The article below is from Saddleback
Valley Bromeliad Society Newsletter in California.
It was a word Doc. that I cut and pasted the words but the photos I could not do the same to. So I used my photos.
PUP TALK
THE
SADDLEBACK VALLEY BROMELIAD SOCIETY
Volume 23,
Number 5
May 2013
DYCKIA EXCEPTIONS
We usually picture Dyckia as
upright, extremely well-armored, neatly formed rosette-shaped plants with a
very strong root system which are a “bear” to handle and repot. An example might be Dyckia fosteriana pictured at right. This well-known species is a
parent of several popular cultivars such as Dyckia ‘’Brittle Star.’
But as often found with general concept,
there are exceptions. Below are two
Dyckia species which might be somewhat easier to handle when they enjoy a place
in your collection.
Dyckia
choristaminea is one
exception to consider. Spines are not
as much a problem here. True, this
native of dryer Brazilian areas such as Rio Grande do Sul has leaf spines, but
as seen at right they can be smaller, finer, and less lethal than those on many
Dyckia.
This relatively smaller plant features
long thin leaves which are often darker than they appear in the very strongly
lit photo at right. In natural
lighting, focusing on one plant in this densely clumping, green species becomes
difficult. Each plant forms a rosette
of many 6 inch long leaves that overlap other cluster members. The owner of the cluster in the above left
photo says they “believe” it contains 15 plants. One grower, probably searching for a catchy name to sell plants,
called this the “spaghetti bowl” Dyckia
Puptalk May 2013 p 6
The above left photo also gives a better
impression of the leaf color under natural light. The leaves will blush plum red with sufficient light exposure.
Dyckia chotistaminea flowers top a 10 inch flower spike and
these blooms are larger than those of most Dyckia. Flowers can reach 2/3 of an inch long and are usually yellow like
those in the photo. Orange flowers are
also reported. Flowering time is
generally May/ June. They are said by
some to be fragrant.
Another exception is Dyckia estevesii. Instead of the expected rosette-shaped
plant, this fan-shaped Dyckia features leaves in parallel rows and grows on its
side almost horizontally once pups appear. Prior to pupping, it forms an
upright fan. The fans can reach between
2 to 3 feet across. This special plant
is found only in the vicinity of Goias, Brazil. It was named for its discoverer, Eddie Estavis Pereira by Rauh.
As frequently
found in rarer plants, there is not a lot of information in our books. The internet adds sometimes conflicting
information. For example, there are a
few mentions that this plant is sterile and will not bloom. However, other articles have pictures of
flowers (like that taken by George Allaria below.) Some of our friends have succeeded in flowering this plant yearly
and some of us have yet to succeed
Carol and I obtained our plant
from a friend who said we would find the plant’s growth habit
“interesting.” He was very right.
The horizontal shape of this plant
offers handling advantages for repotting.
However, like most Dyckia, this plant presents a mass of strong roots
and is very well-armored. Strong
self-protection and a root saw are suggested for those separating or repotting
it.
The future of Dyckia estevesii may
be uncertain. Derek Butcher, well known
bromeliad writer, said in a 2010 article that to his mind this plant can be
likened to the monstrous or crested cacti forms. If he is proven correct by future DNA analysis, this plant might
be relegated to a form of another species.
As we often say, stay tuned.
Both of these plants will easily winter
outside in this area but restrict watering prior to extra cold nights. Joe
Puptalk May 2013 p 7
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