Dyckia gouveiana Leme & O.B.C. Ribeiro, 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 : 21-23

Dyckia gouveiana Leme & O.B.C. Ribeiro , sp. nov. ( Figs. 7 , A–E, 8 , A–G)

This new species is characterized by leaves that are secund-curved and densely and coarsely white lepidote on both sides, with trichomes completely obscuring the leaf color, strongly canaliculate leaf blades, subdensely to densely white sublanate inflorescence rachis, floral bracts from exceeding the sepals to exceeding the flowers, sepals not glabrous, and by the shape of petals and the filament connation, which distinguish it from D. argentea .

Type:— BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Gouveia , between Gouveia and Presidente Juscelino, BR 259 , near the entrance to Camelinho, along a temporary spring, 1233 m elevation, 18° 34’ 38” S 43° 52’ 35” W, 27 November 2010, E . Leme et. al. 8485 (holotype RB!) .

Plants rupicolous, flowering 35–60 cm high. Leaves 12–18 in number, densely arranged, strongly coriaceous; sheaths sinconspicuous; blades narrowly triangular, strongly canaliculate with upright margins, suberect to nearly erect and unilaterally curved, 12–18 cm long, 2–2.6 cm wide at the base, 3–5 mm thick near the base, light green with the color completely obscured on both sides by a dense layer of coarse white trichomes, nerved mainly adaxially, abaxial and adaxial surfaces not contrasting in color, apex acuminate, spinescent, margins subdensely to densely spinose, spines 1-2.5 mm long, 0.5–1.5 mm wide at the base, 2–7 mm apart, narrowly triangular, complanate, white lepidote, pale castaneous toward the apex, straight to prevailingly antrorse-uncinate. Peduncle erect, 18–30 cm long, 4–6 mm in diameter, sparsely to subdensely white lepidote of filamentous trichomes, becoming glabrescent, dark reddish-green; peduncle bracts erect, distinctly nerved,stramineous toward the apex, subdensely white lepidote, densely spinulose, exceeding (basal ones) to shorter (apical ones) than the internodes, with suborbicular to subreniform base, 5–6 × 8–10 mm, slightly gibbose, and a long narrowly triangular and acuminate-spinescent blade, 10-35 mm long, 3–5 mm wide at the base, ecarinate. Inflorescence erect, simple, 13–24 cm long, rachis 3–5 mm in diameter, straight, terete, dark reddish, subdensely to densely white sublanate, trichomes not obscuring the color of the rachis; floral bracts ovate-triangular, acuminate-caudate, finely nerved, soon becoming stramineous toward the apex, spreading with the flowers at anthesis, ecarinate but bearing a protruded central nerve, the upper ones convex at the base, subdensely to densely white lepidote, trichomes filamentous, margins densely spinulose to inconspicuously denticulate, 13–19 × 7–10 mm, the basal ones slightly exceeding the flowers and the upper ones exceeding the sepals. Flowers laxly arranged, 8 to 26 in number, 16–17 mm long, spreading at anthesis, odorless; pedicels stout, 3–4 × 4–6 mm, red, densely white lanate; sepals broadly ovate, apex acute and apiculate, ecarinate, convex, 7–8 × 5–6 mm, reddish-orange, densely white lanate, margins inconspicuously denticulate near the apex and bearing filamentous trichomes; petals symmetric, broadly spathulate, apex broadly acute, connate at the base for ca. 3 mm to form a common tube with the filaments, 11–12 × 9 mm, ecarinate, orange, glabrous, erect or nearly so at anthesis and forming a subtubular corolla ca. 6 mm in diameter, margins entire; stamens shorter than the petals; filaments complanate, connate for ca. 1 mm above the common tube with the petals, ca. 8 × 1.5–2 mm, pale orange toward the apex; anthers narrowly subtriangular, 3.5–4 mm long, strongly recurved at anthesis, base bilobed, apex acute, fixed near the base; pistil ca. 9 mm long, about equaling the anthers; stigma conduplicate-spiral, blades ca. 1.5 mm long, orange, margins minutely crenulate; style ca. 2.5 mm long, distinct; ovary narrowly suboblong, ca. 5 mm long, pale yellow. Capsules unknown.

Distribution and habitat:— Dyckia gouveiana is a typically rupicolous species, growing on shallow accumulated organic substrate on rock outcrops in the Campos Rupestres of the county of Gouveia, Diamantina Plateau. Single or a few-aggregated individuals live often along springs, at the border of the grass-like vegetation, fully exposed to sun light, forming a sparse population.

Etymology:—The name chosen for this new species refers to the county of Gouveia, Diamantina Plateau, Minas Gerais State, where it was originally collected.

Additional specimen examined (paratype):— BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Gouveia , between Gouveia and Pres. Juscelino, BR 259 , near the entrance to Camelinho, along a temporary spring, 1202 m elevation, 18° 34’ 47” S 43° 52’ 46” W, 11 December 2011, Leme et al. 8600 ( RB) .

Observations:— Dyckia goveiana is morphologically related to D. argentea Mez (1894: 492) , differing by the leaf blades being strongly canaliculate, with upright margins (vs. nearly flat or inconspicuously canaliculate), rachis subdensely to densely white sublanate (vs. glabrous), floral bracts from exceeding the sepals to exceeding the flowers (vs. shorter than the sepals), sepals densely white lanate (vs. glabrous), broadly acute petals (vs. broadly rounded), and by the filaments shortly connate above the common tube with the filaments (vs. free). While D. argentea is an endemic species from the Serra do Lenheiro, at São João Del Rey, and Serra de São José, at Tiradentes, not far away from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, D. goveiana is known only from the type locality, at Diamantina Plateau.

Figures

FIGURE 7. A–E. Dyckia goveiana (Leme et. al. 8485). A. General view of the habitat. B. Habit. C. Inflorescence. D. Flowers. E. Individual growing along a spring at the type locality.

FIGURE 8. A–G. Dyckia goveiana (Leme et. al. 8485). A. Leaf blade. B. Floral bract. C. Flower. D. Sepal. E. Petal and stamens. F. Anther. G. Pistil. H–M. Dyckia montezumensis (Leme 8315 & Oliveira). H. Basal portion of the leaf. I. Floral bract. J. Flower. K. Sepal. L. Petal and stamens. M. Pistil. Scale bars = 1 cm.