Dyckia brevifolia - Locality of Subida - Itajaí River in Santa Catarina

Here you may have the right idea of Dyckia brevifolia.
The yellow marks are algae that grows attached to the rocks.
this is the new Dyckia brevifolia variety that bears orange to red flowers.

Picture take Sunday, August 16th 2009
Dyckia brevifolia in Subida - Santa Catarina

Dyckia brevifolia is one of the most well known Dyckias all over the world and even so it seems we known nothing close to the huge amount left to be known about to this beauty.

It grows close to running waters but it is not for the running waters but for the fact running waters expose stones and rocks. So where the waters have exposed rocks the plant thrives.
The plant grows there cause there is less competition for light as less plant species is capable of growing in such places.

The plant adheres to he rock literally. Also the plant roots look for tiny fissures on the rock and the roots grows into them. The plant is well glued to the rock.
The plant stays under meters of water, running fast white waters and stays put on the rocks. Flood waters carrying draft wood, rooks, trees and so on may dislodge the plants and they won´t adhere to any other rock. Dislodged plants are lost forever.

The plants rely on seeds to transfer genetic material from one point to the other.

There are some differences in the phenotype of plants from one spot to the other and this is a wonderful reason for a valuable scientific study and it seems it is already being made.

This plant here is a novelty to most eyes! Contrary to the expectation it flowers at the end of Summer while the known Dyckia brevifolia is a spring bloomer.
Their flowers never met.
This here is a smaller plant and shares the very same habitat.
Its flowers are deep orange almost red. Their leaves are narrower than those of the "normal" Dyckia brevifolia type.
I observed some young seedlings from seeds produced at the end of Last Summer. Seedlings are totally different from the Dyckia brevifolia we know. they are narrow leaved! Dyckia brevifolia produces seedlings with broader and more succulent leaves.


At this point I want to say some words to a friend of us:
THANK YOU!
Thank you, my friend from the other side of the World.
Most probably we will never meet, never see each other, never look inside our eyes...
Now I want to say God bless you and thanks.
You made difference and in this case you made the difference.
Thanks to you we all shall learn a bit about our plants.
Thank you!
I am most honored!
Shall everyone of us get this touch of sensibility and make the difference at least once in a lifetime...the world would be a much better place.
Thank you!