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Walking through the cloud forest of Mashpi is like stepping into an endless world of green. With every step, the landscape transforms: shimmering leaves, intense aromas, astonishing forms. From the towering Magnolia mashpi to orchids so tiny they seem like living jewels, the plant diversity of this ecosystem is genuinely extraordinary.
Within our Mashpi-Tayra Reserve, it is estimated that approximately 1,200 plant species exist, of which only 804 have been formally identified so far. This not only speaks to its immense biological richness but also to the vast discoveries that still await.
Year after year, scientific research at Mashpi Lodge continues to grow stronger, establishing the lodge as a key center for the study of the Chocó Andino’s biodiversity. Each year, we welcome between 80 and 100 researchers from important national and international academic institutions.
Many of these collaborations have blossomed into long-term partnerships, such as the one we have with the Quito Botanical Garden, an alliance that has been thriving since 2017. From this cooperation, significant achievements have emerged: the publication of the “Plants of Mashpi” Brochure, a detailed moss inventory, the discovery of a new orchid species, Lepanthes mashpica, and currently, a systematic study on the Anthuriums of Mashpi
The latest fruit of this alliance is the 23rd new species described within our reserve: Anthurium roquesevillae. This discovery enriches the scientific knowledge of the Andean Chocó and pays tribute to Roque Sevilla, founder of Mashpi Lodge, for his unwavering commitment to conservation.
A Discovery with a great story
In 2022, as part of an agreement between the Quito Botanical Garden and Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), the Mashpi-Tayra Reserve was selected as a priority site for enriching living collections with representative species from the Metropolitan District of Quito (DMQ).
On October 24 that year, botanist Ricardo Zambrano and colleagues Karla Ayala and María Eugenia Sulen ventured into Mashpi’s forest. There, a particular plant caught their attention: an Anthurium none could identify. Trusting their instincts that it might be something special, they collected the specimen. Two years later, in mid-2024, while resuming the systematic study of Mashpi’s Anthuriums, Zambrano’s attention was again drawn to that plant. Its morphology did not match any known species. This prompted a rigorous analysis in collaboration with Dr. Thomas B. Croat of the Missouri Botanical Garden, one of the world’s leading experts on the Araceae family.
“The verdict was clear,” Zambrano states. “We were looking at a species new to science, belonging to the Polyneurium section of the genus Anthurium.”
The species’ formal description was based on more than 40 diagnostic traits observed in both herbarium specimens and living plants cultivated in the Araceae collection at the Quito Botanical Garden. This approach enabled a precise and comprehensive characterization.
A Small and Enigmatic Anthurium of the Understory
Anthurium roquesevillae is a discreet yet unique species. Its leaves range from 18 to 28 cm long, while its inflorescence can reach up to 42 cm. Growing epiphytically—meaning it lives over other plants without harming them—it often goes unnoticed amid the dense vegetation of the understory. Its fruits, small berries in shades of red and burgundy, add color to its surroundings.
Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of this species is its apparent micro-endemism: so far, it has been found only along a single trail within Mashpi Reserve, making it exceptionally valuable—and vulnerable.
“This plant reminds us how much there is still to discover,” concludes Zambrano, confident that the forest of Mashpi still holds countless secrets waiting to be unveiled.
Discoveries like this call to continue exploring, protecting, and celebrating life in all its forms.
