81f_c.jpg\" alt=\"flowers-in-machu-picchu\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-958\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Masdevalia Vietchiana<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Sobralia_dichotoma\"><\/span>Sobralia dichotoma<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>Sobralia dichotoma, is a species of epiphytic orchid or occasional terrestrial habit. It is native to western South America to Venezuela.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Description<\/strong><br \/>\nIt is a large, corpulent, cespitose orchid, with stems with narrowly lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, rigid, chartaceous leaves: It blooms in a terminal inflorescence 20 cm long, dichotomously branched, racemose, with many flowers, the opening of the inflorescence is successive, the flowers are fragrant and fleshy and are produced in the summer and autumn.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Distribution and habitat<\/strong><br \/>\nIt is distributed throughout Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia, in terrestrial ecosystems of open forests on granite outcrops, such as those that exist in Machu Picchu; grows in warm or cold water at elevations of 750-2800 meters.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_970\" style=\"width: 809px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/incagoexpeditions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/4407586223_c6b815dd04_c.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-970\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-970\" src=\"https:\/\/incagoexpeditions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/4407586223_c6b815dd04_c.jpg\" alt=\"sobralia-dichotoma\" width=\"799\" height=\"529\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-970\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Sobralia Dichotoma<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Epidendrum_secundum\"><\/span>Epidendrum secundum<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>Epidendrum secundum, is one of the crucifix orchids, a little-known reed-stem species, which Dressler (1989) describes as \u00abthe Epidendrum secundum complex\u00bb. According to Dressler, there are dozens of varieties. They can appear in shades of lilac, red, orange, yellow or white, and have a noticeable callus on the trilobed lip with fringes. The plant is quite cold and can tolerate a light frost.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Habitat<\/strong><br \/>\nEpidendrum secundum is found in the montane forest of the Neotropics (up to 2600 meters elevation), including Cusco, southeastern Peru, and Brazil. They are also found in great abundance in the Wi\u00f1aywayna archaeological complex, an Inca citadel located 5 kilometers from Machu Picchu. The Epidendrums are called Wi\u00f1aywayna in Quechua and are also one of the most abundant flowers in Machu Picchu.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_960\" style=\"width: 810px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/incagoexpeditions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/3482861977_a1548fa13b_c.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-960\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-960\" src=\"https:\/\/incagoexpeditions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/3482861977_a1548fa13b_c.jpg\" alt=\"flora-in-machu-picchu \" width=\"800\" height=\"456\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-960\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Epidendrum Secundrum<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Brugmansia_arborea\"><\/span>Brugmansia arborea<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>The floripondio, angel&#8217;s trumpet, campacho \u2014among other common names\u2014 is a species of shrubby plant of the genus Brugmansia of the Solanaceae family. It is native to South America and grows wild in Central America as well, but it is naturalized or cultivated throughout the world. The IUCN has classified Brugmansia arborea as extinct in the wild. It is one of the flowers in Machu Picchu that still grows wild.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Description<\/strong><br \/>\nIt is a perennial or semi-evergreen shrub covered with a fine covering. It can reach 7 m in height. It has alternate leaves, oval in shape, with asymmetric blades at the base. The flowers, up to 17 cm, are subconical, with a corolla of 3-5 more or less acute lobes, aromatic, from white to ivory. The calyx, longitudinally split and persistent, is almost as long as the corolla tube.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Toxicity<\/strong><br \/>\nAs in the case of Datura, all the aerial organs of the Brugmansia species contain substances whose consumption can cause problems in human health. Specifically, they contain tropane alkaloids such as scopolamine and hyoscyamine, among others. Its ingestion, both in humans and in other animals, can be fatal since it has quite powerful hallucinogenic effects, far superior to other hallucinogenic plants. Simple contact with the eyes can cause mydriasis (pupil dilation) or anisocoria (asymmetry in pupil size).<\/p>\n<p><strong>cultivation and uses<\/strong><br \/>\nIt is used as an ornamental plant. It prefers semi-shade, especially in hot climates; It is sensitive to cold. Blooms very well in temperate climates in sheltered locations; requires rich, drained, cool and dry soil in winter. During the vegetative season it requires abundant and daily watering, providing some fertilizer.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_961\" style=\"width: 810px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/incagoexpeditions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/2316936695_7237937ce3_c.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-961\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-961\" src=\"https:\/\/incagoexpeditions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/2316936695_7237937ce3_c.jpg\" alt=\"Machupicchu-flowers\" width=\"800\" height=\"598\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-961\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Brugmansia Arborea<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Calceolaria\"><\/span>Calceolaria<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>Common name capachito, little shoes of Venus, topa-topa, or little shoes of the Virgin, is a genus of phanerogams in the family Calceolariaceae, sometimes classified by some authors in Scrophulariaceae. This genus of shrubs, lianas herbs, and its geographic range extends from Patagonia to central Mexico, with its center of distribution in the Andes region. It comprises 646 described species.<br \/>\nCalceolarias have flowers that are usually yellow or orange, and may have red or purple spots. This is one of the rarest flowers in Machu Picchu.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong><br \/>\nCalceolaria: generic name that derives from Latin and means \u00abshoemaker\u00bb. The genus was described by Carlos Linnaeus and published in Kongliga in 1770.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_963\" style=\"width: 809px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/incagoexpeditions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/49480708113_08b3da2da9_c.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-963\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-963\" src=\"https:\/\/incagoexpeditions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/49480708113_08b3da2da9_c.jpg\" alt=\"flowers-in-machu-picchu \" width=\"799\" height=\"568\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-963\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Santa Claus Shoes<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<p>There are around 450 flowers in Machu Picchu, of which around 100 can be seen on a 3-hour guided tour inside the Inca citadel.\u00a0 Also, if you have a planned <strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/incagoexpeditions.com\/tours-by-train-cusco\/train-to-machu-picchu-tour-2-days\/\">trip to Machu Picchu<\/a><\/span><\/strong>, do not forget to consider in your activity plan to visit the Orchid Conservation Center, in addition to visiting places such as the \u00abHouse of Butterflies\u00bb, the Allcamayo Waterfalls and over all the flowers in Machu Picchu.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The flowers in Machu Picchu often go unnoticed by tourists. The Inca citadel, in addition to its beautiful shrines and houses, has around 450 varieties of flowers of various shapes, sizes and colors. The Inca citadel of Machu Picchu is [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":957,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[71,74,73,31,72],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/incagoexpeditions.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/951"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/incagoexpeditions.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/incagoexpeditions.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/incagoexpeditions.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/incagoexpeditions.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=951"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/incagoexpeditions.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/951\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":971,"href":"https:\/\/incagoexpeditions.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/951\/revisions\/971"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/incagoexpeditions.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/957"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/incagoexpeditions.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=951"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/incagoexpeditions.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=951"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/incagoexpeditions.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=951"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}