Dyckia edwardii P.J.Braun, Esteves & Scharf
Literature references:
Comments:
- Distr. To date, Dyckia edwardii was only found in Brazil, state of Goias, between the cities of Uruacu and Rialma, granite outcrops and in rocky soils nearby the rocks, in association with grasses, herbs, vellozias, other bromeliads (Tillandsia, Bromelia, Aechmea), cacti (Pilosocereus machrisii), shrubs and trees of a xeric type of campo cerrado.
Discovery and related species
The species Dyckia edwardii, introduced in here, was discovered by Eddie Esteves already 20 years ago (ca. 1988) in the North of Goias/Brazil. It is a comparatively large and stem forming species. During the whole life-time, their thick stems remain tightly covered by the bases of dead leaves. A description was postponed until some less known species from central Brazil had been examined. After seeing the literature, we focussed on D. uleana Mez (1896: 517) and D. goiana L.B. Sm. (1967) as putative relatives. The protologue of D. uleana is very short and less contenting and that of D. goiana contains no information about the leaves. Therefore, regarding the col¬lection of Esteves, many questions and doubts remained unsolved. Subsequently, the natural habitat of both species, which are native to Goias too, were visited. Mos¬samedes for D. uleana (Esteves 468) and Corrego Estrema in the Serra do Morcego for D. goiana (Esteves 602) mean a distance of about 250 km in both cases, for the first to southwest, and in the second to southeast. After examining the plants from these and other localities and those of the herbarium specimens of D. goiana (Irwin, Souza, Grear & Reis dos Santos 15163 (NY)) and D. uleana (Ule 3134 (iso B)) and comparing them with the plants of the new species D. edwardii, introduced herein, distinct differ¬ences between the three species could be documented (see Tab. 1 and 2).
To answer last questions, Dyckia edwar¬dii was visited recently in spring 2006 by Eddie Esteves and his son Edward, when travelling the
bordering region of Goias and Minas Gerais to collect material for the description of the meanwhile published Pilosocereus hermii P.J. Braun, Esteves & Hofacker. —See Die Bromelie
