Dyckia formosensis Leme & Z.J.G. Miranda, 2012

Leme, Elton M. C., Ribeiro, Otávio B. C. & Miranda, Zenilton De J. G., 2012, New species of Dyckia (Bromeliaceae) from Brazil, Phytotaxa 67 (1), pp. 9-37 : 15-16

Dyckia formosensis Leme & Z.J.G. Miranda , sp. nov. ( Figs. 4 , A–E, 5 , A–I)

The comparatively large size, long and not distinctly secund leaves, and leaf sheaths not forming a conspicuous basal bulb characterize this new species, which differs from Dyckia brasiliana and D. goiana mainly by the peduncle bracts being distinctly shorter than the internodes, besides other specific differences.

Type:— BRAZIL. Goiás: Formosa, Fazenda Indaiá, on the left margins of Itiquira River , 1041 m elevation, 15º 23’ 13” S, 47º 28’ 12” W, 12 September 2004, E . Leme 6451 & Z . Miranda (holotype RB!, isotype HB!) .

Plants terrestrial, flowering 1.9–2 m high, populations formed by segregated single individuals not forming clumps. Leaves ca. 18 in number, subdensely rosulate, rigid and thick-coriaceous throughout; sheaths broader than the blades, not forming a conspicuous broadly cylindrical bulb at the base; blades narrowly triangular, canaliculate, suberect, straight and not secund, 60–65 cm long, 3.5–4 cm wide at the base, ca. 0.3 cm thick, green to reddish-ferruginous, densely white lepidote abaxially with trichomes not obscuring the color of the blades, adaxially inconspicuously white lepidote, trichomes arranged in rows along the intercostal area, distinctly nerved on both sides, apex acuminate, spinescent, margins glabrescent and laxly spinose, spines 1.5–5 mm long, 1–2 mm wide at the base, 10–20 mm apart, shortly acicular, complanate, retrorse-uncinate, pale castaneous, glabrous. Peduncle erect, 95–100 cm long, 0.9–1.3 cm in diameter, densely white sublanate, reddish-ferruginous; peduncle bracts the basal ones subfoliaceous, the upper ones narrowly triangularlanceolate, acuminate, spinescent, densely spinulose, distinctly nerved, stramineous, inconspicuously white sublanate, erect, distinctly shorter than the internodes, those near the apex resembling the floral bracts. Inflorescence erect, simple, 90–100 cm long, rachis 5–10 mm in diameter, straight or nearly so, densely or subdensely white sublanate, terete or nearly so, reddish-ferruginous toward the base and orange toward the apex; floral bracts distinctly nerved, stramineous, inconspicuously white sublanate abaxialy, suberect to slightly reflexed with the flowers, ecarinate, ovate-triangular to lanceolate, acuminate-caudate, densely spinulose with irregularly curved spines, slightly shorter than to distinctly exceeding the flowers, 15–35 × 6–15 mm. Flowers 70 to 75 in number, laxly arranged toward the base to subdensely arranged near the apex, 18–22 mm long, slightly fragrant, spreading to slightly reflexed at anthesis, at least the basal ones nearly erect afterwards; pedicels stout, 3–5 mm long, 5–6 mm in diameter at the apex, the basal ones more or less distinct, the upper ones inconspicuous; sepals symmetric, broadly ovate, apex obtuse, ecarinate, 8–10 × 7–8 mm, orange, thick toward the base, convex, densely and coarsely white lepidote, margins with fimbriate trichomes, remotely and densely spinulose-crenulate; petals symmetric, broadly spathulate, obtuse and emarginate, the base narrower, connate at the base for 2–4 mm to form a common tube with the filaments, 13–14 × 8–12 mm, ecarinate, glabrous, orange, suberect at anthesis and forming a companulate corolla 12–13 mm in diameter, margins entire; stamens shorter than the petals; filaments complanate, connate for 5–6 mm above the 2–4 mm long common tube with the petals, 9–10 × 2 mm, orange; anthers subtriangular, 3–5 mm long, strongly recurved at anthesis, base bilobed, apex acute and apiculate, fixed near the base; pistil ca. 12 mm long; stigma conduplicate-spiral, slightly exceeding the anthers after anthesis, blades ca. 1.5 mm long, orange, margins crenulate-lacerate; style 3–3.5 mm long, orange, slender; ovary narrowly oblong-subpyramidal, yellowish. Capsules unknown.

Distribution and habitat:— Dyckia formosensis is a terrestrial species found growing in open Cerrado vegetation amidst rocky outcrops along the Itiquira River, which forms the famous Itiquira waterfalls. The segregated, single individuals were observed scattered over the area, forming a sparse population.

Etymology:—The name chosen for this new species is a reference to the county of Formosa, state of Goiás, Central Brazil, where this new species was found.

Observations:— Dyckia formosensis is closely related to D. brasiliana Smith (1967: 481) , differing by the larger size when in bloom (190–200 cm vs. 100–150 cm high), leaf sheaths not forming a distinct basal bulb (vs. leaf sheaths forming a conspicuous broadly cylindrical basal bulb, 10–15 cm in diameter), leaves not distinctly curved (vs. usually secund), leaf blades twice longer (60–65 cm vs. 25–30 cm) with glabrescent margins (vs. coarsely white lepidote), peduncle longer (95–100 cm vs. 40–63 cm), peduncle bracts distinctly shorter than the internodes (vs. equaling to exceeding the internodes), inflorescence longer (90–100 cm vs. 45–55 cm, and by the more numerous flowers (70 to 75 vs. 45 to 50 in number). On the other hand, this new species also resembles D. goiana Smith (1967: 479) , also found in Formosa County, but which can be distinguished from it by the upper peduncle bracts distinctly shorter than the internodes (vs. exceeding the internodes), the simple inflorescence (vs. distinctly compound), the upper floral bracts exceeding the sepals (vs. shorter than the sepals), longer sepals (8–10 mm vs. ca. 6 mm long), and by the filaments distinctly connate above the common tube with the petals (vs. shortly connate).

Figures

FIGURE 4. A–E. Dyckia formosensis (Leme 6451 & Miranda). A. Habit. B. Basal portion of the inflorescence. C. Habitat in Cerrado vegetation. D. leaf rosette. E. Flower.

FIGURE 5. A–I. Dyckia formosensis (Leme 6451 & Miranda). A. Basal segment of leaf blade. B. Median segment of leaf blade. C. Leaf blade apex. D. Floral bract. E. Margins of floral bract. F. Flower. G. Sepal. H. Petal and stamens. I. Pistil. J–O. Dyckia glabrifolia (Leme et al. 7273). J. Basal segment of leaf. K. Floral bract. L. Flower. M. Sepal. N. Petal and stamens. O. Pistil. Scale bars = 1 cm.