Interesting Brazil

     I saw some interesting plants while visiting in Brazil, plus some beautiful gardens.

     The first photo is of the "meeting of the waters," where the brown Amazon River meets the dark blue Rio Negro near Manaus, Brazil.  Because of different densities, it takes several miles before the waters mix completely.

     The next two photos are of the giant lily pads, Victoria amazonica, which can grow to 10 feet in diameter.

     There are some really tall trees in the Amazon basin, and the two photos are of an unknown species.

     Two trees have twisted trunks, as the next four photos show.  I would appreciate anyone telling me the names of any of these trees.

     The three photos showing the small plant with many-branched leaves is in the genus Selaginella, part of the group of ancient plants called Lycopods.  The selaginellas are commonly called spike mosses.

     The plants at the base of the rock wall in in the genus Anthurium, part of the family Araceae, commonly known as aroids.  It is commonly sold as a house plant.

     The last four photos were taken in the gardens of the central bank of Brazil in the city of Brasilia.  I would love to have the short, small-leafed plant, an herbaceous perennial, in my gardens.  I would appreciate knowing its name.