Dyckia racemosa Baker, Handb. Bromel.

Guarçoni, Elidio A. E., Bastian, Regis E., Silva, Eduardo O. & Ferreira, Alessandro W. C., 2018, First record of the rare Dyckia racemosa Baker (Bromeliaceae) in Maranhão state (northeastern Brazil), with an update on the species description, geographic distribution, and conservation status, Phytotaxa 349 (3), pp. 273-280 : 274-280

Dyckia racemosa Baker, Handb. Bromel. 132. 1889. ( Figs. 1 , 2 and 3 )

Type:— BRAZIL. Tocantins: Arraias , dry hills, 12º56’S, 46º57’W, fl., February 1840, Gardner 4015 (holotype, K; photo, K!)

Plant terrestrial, flowering 91-127 cm tall. Rhizome without side ramifications, populations formed by segregated single individuals not forming clumps. Leaves 15-22 in number, rigid, coriaceous, spreading-arched (basal leaves) to suberect-erect (median and upper leaves) and unilaterally curved, forming assymmetrical rosetes of 31-38 cm tall and 38-58 cm in diameter; sheaths broadly ovate to elliptic, 2.7-4.2 × 3.5-4.9 cm, greenish to cream colored, densely white lepidote on both surfaces, aculeate, thorns brown; blades linear-triangular, 41-60 × 1.2-1.8 cm, canaliculate, succulent, green often with spotty wine basal region of the adaxial surface, white lepidote, with trichomes concentrated between the ribs not fully obscuring the leaf color, upper half becoming glabrous, apex acute, pungent, margins glabrous, aculate, spines retrorse or rarely straight so, except the distal ones that are antrorse, spines 1.1-1.8 mm long, 0.4-0.6 mm wide at the base, 0.7-1.7 cm apart. Inflorescence simple or rarely compound, erect, 98-133 cm tall, sometimes with one single suberect basal branch of ca 10 cm long, with a stipe of 4.4 mm long and ca 4 flowered; peduncle terete, 82-100 cm long, green, glabrous and glabrescent in the upper third, white lepidote, with internodes 3.6-6.6 cm long in upper half; peduncle bracts shorter than the internodes, except in the lower third of the peduncle, those foliaceous,ovate or triangular, long acuminate, ending in a spine, stramineous with green base, carinate, margins inconspicuously serrulate or fimbriate, the upper ones 7.4-12 × 2.8-7.7 mm, white pubescent; rachis green, terete, flexuous, pubescent; primary bracts shorter than the stipe of the branches, triangular, 8.4 × 5 mm, similar as the upper peduncle bracts, Floral bracts ones shorter than the pedicel, stramineous, convex, carnate, white floccose, ovate to triangular, acute, pungent, 4.2-6.7 × 3.4-5.3 mm, margins erose. Flowers 18-26 in number, polistichous, lax, divergent to suberect, including pedicel 1.5- 2.2 cm long, corolla tubular; pedicel evident, (2.2) 5-9 mm long, 1.3-3.3 mm diameter, terete, green, white floccose; sepals reaching the midpoint of the petals or slightly above, 6.2-7.4 × 4.8-7.2 mm, elliptic to ovate, obtuse to acute, green to orange-green, imbricate, fleshy, white floccose, convex, margins fimbriate; petals orange to dark-orange, after anthesis with whitish margins, obovate, obtuse, 8.2-11.6 × 6-9 mm, convolute erect, sparcely white floccose, margins entire; stamens included; filaments yellowish, complanate, 6.7-7.5 mm long, adnate to the petals and forming a common tube of 0.3-2.2 mm with the petals, connate for 1.4-3.9 mm above the common tube; anthers triangular, 1.4- 2.5 mm long, attenuate, curved outward; ovary pyramidal, attenuately merging into the style, 4.3-6.8 mm long, orange to green; style orange to wine, 1 mm long; stigma conduplicate-spiral, 0.7-1.5 mm long, orange. Fruits unknown.

Additional specimen examined: –– BRAZIL, Bahia, Barreiras, road to Cachoeira do Redondo , 11º58’23”S, 45º30’53”W, 17.IV.2013, fl., R. C. Forzza 7451 ( RB!) . Goiás, Posse, vicinity of Posse, Rio da Prata, Serra Geral de Goiás , 14º13’S, 46º37’W, 09.IV.1966, fl., H. S. Irwin et al. 14528 ( NYBG!; UB!) . Maranhão, Fortaleza dos Nogueiras, Agrosserra, Cuzcuzeiro, 328 m elev. 6°54’05”S, 45°58’16”W, 06. VI.2015, fl.cult., E. A. E. Guarçoni 2352 & A. W. C. Ferreira ( BMA) ; fl., E.A.E. Guarçoni 2353 & A.W.C. Ferreira (BMA); Serra da Croeira, toward Agrosserra, Cachoeira Recanto da Águia, 340 m elev., 06º57’21”S, 46º00’08”W, 08.II.2016, fl., E. A. E. Guarçoni 2416, A. W. C. Ferreira & E. O. Silva ( BMA). Mirador, Parque Estadual do Mirador , 06º37’49”S, 45º52’25”W, 06.VI.2015, fl., E. A. E. Guarçoni 2348 & A. W. C. Ferreira ( BMA) ; fl.cult., E.A.E. Guarçoni 2351 & A.W.C. Ferreira (BMA).

