The countryside flares with color. Begonias, anthuriums, “Indian laburnum,” oleander, and poinsettia are common, as are mimosa, hibiscus, bright-pink morning glory, and bougainvillea in its rainbow assortment of riotous colors. Trees such as the vermilion flame-of-the-forest, purple jacaranda, blue rosewood, and yellow corteza amarilla all add their seasonal bouquet to the landscape.
Cuba’s national flower, the mariposa or butterfly jasmine. Photo © Rostislav Ageev/123rf.
Cuba’s national flower is the brilliant white, heady-scented mariposa, a native species of jasmine that became a symbol of rebellion and purity at the time of the wars for independence.
Cuba has several hundred known species of orchids. At any time of year dozens of species are in bloom, from sea level to the highest reaches of the Sierra Maestra. The greatest diversity exists in humid midelevation environments, where they are abundant as tropical epiphytes.
The majority of Cuba’s fauna species are invertebrates (mostly insects), with a great many species endemic to specific regions. Unique species and subspecies include the world’s smallest frog (Sminthillus limbatus) and smallest bird (the bee hummingbird, or zunzuncito); an endemic crocodile species; and unique, beautifully colored snails of the genus Polymita.
Excerpted from the Sixth Edition of Moon Cuba.
