Show Navigation

Lobelia telekii plant with flower stalk resembling "Cousin Itt," on the Timau Route of Mount Kenya, East Africa.

Lobelia telekii plant with flower stalk resembling "Cousin Itt," on the Timau Route of Mount Kenya, East Africa. Mount Kenya National Park is honored by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve. Lobelia telekii (in the family Campanulaceae) is found only in the alpine zones of Mount Kenya, Mount Elgon, and the Aberdare Mountains. Each flower is subtended by a long hairy bract, resulting in a funny overall appearance, leading to the nickname "Cousin Itt lobelia" (referring to the fictional character in the 1964 Addams Family television series and later films). After a few decades of growth, it produces a single large flower stalk up to 3 metres (10 ft) tall, then dies. The bird-pollinated flowers are hidden among the large bracts within the inflorescence. The leaves and bracts are blue-green, and the flowers purple. On Mount Kenya, Lobelia telekii occurs at elevations of 3,500–5,000 metres (11,500–16,400 ft). It inhabits the drier hill slopes, while its close relative Lobelia keniensis prefers the moister valley bottoms; partially fertile hybrids occur. We trekked on Mt Kenya for 7 days sleeping in tents plus 1 hut to escape wind. The Republic of Kenya is named after Mount Kenya, the second-highest peak in Africa (exceeded by Tanzania's Mt Kilimanjaro).

Add to Cart Add to Lightbox Download
Filename
24.02AFR-2997.jpg
Copyright
© Tom Dempsey / PhotoSeek.com
Image Size
3648x5472 / 7.2MB
http://www.photoseek.com/
Contained in galleries
2024 Feb AFRICA: TANZANIA, KENYA, VICTORIA FALLS, AFRICA favorites, KENYA: trek Mount Kenya, Highlights 2024
Lobelia telekii plant with flower stalk resembling "Cousin Itt," on the Timau Route of Mount Kenya, East Africa. Mount Kenya National Park is honored by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve. Lobelia telekii (in the family Campanulaceae) is found only in the alpine zones of Mount Kenya, Mount Elgon, and the Aberdare Mountains. Each flower is subtended by a long hairy bract, resulting in a funny overall appearance, leading to the nickname "Cousin Itt lobelia" (referring to the fictional character in the 1964 Addams Family television series and later films). After a few decades of growth, it produces a single large flower stalk up to 3 metres (10 ft) tall, then dies. The bird-pollinated flowers are hidden among the large bracts within the inflorescence. The leaves and bracts are blue-green, and the flowers purple. On Mount Kenya, Lobelia telekii occurs at elevations of 3,500–5,000 metres (11,500–16,400 ft). It inhabits the drier hill slopes, while its close relative Lobelia keniensis prefers the moister valley bottoms; partially fertile hybrids occur. We trekked on Mt Kenya for 7 days sleeping in tents plus 1 hut to escape wind. The Republic of Kenya is named after Mount Kenya, the second-highest peak in Africa (exceeded by Tanzania's Mt Kilimanjaro).
Info