Dyckia magnifica Büneker, Pastori, Almeida & Mariath, 2023, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Büneker, Henrique Mallmann
name: Pastori, Tamara
name: Almeida, Pedro Schwambach De
name: Mariath, Jorge Ernesto De Araujo
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Liliopsida
Poales
Bromeliaceae
Dyckia
Dyckia magnifica

description: 3. Dyckia magnifica B̧neker & Mariath, sp. nov., Figures 1A–E; 2C, D, F, H, and J.
Species morphologice proxima Dyckiae tomentosae, differt spinis triangularibus, patentibus (vs. stricto-triangularibus, aduncis), floribus secundis (vs. patentibus usque ad suberectis) cum pedicellis maioribus (2–4 mm vs. absentibus usque ad 0.5 mm longis), sepalis pubescentibus (vs. tomentosis), petalis longioribus (9–11 mm vs. 6–7.6 mm longis), pubescentibus (vs. tomentosis), cum trichomis superficiei abaxialis flabeliformibus cum ramis brevis (vs. dendriticis cum ramis elongatis), et trichomis marginum digitiformibus (vs. filiformibus).
Type: — BRAZIL. Santa Catarina: Abdon Batista, Perau do Macaco Branco, -27.609947°, -51.181137°, 8 February 2017, H. M. B ¸neker 616, R. C. Pontes & J. C. Silva (holotype: HDCF!).
Herb saxicolous, rhizomatous, 0.95–1.4(–2.1) m in height when in bloom; rosette symmetrical or slightly asymmetrical, (25–) 45–83 cm in diameter. Leaves 43–105 in number, the inner leaves erect, the outer leaves patent to reflexed; blades (12–)23–52 × 1.7–3.9 cm, narrowly triangular, rigid, adaxially green to purplish, sparsely to densely adpressed lepidote, abaxial face longitudinally nerved-striate, green to purplish, lepidote between nerves, margins spinose-serrate; spines 4–7.6 × 2.8–5 mm, conspicuous, triangular, patent, slightly antrorsely curved, rigid, whitish green or whitish rose at the base, whitish or yellowish in the median portion and brown at the apex, generally lepidote. Inflorescence axillary, erect; peduncle 20–76 cm long, generally slender, green to purple, glabrescent, pruinose; peduncle bracts of the median portion polystichous, stramineous, shorter than to surpassing the internodes, divergent, not hiding the peduncle; fertile part of the inflorescence 65–108(–130) cm long, generally once-branched to slightly twice-branched; primary bracts identical to the peduncle bracts; first order branches (8–) 21–51 in number, suberect to patent, with greenish to purple axes, glabrescent, pruinose at the base, white floccose-tomentose distally; second order branches (when present) usually less than 2, at the base of the first order branches; floral bracts 1–3.6 × ca. 1.3 mm, ovate, the base green, the median portion stramineous and yellowish, the apex stramineous and brown, attenuate-acuminate, ecarinate, tomentose, shorter than the pedicels of the flowers. Flowers 1.2–1.6 cm long, polystichous at first and becoming secund at anthesis, after anthesis becoming erect again, conspicuously pedicellate; pedicels clavate, twisted, 2–4 mm long, yellowish green, tomentose; sepals 3–5 × ca. 2.5 mm, triangular-ovate, apex obtuse to rounded, green at the base, yellow at the apex, slightly carinate, abaxial surface pubescent, covered with flabelliform trichomes, the margins with digitiform trichomes; flabelliform trichomes on the sepal abaxial surface with an uniseriate stalk of 2–3 cells, the median region expanded, multicellular, with 4–9 short branches formed by ca. 2 cells; digitiform trichomes of the sepal margins with an uniseriate stalk of (1–)2(–3) cells, the median region not expanded, branches with 1–3 much-elongated cells; petals 9–11 × ca. 3 mm, not unguiculate, erect, oblong, the basal portion greenish, the median portion yellowish, the apex orange-yellow, rounded or emarginate, slightly cucullate, abaxially pubescent, covered with flabelliform trichomes, the margins with digitiform trichomes; dendritic trichomes on the petal abaxial surface identical to the trichomes of the sepals surfaces; filiform trichomes of the petal margins identical to those of the sepal margins; stamens included during theca opening, becoming exserted; filaments 9–11 mm long, free above the short hypanthium, the antesepalous ones adnate to the sepals for ca. 0.4 mm, the antepetalous ones adnate to the petals for ca. 1 mm; pistil 9–12 mm long; ovary 2 × 2.5–3 mm; style 6–8 mm long; stigma exserted at anthesis, stigmatic lobes conduplicate, slightly spirally twisted at pre-anthesis, becoming suberect afterward. Capsules ovoid, dark brown when mature. Seeds oblanceoloid.
