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Tour to the Póas Volcano National Park and a bit of its flora. By Javier Martín |
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Never gets as dark as before sunrise. Issac Felipe Azofeifa |
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Early wake up -before sunrise- in order to be at the office really early, I arrive, old time friends cheer this beautiful morning of November –transition time between rainy and dry season for the pacific slope of Costa Rica-
I pick up the trip file that holds all details about passenger’s list, logistics and others, I say goodbye to my colleagues and jump into the van, there, Marvin the driver is expecting and ready to start, say hello to him and we hit the road. |
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After picking up our first clients, the office radios us and says there’s a guide on training waiting for us, someone forgot to tell her our tour was starting, no problem we said, we will be crossing near by the office within the next 15 minutes. We picked her up; her name was Rocío which means in Spanish: morning due.
During transfer time between hotels picking up clients, we talked about her expectations and I asked her if she brought pen and paper, said yes, I told her; -write your questions, I’ll be answering them later. |
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Composition of the group was nice, diverse and made out of people who wanted to know a lot about natural history of the place. After one hour driving time, where much of the introductory lecture on biodiversity in Costa Rica was given, after crossing coffee plantations at central volcanic range, and admiring the spectacular views of the central plateau, we finally entered Póas Volcano National Park
As promised, I answered her questions as soon as there was a time for it, she did good questions, so I said to myself; I should write and share this with my readers and this is what I wrote: |
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Surrounding the visitor’s center we find Oaks, (Quercus sp) and (escalonia myrtilloides) in such a density, that is impossible to see farther than a few feet inside the forest.
Along the road that leads towards the crater, conspicuous species are among others, the huge Gunnera insignis, strange plant both in shape and taxonomical situation; no more than 5 species in Central and South Americas, single genus in one family: Gunneraceae. Common name of this plant is poor man’s umbrella, because it really works as an umbrella, besides this, it’s important to know the existing symbiosis between this plant and cyanophyte bacterias (Nostoc), these fix nitrogen from air, and “feed” the plants with it, and also this nitrogen is fixed into the soil, so, at this altitudinal level, this Gunnera plants play the ecological role of pioneers in the reestablishment of a primary forest; one typical example of these happens after a natural landslide happens, because the humus layer is washed away, only this plants grow there at the beginning, later other plants will grows and years later, a forest will be established in a natural succession. |
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Keeping the track through the road we observe here and there, growing on tree branches, the remarkable Bromeliad Werauhia oroiensis showing their beautiful inflorescences, and yes indeed, we can’t avoid admiring the gigantic celery related plant -or tree because of it’s 3 to 6 meters height- Myrrhidendrum donellsmithi a quite interesting plant that natives from Costa Rica don’t pay much attention while it’s presence produces quite an impact to botanists world wide because of it’s extraordinary size as described in the Gallach’s Natural History Encyclopedia where it literally says: “… a specie with an uncertain taxonomical situation: Myrrhidendrum donellsmithi, a true giant from the Umbelliferae family, which trunk sometimes taller than five meters, overpass any other plant in this family and even the quite remarkable “Angelicas from Kamchatka” a very rare specie found only on Póas and Irazú volcanoes in Costa Rica at 3000 meters high”. |
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As we approach the crater we keep observing Escalonia myrtilloides trees easy to identify because of their branches way of growing that resemble a Chinese pagoda from where the common name comes from.
Interesting to remark are the leaves from Clusia mayor easy to observe in the road at eye level, and which may be used to write in it with a spine and leave any message lasting for several months.
An accidently introduced species and quite abundant here is the yellow flowered Ulex Europeans, commonly known as the Common Gorse, native to western Europe, that may have arrived in imported grasses |
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Near the crater we find groups of Pernettya prostrate (hallucinogenic and highly toxic) inferior ovary, and Vaccinium consanguineum (edible berries but with low nutritional value) this shrubs have tree forms that look like natural bonsais none over passing 1.5 meters. These shrubs are well adapted to the high acidity levels of soil and air due to its crater’s proximity. |
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Right at the crater’s edge a few small sized plants are observed like the red colored Hipericum iraunze and Monochaetum volcanicum only member of Melastomataceae at this altitude with lovely and delicate pink or fuchsia flowers.
According to Holdridge’s life zone ecology system this place is a Montane Tropical Rain Forest. |
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The trail named Poasana, is a nice one that crosses a forest sometimes extremely dense with rugged and bended branches that resemble the fairy tales, forests specially when the clouds literally penetrate into the forest. |
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