Distinctive characters:–– Dyckia racemosa may be confused with D. dissitiflora Schultes & Schultes (1830: 1194) and D. maracasensis Ule (1908: 197) when having a simple inflorescence and with D. irwinii Smith (1967: 483) when having a compound inflorescence ( Table 1).

The species can be distinguished from D. dissitiflora by having larger leaves (41.3–59.4 vs. ca. 20 cm), white-lepidote on both leaf surfaces (vs. on the abaxial surface only); lower floral bracts, ovate to triangular (vs. lanceolate), smaller than pedicels (vs. equal in length or longer); longer pedicels (5.9–9.2 vs. 3–4 mm) and longer flowers (1.5–2.2 vs. 1.2–1.3 cm).

From D. maracasensis, D. racemosa it can be distinguished by having larger rosettes (31.8–37.8 vs. 20 cm tall); the leaf sheaths ovate to elliptical (vs. suborbicular); smaller spines (1.1–1.8 vs. 2 mm); leaf blades white-lepidote adaxially (vs. glabrous); peduncle white-glabescent or glabrous (vs. densely ferruginous-flocculose near the apex); rachis white-glabrescent (vs. ferruginous-flocculose); polystichous flowered (vs. distichous or sometimes spreading and secund); petals obovate (vs. elliptic).

Dyckia racemosa can be differentiated from D. irwinii by having smaller spines (1.1–1.8 vs. 2 mm), glabrous or glabrescent peduncle (vs. lepidote); glabrous or glabrescent rachis (vs. ferruginous-lepidote); lower floral bracts 4.2– 6.7 mm long (vs. 10 mm); pedicels largers (5.9–9.2 vs. 5 mm); anthers triangular (vs. linear).

Distribution and habitat:––Until now, Dyckia racemosa had only been known to occur at the Brazilian states of Bahia, Goiás and Tocantis, in Cerrado areas ( Fig. 4 ). The species distribution pattern is associated to regions on hillsides of Serra Geral, between 247–800 m elevation. Our new findings extends the distribution of the taxon to about 595 km north from its nearest known collection site.

In Maranhão, Dyckia racemosa was observed growing terrestrial on a Cerrado like rocky soil ( Fig. 2a ), being either partially or totally exposed to the sun. We found three populations composed of a few individuals, all were at adult stage, growing as isolated rosettes.

Phenology: —February to June.

Conservation status: —Despite having an extensive geographic distribution area (EOO), of 66,955.635 km 2, D. racemosa has a restricted area of occupancy area (AOO), estimated 28 km 2. The area of occupation is highly fragmented and the individuals therein are distributed in seven small, isolated populations ( Fig. 4 ), which thereby increases the risk of extinction.

According to the criteria adopted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN 2010), D. racemosa can be considered as Endangered. [EN; B2a, b (ii, iii, iv)]. In addition, the species distribution is severely fragmented, and its area of occupation is subject to periodic fire, extractivism (illegal removal of plants from the environment) and illegal human Activities.

Acknowledgment

The authors want to thank the reviewers and editor Thorsten Krömer and Eric Gouda, for their comments and suggestions, to improve the manuscript; Reinaldo Monteiro, for making the illustration; FAPEMA (UNIVERSAL-00855/17) for the financing of research; Profa. Patrícia Maia Correia de Albuquerque (Laboratory of Bee Studies— L.E.A.—UFMA) and biologist Roberth Ricard Diniz Pereira, for providing support during field work; Chico Mendes Institute (ICMBIO nº 47854-2) and the Maranhão State Secretariat for the Environment and Natural Resources, for granting us permits for collecting of botanical material; and herbaria K, NYBG, RB and UB, for making material of their collections digitally available.

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Figures

FIGURE 1. Dyckia racemosa Baker E.A.E. Guarçoni 2352 & A.C. Ferreira.A. Rosette; B. Inflorescence, showing upper peduncle bracts shorter than the internodes and suberect to divergent flowers; C. Detail of the leaf, showing retrorse spines; D. Detail of the inflorescence, showing floral bracts shorter than the pedicels and suberect to divergent flowers; E. Longitudinal section of the flower; F. Sepal with detail of the indumentum; G. Petal with detail of the indumentum; H. Petal and stamens; I. Detail of anther. (Illustration: Reinaldo Monteiro)

FIGURE 2. Dyckia racemosa A. plant rosettes growing isolated on rocky soil; B. Inflorescence of D. racemosa; C. Detail of a flower, showing the indumentum on sepals and petals. (Photos: Elidio Guarçoni)

FIGURE 3. Unicates herbarium specimen of Dyckia racemosa. A. Tocantins, Gardner 4015. B. Goiás, Irwin et al. 14528. C. Bahia, Forzza 7451. D. Maranhão, Guarçoni 2352 & A.W.C. Ferreira. (Fotos: Elidio A. E. Guarçoni)

FIGURE 4. Map showing the distribution and extent of occurrence of Dyckia racemosa across Serra Geral, in the Brazilian states of Goiás, Bahia, Tocantins, and Maranhão.