A common shrub on the savanna. I saw several on the way to Roraima tepui, and on the way to Angel falls, where this photo was taken. This is the only portion of the boat journey to Angel falls where we had to leave the canoes behind, as the long section of rapids in the beginning of the 4 hour journey is too shallow and unpredictable to traverse with full load.
I didn’t see any large editions of this species, and am uncertain if this is due to the Pyro (Pemon) indians incessant burning, or if it’s simply a small shrub.
Native range is tropical south America.
Last updated on 4 April 2023
Palicourea guianensis
I think it’s Palicourea rigida.
Here is some information about this plant found on the net:
Distribution: Species of the South American savanna, present in the north of the continent in the belt from the east of Colombia to Venezuela to French Guiana, further south in the central region of Cerradia, and extends to the north of Bolivia and Paraguay.
Ecology: Characteristic species of grassy and bushy savannah, grows in open environments, often in burnt places, in the north of the zone, for example, with the species Bonyunia minor or Euphronia guianensis, at altitudes of about 100-1500 m.
Diagnosis: A low, sparsely branched shrub with square branches covered with grey-brown bark. The leaves are axillary, rarely in verticils of three, almost sessile, elliptic to oval or oval, 7-25 cm long and 4-18 cm broad, cuneiform at the base or rounded to slightly cordate, often wavy at the edge, usually pointed at the apex, with 10–17 pairs of lateral veins, glabrous on both sides, sometimes only on the veins of the backside of the hairy leaf; the stipules are pinnate, up to 7 mm long, pointed. The inflorescence is terminal, lattate, with oval outline, 8-10 cm long; the bracts are linear to narrowly lanceolate; the calyx is small, only about 2 mm long, 5 times, the crown is colza, 12-14 mm long, its ends are about four times shorter than the tube. The species is relatively variable, a number of sub-specific taxa have been described.
It definitely could be. I’m not familiar with the variability in the color of the inflorescence/flowers – does it vary from strong orange to yellow to in-between?
https://www.ross.no/2014/12/06/chapada-dos-guimaraes-plant-18-palicourea-sp/
The flowers can be yellow as shown in these photos taken in La Gran Sabana.
One more picture
Excellent image!!
Thanks for confirming.