The Guayana Highland stretching from central Suriname to southeastern Colombia is a region of tepuis or mesas and is easily the most remote and inaccessible of all the areas where bromeliads are found. This fact is shown dramatically by the history of the endemic species.
In 1820, after a long and toilsome journey up the Amazon and the Rio Japura, Martius arrived at the Serra de Araracuara where he collected Navia acaulis and Navia caulescens on nearby Serra de Cupaty. For over a hundred years there was only a single new species collected, then in 1928 a succession of explorer-collectors fought their way up the tepuis and the flood was on. Now there are over seventy species of Navia and the list is still growing. Also, Navia was only the first endemic genus and it was followed by Brocchinia, Lindmania, Connellia, and Ayensua with two more now awaiting publication in Venezuela. The present species of Brocchinia is especially interesting as the first record of that genus over the line into northern Brazil where only Navia was known before.
Saxicolous on river banks, vicinity of the Rio da Serra Araca. —SeeSmith 1984cp. 34(3): 106-107