Leaf anatomy: —The analysis of the leaf anatomy of D.magnifica enabled the identification of the following tissues: epidermis, water-storage parenchyma, chlorenchyma, vascular bundles, spongy parenchyma, ground parenchyma and mechanical hypodermis (Fig. 3B and 3D). The epidermis consists of cells that contain silica bodies and present a predominant thickening in the cell walls. The stomatal complexes are located on the abaxial surface of the leaves upward the level of the epidermal cells (Fig. 3F). The sub-stomatal chambers are associated with spongy parenchyma, which provides a larger dimension to the area of these chambers and is located between the vascular bundles. The mesophyll presents, on the abaxial and adaxial surfaces, a mechanical hypodermis rich in lignins, consisting of three or four layers of cells (Fig. 3G). On the adaxial surface it is possible to identify water-storage parenchyma comprising three to four layers of isodiametric cells and then five to six layers of anticlinally elongated cells, with ca. 1.2 mm height. This parenchyma extends to the region close to the vascular bundles, where it is interspersed with projections of chlorenchyma, 50–100 μm height. The bundle sheath is continuous around the vascular bundle. The collateral vascular bundles are distributed linearly throughout the leaf section and have lignified sclerenchymatic fibers at the poles of the xylem and of the phloem (Fig. 3I). The diameter of the vascular bundles varies along the cross section of the leaf. The larger caliber bundles have fiber caps of the same thickness, both at the xylem pole and at the phloem pole (Fig. 3I). The smaller caliber bundles have thicker sclerenchyma fibers at the phloem pole. On the abaxial surface, it is possible to identify spongy parenchyma interspersed with the ground parenchyma. Similarly to D. tomentosa, the spongy parenchyma in D. magnifica begins in the region between the vascular bundles and extends to the region of the epidermis, where the stomata and trichomes are located. In D. magnifica the spongy parenchyma measures 600–800 μm height × 70–120 μm width. The ground parenchyma in this species measures 600–700 μm height × 150–200 μm width, begins in the region of the vascular bundles and extends to the region of the mechanical hypodermis.
Pollen morphology: —The pollen grains of D. magnifica are oblate, heteropolar, medium in size (25–50 µm) (Hesse et al. 2009), and sulcate of the simple sulcus type (Halbritter & Hesse 1993). The ornamentation is reticulate to micro-reticulate and heterobrochate (Punt et al. 2007) (Fig. 2O). Eventual discontinuities in the reticulum can be observed, specifically in the proximal polar region (Fig. 2P).
Etymology: —The specific epithet “ magnifica ”, reflects the beauty of the new species. This epithet was created and disseminated by the Dyckia cultivation enthusiast Constantino Gastaldi, who distributed specimens of it to several collectors and botanical collections under this name.
Distribution & habitat: —The species occurs as a saxicolous heliophyte on rocky outcrops or escarpments of basalt located near rivers. Five populations of the species are known in southern Brazil in the states of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina (Fig. 4). In Santa Catarina state, three of them were found on rocky escarpments on the banks of the Canoas river, in Perau do Macaco Branco (Fig. 1A–E) and in Perau da Cabrita in the municipality of Abdon Batista, one on a rocky escarpment that forms a waterfall in the municipality of Anita Garibaldi; and another one on rocks along the margins of the Jacutinga river in the municipality of Concórdia. In Rio Grande do sul state, one population was located rocky escarpment in the municipality of Machadinho.
Observations: — Dyckia magnifica is morphologically related to D. tomentosa, but differs by having patent triangular spines (Fig. 2C–D) (vs. aduncate narrow-triangular (Fig. 2A–B)); secund flowers (Fig. 2F) (vs. patent to suberect (Fig. 2E)) with larger pedicels (2–4 mm (Fig. 2H) vs. lacking or up to 0.5 mm in length (Fig. 2G)); pubescent sepals (Fig. 2H) (vs. tomentose (Fig. 2G)); longer petals (9–11 (Fig. 2H) vs. 6–7.6 mm in length (Fig. 2G)), pubescent, flabelliform trichomes on the abaxial surface with short branches (Fig. 2H) (vs. dendritic with elongated branches (Fig. 2G)), digitiform trichomes on the margins (Fig. 2H) (vs. filiform (Fig. 2G)).
Differences in rosette size and leaf color can be observed among populations of the species. Specimens from Perau do Macaco Branco and Perau da Cabrita, in Abdon Batista, Santa Catarina state possess significantly larger rosettes than those in other known populations, and the leaves blades are dark green (Fig. 1A–C) or rarely pale pinkish. The known population in the municipality of Anita Garibaldi has individuals with smaller rosettes (up to ca. 30 cm in diameter) and leaves with more flexible and pinkish-purple blades (Fig. 2C). Specimens from the “barro amarelo” population, in Machadinho, Rio Grande do Sul state, have rosettes intermediate in size between Abdon Batista and Anita Garibaldi populations, and light green bright leaves.
Additional specimens examined (Paratypes): — BRAZIL. Santa Catarina: Abdon Batista, Perau do Macaco Branco, 8 February 2017, H. M. Bu ̈neker 616, J. C. Silva & R. C. Pontes (HDCF); Perau da Cabrita, -27.613359°, - 51.181929°, 8 February 2018, H. M. B¸neker 718, J. L.D. Nardin, L. Witeck & J. C. da Silva (HDCF); Anita Garibaldi, -27.632003°, -51.163333°, 9 February 2018, floresceu na coleç„o de Planeta Bromélia em dezembro de 2019, H. M. B¸neker 721 & L. Witeck (ICN); Concórdia, Rio Jacutinga, 12 May 2000, L. E. Markiewicz 41 (HBR). Rio Grande do Sul: Machadinho, 11 April 2002, floresceu na coleç„o do Jardim Botânico de Porto Alegre em dezembro de 2019, A. D. Nilson & C. S. Fior s.n. (ICN); Barro Amarelo, floresceu na coleç„o de Planeta Bromélia em 20 February 2020, A. R. Maixner s.n. (ICN).
description: Published as part of Büneker, Henrique Mallmann, Pastori, Tamara, Almeida, Pedro Schwambach De & Mariath, Jorge Ernesto De Araujo, 2023, Dyckia magnifica, a new species of Bromeliaceae (Pitcairnioideae) from Southern Brazil, and the re-establishment of D. tomentosa, of the D. selloa complex, pp. 169-185 in Phytotaxa 595 (2) on pages 177-179, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.595.2.4, http://zenodo.org/record/7905867