Dyckia brevifolia Baker

  • Authority

    Smith, Lyman B. & Downs, Robert J. 1974. Pitcairnioideae (Bromeliaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 14 (1): 1-658. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Bromeliaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Dyckia brevifolia Baker

  • Type

    TYPE. In the absence of any specimen the excellent plate with floral analysis can be taken as the type. Brazil without further locality.

  • Synonyms

    Dyckia sulphurea K.Koch, Dyckia rariflora Schult.f., Dyckia princeps Lem., Dyckia gemellaria Mez ex E.Morren & Mart.

  • Description

    Description - Plant flowering 4-11 dm high. Leaves many in a dense rosette, 1-2 dm long; sheaths scarcely broader than the blades, suborbicular or reniform; blades lance-triangular, acute, very thick when living, 25-35 mm wide, glabrous above, minutely pale-lepidote between the prominent nerves beneath, evenly and laxly serrate with hooked spines 2 mm long. Scape stout, soon glabrous; scape-bracts longer than the internodes, the lower foliaceous and densely imbricate, the upper much smaller and sometimes entire. Inflorescence simple, lax or rather dense at anthesis, many-flowered, soon glabrous. Floral bracts spreading or reflexed, narrowly lance-triangular, entire, the lowest usually exceeding the flowers; pedicels distinct, 2-4 mm long at anthesis, elongating in fruit; flowers spreading at anthesis, then erect. Sepals ovate, acute or obtuse, to 8 mm long, glabrous; petals bright yellow, ca 10 mm long, the blades spreading, suborbicular, obtuse or apiculate, more or less carinate toward apex, not undulate; stamens included, the filaments free above the very short common tube with the petals, the anthers narrowly triangular, acute, recurved; style about ½ the ovary; ovules with broad laterally acute wings.

  • Discussion

    Cultivated material tends to have larger leaves, but some variation is not surprising after a history of nearly a hundred years.

  • Distribution

    Ledges by streams and rock islands, 30-400 m alt, southern Brazil.

    Brazil South America| Minas Gerais Brazil South America| Guanabara Brazil South America| São Paulo Brazil South America| Santa Catarina Brazil South America|